The family, which to date was the basic unit is fast disintegrating. The rising number of divorces and decline in the quality of marital bliss, even among those couples staying together are just two indicators of the worse to come. Children overburdened with studies, teens under assault from the mass media / internet desperate to make it big and the working youth deep into call-centre culture, the seniors consigned to an aged home / a corner in the house… are all indicators of a decaying civilization. And yet, the Christian has hope - IF he is deeply rooted in the Word, in the Spirit and looks up to God, our loving Father. This page will deal with ways to cope with situations, within the family. To get help on such matters, contact The Snehalaya or The Family Commission of the Archdiocese at -
www.snehalaya.in
Click here for a PDF file that will provide you with assistance in case of alcohol & drug addiction, community welfare centers, crčches, crises centers for women, homes for boys & girls / aged, handicapped, hostels, houseworkers, marriage bureaus, etc.
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St. Monica, Model of Christian Motherhood - by St. Augustine
Seven financial truths to teach your kids - by Marybeth Whalen
Bear Witness to Beauty of Marriage and the Family
St. Monica, Model of Christian Motherhood - by St. Augustine
[St. Monica, model Catholic mom, was born into a Christian family at Tagaste, in what is now Tunisia, on the North African Coast in the early part of the fourth century AD, not long after the Emperor Constantine first legalized Christianity. Her husband, Patricius, was a pagan. Their son, Augustine, proved to be quite a challenge as passed through his adolescent and early adult years, living with his girlfriend and getting involved in an exotic cult. All throughout Monica labored in prayer for his conversion. Her prayers were finally answered and her son became a bishop and one of the greatest teachers in the history of the Church. Saint Monica, model of Christian motherhood died in Ostia, Italy, in the company of her beloved son, in 387 AD. What follows is an account of her death written by her son about 10 years later in the Confessions of St. Augustine (Lib. 9, 10-11: CSEL 33, 215-129). This excerpt is used in the Roman Office of Readings for the Feast (liturgical memorial) of St. Monica on Aug 27th.]
Because the day when she was to leave this life was drawing near – a day known to you, though we were ignorant of it – she and I happened to be alone, through (as I believe) the mysterious workings of your will. We stood leaning against a window which looked out on a garden within the house where we were staying, at Ostia on the Tiber; for there, far from the crowds, we were recruiting our strength after the long journey, in order to prepare ourselves for our voyage overseas. We were alone, conferring very intimately. Forgetting what lay in the past, and stretching out to what was ahead, we enquired between ourselves, in the light of present truth, into what you are and what the eternal life of the saints would be like, for Eye has not seen nor ear heard nor human heart conceived it. And yet, with the mouth of our hearts wide open we panted thirstily for the celestial streams of your fountain, the fount of life which is with you.
This was the substance of our talk, though not the exact words. Yet you know, O Lord, how on that very day, amid this talk of ours that seemed to make the world with all its charms grow cheap, she said, “For my part, my son, I no longer find pleasure in anything that this life holds. What I am doing here still, or why I am still here, I do not know, for worldly hope has withered away for me. One thing only there was for which I desired to linger in this life: to see you a Catholic Christian before I died. And my God has granted this to me more lavishly than I could have hoped, letting me see even you spurning earthly happiness to be his servant. What am I still doing here?”
What I replied I cannot clearly remember, because just about that time – five days later, or not much more – she took to her bed with fever. One day during her illness she lapsed into unconsciousness and for a short time was unaware of her surroundings. We all came running, but she quickly returned to her senses, and, gazing at me and my brother as we stood there, she asked in puzzlement, “Where was I?”
We were bewildered with grief, but she looked keenly at us and said, “You are to bury your mother here”. I was silent, holding back my tears, but my brother said something about his hope that she would not die far from home but in her own country, for that would be a happier way. On hearing this she looked anxious and her eyes rebuked him for thinking so; then she turned her gaze from him to me and said, “What silly talk!” Shortly afterwards, addressing us both, she said, “Lay this body anywhere, and take no trouble over it. One thing only do I ask of you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be”. Having made her meaning clear to us with such words as she could muster, she fell silent, and the pain of the disease grew worse.
Seven financial truths to teach your kids - by Marybeth Whalen
"Money doesn't grow on trees."
"Save for a rainy day."
"Waste not, want not."
We all grew up hearing these little sayings as children, but did any of us really know what they meant? I know I didn't enter marriage with much practical wisdom about managing money, so I went to the world for answers. This is what I heard:
"Buy now, pay later,"
"90 days same as cash," and
"No interest until you're too old to care anymore!"
For a young, broke married couple, all of this sounded pretty good. In hindsight, I wish my husband and I had been more prepared for life from a financial standpoint. But we've determined that we'll do our level best to prepare our own children. Here are principles we've discovered that are important to consistently teach kids.
