Sexual revolution and modern obsession with primacy of choice.  Many people rebel with contraception.  It’s the sticking point for so many that I know.  

If we lived forever as we are, I surmise many more of us would live eternally apart from God.

I agree with this.  Love thy enemies.  The Lord ate with tax collectors and sinners, and He knows we all are in that boat in one way or another.  Thank God He doesn’t reject us, even when we offer half-hearted or even incorrect praise or worship.

My view on it is this:

It is foolish to believe all are saved regardless of what they believe or do.  To think that leads to carelessness, and we can be fairly certain that God wants us to care, about Him, ourselves, and all of creation.  Those who are quick to remind others that hell may hold many more souls than you think is a caution that is often born of concern.

If there was a cliff edge and you saw your friend playing by it, oblivious to the danger, should you warn him?  When he responds, “nah, it’s cool, nobody ever falls off,” should you say “of course that’s right” and not worry for him or warn him further?

I do, in fact, hope all of us will be saved.  And I have no issue with someone who has lived a terrible life being saved at the very end.  In fact, I pray for this.  Our mission is getting souls to heaven, including but not limited to our own.  I don’t care how they get there.  God’s justice and mercy ensures they belong there.  Who am I to say otherwise.

As to why not live a sinful life and try to squeak in at the end with a good confession - one, that is a huge gamble I would never be willing to make, and two (more importantly), think about how much you’d have missed out on in life.  You traded a life of faith with God for one without.  Yes, this is comparatively small compared to eternity, but it’s also that much less time you had having a relationship with God.  Quite sad.

Lastly, I think those who “convert right at death’s door” don’t get off without justice.  The realization of having squandered one’s life, occurring all at once like that, must be immense suffering.  I sure do hope they make it, and I hope I do, too, God willing.

I am confused.  People seem to be saying different things here.  Many are saying that the tax that goes to the Church is a % or your income tax already assessed - that this is deductible.  Does that mean that your net out of pocket for taxes is unchanged whether or not you are registered at a parish?  The 9% of the income tax you pay goes to the Church instead of the government?

Example: you owe $5000 income tax. Not registered at a parish: $5000 goes to government Registered at parish: $450 goes to parish, $4550 goes to government.

Or…

Not registered in parish: $5000 goes to government Registered in parish: $450 goes to parish, $5000 minus some small amount because you deduct $450 from your taxable income, so maybe $4950 goes to government.  You are now out $5500.

Which one is it?

So that we could have a share in His existence.  Unearned, unfathomable, indefatigable love for us.  Such love that wills us into existence every single moment of eternity.

Every day.

Step 1. Go to Mass with your kid 

Steps 2-25673465: do your best to be present for Christ and your child.  

 It’s a balancing act, and you won’t ever have balance.  You’ll be balancing the whole time, some days better, some worse.  And that’s okay.  

God smiles upon you and your child, and you both can see it best when you are there at Mass together. Just go, and know that the crying and wailing is welcome to most.  I’d rather a kid be squirming about crying and wailing than not present.

It may not seem like a big deal to you now, or even later.  It might be a big deal to your future spouse - not at the beginning when things are great - rather, when things aren’t going well, then maybe he wonders whether he is going to be the next name on the list of past loves.

The answer is not to flee.  So what if all of that happens, in my parish and in yours?  Our answer is to stay, and remain faithful to Christ and His Church. 

Puller secured his final Navy Cross for heroism in the Chosin Reservoir Campaign of the Korean War. “When every other service was running away, the United States Marines ran to the sound of gunfire, completely surrounded,” Messmer said to the Marines of his detachment in reference to Chosin Reservoir.

There was a great US Marines commercial that talked about “running to the sounds of chaos.”  I pray there are brave men that will enter the orders most fraught with heterodoxy and do the work required to sanctify them.

Been through all of this.  For the moment, we are attending Mass.  but it is not the ideal situation, and the problems are on the horizon. I’ve been through all the logic with my wife.  She doesn’t accept it.  Very inconsistent in her reasoning and unwilling to accept ideas pertaining to religion that come from me. 

