Skip to main content

Practical Wisdom for Living in a Pagan Culture - Steve Wood

Image
By
+
JMJ

The truth is the truth and Mr. Wood speaks the truth.

One of these days I need to get his approval to re-publish his newsletters ... mea culpa.

P^3

Source: Practical Wisdom for Living in a Pagan Culture




Dads.org January 2016, Volume 22, Number 1

Practical Wisdom for Living in a Pagan Culture

With the arrival of 2016 we can safely affirm that we reached the bottom of the cultural waste-dump. If you want to see what a pagan culture looks like just read the “lifestyle” section of your newspaper, or simply turn on your TV. Here are just three of the many indicators:
  • Another January anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade ruling concocting a constitutional right to slaughter innocent babies through abortion
  • The high court and the president of the United States of America openly supporting fictitious same-sex marriage
  • The secular media going gaga over the tragic deformation of Bruce Jenner

With our cultural slide, fathers are asking, “How can we keep our kids faithful and moral in today’s world?” Parents need to remember that this isn’t the first time that Catholics have faced living in a pagan culture.

Catholics living in ancient Rome faced challenges similar to what we are experiencing. Today’s parents need to recover the ways they successfully taught practical Christian living in the midst of a pagan empire. Looking back will reveal a proven way to navigate in the days ahead.

One of the earliest Christian writings is called the Didache (lit. “Teaching”). One of the reasons why the Didache was effective was because it didn’t use religious wordiness. It simply taught the truth without the distraction of fancy rhetoric.

Here is the first unforgettable sentence of the Didache.
“There are two Ways: a Way of Life and a Way of Death, and the difference between these two Ways is great.”

Today, many Christians think there’s just one broad way to heaven that everyone is following, even pro-abortion politicians. Many in America might believe that there is a hell, but only Hitler, Stalin, and Judas go there. Some Catholic teachers allege that many may go to hell, but folks only stay there for a temporary visit. I suppose these false prophets imagine that Jesus really didn’t mean it when he talked about “eternal punishment by fire” (Mat 18:18, 25:41, 46).

In addition to the Didache, early Catholics used the book of Proverbs to teach about the way of the fool leading to death and the way of the wise man resulting in life and blessing.

There’s no “just be nice” type of flabby moralism in Proverbs. Instead it communicates muscular truth that men in every age need to hear. Is it any surprise that the saints and doctors in the early Church used Proverbs?

Listen to what St. Ambrose (340 -397) said to newly baptized Catholics about the value of Proverbs:
“Every day we have come to talk to you about how you ought to behave. We have read to you the acts of the patriarchs or the counsels in the book of Proverbs so that, instructed and formed by these teachings, you may become accustomed to following the same path that our ancestors walked before us, and to obeying all the divine messages; thus, made into new people by baptism, your behavior will befit your position as baptized people.”

St. Basil (329 – 379) said, “The book of Proverbs is read to give an order to our actions and as a corrective to our passions: in summary, it is a discipline or guide to life.”

In addition to St. Ambrose and St. Basil, we find St. Augustine, St. Chrysostom, St., Venerable Bede, St. Clement of Alexandria, Pope St. Gregory the Great, St. Jerome, and St. Athanasius using Proverbs in their teaching and writing.

Proverbs was a book that the saints and doctors of the Church used to teach godly living in the midst of the Roman Empire. Today’s Catholic families would be wise to follow their example.

Faith & Family Radio
Want to learn more about Proverbs? Faith & Family Radio is featuring a teaching series on the book of Proverbs entitled, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Families. There are two ways to listen.

First, request that your local Catholic station carry the series (free of charge).

Second, Dads.org offers free listening to an assortment of the Proverbs radio shows.

Each week during January we will post a new Proverbs show along with the previous week’s show. To listen click here.

Family Life Team
The Family Life Team is our circle of supporters. This month we are offering team members a special collection of four Proverbs radio shows on an mp3 CD, allowing for an easy transfer to your smartphone.

To request a free no-obligation letter describing this mp3 CD: (1) send an email to: team@familylifecenter.net, or (2) click here.

Conferences
February 6th, Tampa, FL – 6th Annual Tampa Bay Catholic Men's Conference

February 20, Menlo Park, CA - 8th Annual Spiritual Warfare Conference: The Family Under Attack

Steve Wood Conference Topics: click here

Personal
I want to express my deep appreciation to each of you who sent an end-of-year gift. Your generosity made a big difference. Thanks also for the many kind notes of encouragement.

At Christmas I was treated to this picture of my youngest grandson, Caleb James Kohl (8 months).

Yours in His Majesty’s Service,

Steve Wood
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Curious Case of Steve Skojec and the Dangers of Deep Diving into the Crisis Sub-Titled: The Failings of Others

By
 + JMJ It's been a while now since Steve Skojec sold 1P5 and abandoned the Catholic Faith. I've been a 'Trad' since 1982 and in those 40+ years I seen this death-spiral before with a similar end point. It seems that anyone who jumps into the fray unprepared for the enormous task of righting wrongs will, eventually, become discouraged by not the task but the people who surround them.   I remember when Skojec complained of the treatment his family received from a traditional priest.  This seems to have been the start of the end for him. So what can we learn from the likes of Steve Skojec, Michael Voris (maybe?), Louie Verrecchio, Gerry Matatix and other celebrity Catholics? Probably quite a lot about what not to do. First, don't burn out on the crisis?  When you burn out, on work or anything else, little things assume a more greater importance than they are due.   This is one of my 'canary in the coal mine' signals that I've been stretching myself too th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Communique about Avrille Dominicans - SSPX.org

By
+ JMJ Having completed the review of the 'Avrille' perspective, this communique from the French District Superior is perfectly timed. I believe that the 'resistance' has lost rationality and further argumentation simply results in their holding on to their false ideal all the more firmly. Pray much ... First, for them to acquiesce to the grace of humility in order to obtain a clear perspective on the principles involved. Second, that we may remain faithful to the Church, and Her Dogmas, Doctrines and Principles. Lest we become that which against we strove ... P^3 Courtesy of SSPX.org
Post a Comment
Read more

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

By
+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3
Post a Comment
Read more

A Reply to Martin Blackshaw’s FLAWED Remnant article titled: FLAWED: SSPX Advice on Abortion-tainted Vaccines

By
 + JMJ    An article has appeared in the Remnant (link to article) and I am afraid that there are a number of flaws in it that need to be addressed. The author, Martin Blackshaw, believes that both the Church and the SSPX are misapplying the principle of Moral Theology called 'Cooperation In Evil'.  Unfortunately, Mr. Blackshaw rests most of his arguments on citing authors that support his position, without considering the possibility that they are wrong. This highlights a key factor in this crisis: ignorance of the faith and its application . I don't am not singling out Mr. Blackshaw for this criticism, I have observed that it applies to laity and religious, superior and subject a like.  No one seems immune in this enduring crisis, myself included.  I further believe that this ignorance is why so many Catholics, both traditional and non, rely on their gut feeling or "Catholic conscience" for charting their way through this crisis of the faith.  While...
25 comments
Read more

Magisterium and Levels of Assent

By
+ JMJ Understanding the levels of assent to be given to the teachings of the Church is a critical success factor in walking the knife's edge during this crisis of the Church.  The levels of assent are generally associated with the theological grades of certainty, which are not surprisingly mirrored by the censures for contravening the teachings of the various levels.
Post a Comment
Read more