Debt is not "normal" or healthy. The culture will tell your kids otherwise, and you must counter this at home. Let your kids see you save for things you want instead of financing them. Explain why you turned down that store credit card at the register—even though the cashier made it sound like it would save you money.
Begin to discuss what interest is, and how much actual money is spent on interest. If you have made financial mistakes, share that with your kids so that they will see the dangers of debt.
Tithing is essential. I have a friend who always tells her kids, "God honors those who honor Him." While I'm not preaching a prosperity doctrine here, I do think that kids need to understand the importance of tithing from an early age. The earlier a habit is started, the more natural it becomes.
Delayed gratification builds character. You do your children a disservice if you don't teach them to wait. Better to learn this in the protection and nurture of your home. Purchasing something that has been anticipated and savored is a shining moment in a child's life—with much more benefit attached to that item in the end, I can assure you!
The next time your children tell you they want something now, ask them how much money they have, and help them ponder how much they will need to save. Help them think of some extra chores they can do to raise the money, then give them a goal to work toward, and help them plan how to reach their goal.
Eating out and other forms of entertainment—like movies—are special treats, not a lifestyle. Through my husband's financial counseling, he has determined that one of the number one budget busters for families is eating out and entertainment. We as parents have learned to reward ourselves in this way, reasoning that we "deserve it." And our kids have picked up on that.
Make going out to eat a treat instead of the norm, rent movies, and have a family movie night complete with popcorn and sleeping bags on the floor.
It is good to learn from others. Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (NIV). If you have stories to share about your experience with money, share your stories. If you have family members who have been especially wise savers or investors, ask them to spend some time talking with your children.
If there is someone your children respect, and that person is wise with money, use that influence to speak into your children's lives. Also look around for resources that will communicate godly biblical truths.
Money doesn't come from the ATM. It bothered me when I noticed that if I told my kids I didn't have money, they would impatiently reply that I should go to the ATM and get some! Without guidance, they have no concept that unless you put money into the machine, there will be no money coming out.
Share the truths about income—how much taxes take out and how much goes to things like debt repayment, bills, and groceries.
Money is best appreciated when spending decisions are placed in your children's hands. We have given our kids control over their expenses for the past couple of years and have found that this works quite well for tweens and teens.
We started giving them an allowance, paid each time my husband gets paid. Now when they ask to do something, we can reply, "I don't know, do you have the money?" What has been the most surprising to me is how much more they will decide that an event is "not worth it" if it is their money being used!
Finally, the best way you can communicate financial truths to your kids is to:
talk about money, don't shroud it in secrecy;
make money management a hands-on experience; and
live out the principles in your own lives, modeling what you hope they will carry into their futures.
Another saying we all grew up hearing is, "Actions speak louder than words." It is wise to make sure that your own financial practices line up with what your children hear you say. Your whole family will be blessed when this happens, and you just might change your legacy for generations to come.
Bear Witness to Beauty of Marriage and the Family
VATICAN CITY, 30 DEC 2007 (VIS) - Today, Feast of the Holy Family, the Pope appeared at the window of his private study overlooking St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus.
Addressing the thousands of faithful gathered below his window, the Holy Father explained how today "we celebrate the mystery of a God Who chose to be born of a woman, the Blessed Virgin, and to enter this world in the same way as all mankind. Thus He sanctified the family, filling it with divine grace and fully revealing its vocation and its mission".
Benedict XVI recalled a phrase much repeated by John Paul II - "the good of the individual and of society is closely connected to the 'good health' of the family" - indicating that "for this reason the Church is committed to defending and promoting the holiness and the natural dignity of the married state and its superlative value".
He then went on to address participants in a Meeting of Families being held today in Madrid, Spain, inviting Christian families "to experience the loving presence of the Lord in their lives" and encouraging them, "by drawing inspiration from Christ's love for mankind, to bear witness before the world of the beauty of human love, of marriage and of the family".
The family, "founded on the indissoluble union between a man and a woman, is the privileged place in which human life is welcomed and protected, from its beginning to its natural end. For this reason parents have the fundamental right and obligation to educate their children in faith and in the values that lend dignity to human existence.
"It is worth working for the family and for marriage", the Pope added, "because it is worth working for humankind, the most precious beings created by God". In this context, he called upon children "to love and pray for their fathers and siblings" and upon young people, "stimulated by their parents' love, generously to pursue their own matrimonial, priestly or religious vocation". To the elderly and the sick he expressed the hope "that they may find the assistance and understanding they need" and, finally, to married couples he said: "may you always rely on the grace of God, that your love may become ever more fruitful and faithful".
ANG / FAMILY / ... VIS 080102 (390)
