Up until now, my Wife has authored the posts. Although she made me a contributor several months back, I’ve been procrastinating on what to write in my first post.
My Wife started this blog to more or less be the “Voice from the Pews” at our local parish.
Father Mario speaks very often about Carrying your Cross and Cross Avoidance. Growing up during the infancy of the Digital millenium we had Electronic Bulletin Boards and Cell Phones. There was no World Wide Web or the Internet as we know it today. There were only 4 items on the Menu at McDonald’s. Cell Phones were the size of bricks and The Simpsons didn’t look like the The Simpsons.
More and more channels were sprouting up on TV. Gone were the days of 12 VHF Channels and the odd UHF channel with the snowy picture. With Cable you had over 50+ Stations. I know it sounds absurd now with the 900+ Channels on DirectTV and Cable these days.
The point I am getting at is we had Choices. And we felt empowered. We had Freedom. We could excercise our Free Will. There was very little about the consequences. After all, if we didn’t like the channel we were on, we could just change it.
If we didn’t like one channel we could change it. Heck, if we didn’t like any of them we could channel surf until we found one.
The problem with choices though is that it makes Cross Avoidance VERY Easy. Don’t want to carry your cross ? There’s an alternative right ? After all, if we don’t like what’s on Channel 6 we can watch Channel 506. The problem is Channel 506 is probably not something you should be watching.
Satan is in Heaven. God is Buried under the Music, Movies, Television and other “choices” we have in Today’s Society.
We’re so accustomed to living with Choices these days, that we feel we are entitled to choose whatever we want. It’s this entitlement in the World today that is so damaging.
There are really only two Choices for the Catholic. To Carry your Cross or Not.
For many growing up today and even during my youth, this lack of a choice is unacceptable.
As a Father, I too am guilty of Cross Avoidance on a Daily Basis. I too choose the alternatives. I too choose to use Hurtful Words when I am angry. After all, I can change it right ? Sticks and Stones right ? Change the channel right ?
Wrong.
Carrying your Cross as a Catholic Father means making the tough choices. It means taking responsibility for your actions. It means making the right choice the first time. It means asking for help when you need it and apologizing to those whom you have hurt. It means no longer hurting the ones you Love. It means to protect your Wife. Even from yourself.
As a Catholic Father I have the responsibility of showing my two girls the only real choices they have. It is up to me to be their beacon. As a Father I must protect my family from all the choices in the World. I must show them that by Carrying my Cross that they will not Avoid theirs.
After All, If a Father can get lost and buried under the choices that the World has to offer. What chance does a Child Have ?
From The Pews 
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