This is how I have handled things in the past.  This issue has come up more than once, and we’ve had more than a few evening Sunday masses in casual clothes squeaking in a bit late with the kids totally bagged from a day of sports events.  I am stuck trying to keep our obligations and trying to keep my wife from leaving me.  Yes, that has been discussed on multiple occasions.

The problem will really come when the kids say they don’t want to go, and my wife is all about letting them choose, and is willing to schedule things that conflict despite my earnest pleas.  At some point I fear there will be no way for me to get them to Mass without physical force, which I will not do - that cannot be the answer.

Deacon, I have a question on this as the husband.  I’ve had had this situation as well and foresee it much in the future.

If my wife does not recognize my or her responsibility and refuses to support getting the kids to Mass, what do I need to do?  It has come to serious arguments before, and at some point, I think the kids will choose not to go.  

If it was just my daughter saying no, I’d put my foot down and just say that she has to go, but when my wife is going to take the kids to something else, I don’t know where my duty ends.  I can’t coerce, but I don’t want to just give up.

I liked the 2000s Battlestar Galactica (a few racy scenes, so maybe shy away depending on your judgment - it’s overt, but not HBO gratuitous) and Firefly.  

Star Trek TNG is great.  Deep Space Nine is also good.

Do you remember how Jesus washed the disciples feet?  Remember what Peter said?  “Lord, you will never wash my feet!”

Jesus told him, “If you don’t let me wash your feet, you have no share with me.”

Here we see what St Paul is talking about. 

Right now it looks worse.  But Christ transforms everything you give to Him.  He makes all things new.  So if you want your life to be better, give it to Him.

I think our big problem in the Church is focusing too much on what everyone likes and too little on what God likes.  

This is not a dig on NO vs TLM.  This is a recognition that we have spilled so much ink, and more, arguing over rubrics and clearly not enough on taking care of people in need.  I’m in this camp.  Too much time online hearing the disdain for boomers instead of going out and hearing those who need someone to care enough to listen. 

I know this struggle.  If you have informed him, you have don’t your duty in so far as outwardly trying to get him to change.  Now it is your duty to continually pray for his redemption.  Ask St Rita and St Monica for intercession, and as always, pray to our Blessed Mother.  This is where we need to be active in prayer, faith, and trust.  Trust the Lord.  He won’t let you down.

Best wishes and God’s peace be upon you.  I’ll pray for you.  Please pray for me and the OP.

It really is a compromise.  He has offered both NFP and abstinence.  If she is demanding sex with ABC, that is absolutely not a compromise.  That is saying, “I demand sex and to control all aspects of it.”   

 Here is a question… Why doesn’t he get to make choices concerning his own body?  Why is forcing him to use ABC (and yes, any form is forcing him, because two become one, and active complicity is absolutely him using it in that case) something that is okay?  Why is it a “compromise” to force someone to break their vows to God and their spouse under the threat of divorce?

So, it is an important thing, and not empty.  There ya go.  I’d say no.

If it’s no big deal, then why is she making it a big deal to do it?

No, there is no divorce - it is a legal fiction.  You may physically separate, and should do so, but you don’t get to be all of a sudden not married.  You’re either married now until death of one of the spouse, or you were never married at all. 

How you live out that marriage will differ, and in the situation of dangerous abuse, then separation is normally recommended.  

If you are just saying divorce as a legal thing, fine, but the Church does not “grant divorce.”

“In action,” not necessarily in words.  But it is what every woman who grows a child in her body or breastfeeds does.  She is literally nourishing the child with her body, and it is a shadow of the greater sacrifice of Jesus.  In this way, both men and women share in the sacrifice.  Some men become priests, some women become mothers.  Priests say “take and eat” and connect the Eucharist.  Mothers “say” with their bodies “take and eat” and grow a child.  Mary essentially did both.  Forgive the loose wording, but hopefully you get what I’m getting at.