The Worldlings' 10 Commandments

from Love of Eternal Wisdom by St. Louis de Montfort
(these were my priest's notes for last Sundays sermon.)

77. The worldly man bases his conduct on personal honour, on "what will people say?," on convention, on high living, on self-interest, on ceremonious manners, and on witty conversation. These seven principles are the irreproachable supports on which, he believes, he can safely depend to enjoy a peaceful life. The world will canonize him for such virtues as courage, finesse, tactfulness, shrewdness, gallantry, politeness, and good humour. Ir stigmatises as serious offenses, insensitiveness, stupidity, poverty, boorishness and bigotry.

78. He obeys as faithfully as he can the commandments which the world gives him.

I. Thou shalt be well acquainted with the world.
II. Thou shalt be respectable.
III. Thou shalt be successful in business.
IV. Thou shalt hold on to whatever is yours.
V. Thou shalt rise above your background.
VI. Thou shalt make friends for yourself.
VII. Thou shalt frequent fashionable society.
VIII. Thou shalt seek the good life.
IX. Thou shalt not be a kill-joy.
X. Thou shalt not be singular, uncouth or over-pious.

What!?!?! What in the heck is St. Louis talking about here?
Up next... My best explanation.

The Feast of St. Anne.

A prayer for you single girls out there.

St. Anne, St. Anne. Send me a man,
...and any old man wont do.
St. Anne, St. Anne, as fast as you can!
(and one with a special devotion to you!)

Amen.







The following was a conversation I had with a single girl this time last year.

Her: Who needs to pray to stop being single though?

Me: Only those with a vocation to marriage!

Her: Hah, I guess that makes sense. I look at it differently. As someone who feels called to marriage, I just pray for my future husband, for his health and his life, etc. I figure that I don't need to pray for him to enter my life. It'll happen. Until then, definitely enjoying Jesus being the only man in my life. You're never truly single when you're pursuing him and letting him pursue you. Am I right?

A friend of ours agrees: I'm with [this girl]-- I'm in no rush to find a husband at all. Being single is nice, and more time to focus on God.

Me:This is a little different, but maybe I can help explain. If you have a priestly vocation, you should become a priest as soon as possible. Less time to get wrapped up in the woes of this world. The less debt, the less heart ache, the more time you could be in the confessional forgiving sins.
Now how this relates to the married life... Well, imagine (right now for just a second) if St. Joseph was to be your spouse! How amazing would that be having a saint for a husband. When St. Anne found St. Joseph for Our Lady I don't think Our Lady said, "hold on Mom, I need to focus on God." She knew that her calling in life was to raise Christ WITH her husband. Marriage is a sacrament. Not to be rushed into... but the natural part is of course is children, and the supernatural part is the SANCTIFICATION of the two who enter into it. The sooner the two get together, the more time they have to sanctify each other/ have children (future saints). If God sends you a man that will get you to heaven (one that fits the description of above prayer) then why not welcome him into your life as soon as possible. College degrees, jobs that make millions of dollars, being able to "travel before I have kids," none of those will get you to heaven, unlike a good husband. Its just like having a devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Loving her increases your love for her son, just like loving a husband would not detract from Jesus Christ, but I would argue that you would love Him more! But some young ladies would make excellent bride's of Christ. so don't leave that option out of your prayers!



St. Anne, pray for us!
Especially me, and the two girls above, as well!

My Daily Bread Snippet

Chapter 41- Earning the Reward.
(The first 40 chapters in the book are the soft ones. This is where it gets more "no-nonsense." Maybe not all are ready to hear it, but if you can make it to 4, not all hope, we find, is lost.)

Christ:
"My Child, for reasons which you cannot fully appreciate at present, I made your earthly life a time of labor and trial. Each and every time that I permit you to suffer pain, grief, or disappointment I do it for your own good. These trails help you to come closer to me in one way or another. I made your earthly life a time of labor and trail. Do not think too much about pleasure and rest in this life. Be prepared to exercise patience rather than enjoy comfort or consolation. Think more of carrying the cross of daily life rather than of avoiding everything unpleasant.

2. Do you expect to enjoy interior consolation whenever you wish? Not even My saints could do that during their earthly life. They had to face many troubles, temptations, interior misery and desolation. They went on, however, in spite of all these obstacles, trusting in Me more than in themselves. The were fully aware that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to come.

3. Do you not see how selfish your desires are? You want to obtain quickly the peace and holiness which others achieved only after many trails and labors. You are more interested in enjoying My gifts than in earning them. No, you must do things My way if you want to live the best way.

4. Wait for the light and strength which I will send in due time. In the meantime have courage and be patient. Do not give up the fight against your faults and defects. Do your best to become the kind of person I want you to be. Leave the results to Me. I am near you every moment. Be unselfish enough to go on trying for My sake. I will someday reward you far beyond anything you can imagine.

Think:
Heaven is a reward- a thing to be earned. Though I can never really deserve it by my poor human efforts alone, Jesus has made it possible for me to work for it with His help. Strengthened by His grace, I can strive for Heaven. An honest daily effort against my faults and a faithful attempt to do God's Will in all things will bring me the glorious reward of Heaven. Earthly life has its labors, trails, and difficulties. Each day I show by my actions, words, thoughts and desires, how sincerely I am working for Heaven.

Pray:
Holy Spirit, my God, help me to see your guiding hand in time of trail, and let me follow humbly and loyally whatever You desire of me. I want to do the best that is in me, be it ever so little. Heaven is more than I will ever deserve, but at least I can do my best to make myself a little less unworthy of it. My God, I hope in You, for the grace to go on trying each hour of the day. Amen.

Meditatio #2

I was meditating on the Assumption of the BVM on the feast of Corpus Christi. I tried think about what the Body of Chirst meant to each Mystery (try it, very useful) and I thought about the following.

Our Lady is Queen of priests, but not herself one. Although she brought Jesus to man once, she could not do so ever again. However, someone she lived with could! St. John was there at the Last Supper for the Mandatum, he was at Calvery for the first Mass, and he was there at Pentecost for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost. He knew that if he wanted to bring back Christ, he could say Holy Mass, and Our Lady knew it, too! She probably had St. John say Mass all the time. I bet she even had him reserve the Blessed Sacrament and kept it in her house. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Virgin Mary's idea to have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Try that on for size. When you kneel before the Holy Eucharist, who's idea was that? Who loved Our Lord most? Can She ask her Son that we might love Him more?