I wonder . . .

We have a rule in our home. We only have dessert on the weekend whether it be a dish of ice cream or a freshly baked pie or cake. On Mondays through Friday, don't even ask if you want to avoid the disappointment of a negative reply. The children are being raised with this rule and they know more than an extra sweet will be lost if they nag.

There have been times, however, when an extra dessert was forthcoming during the weekdays because of a holiday or other special occasion. The children greatly enjoyed this break but it doesn't take them long to consider this the new rule! Any break from the usual discipline sends them on a quest for more and more laxness in their upbringing. It is very seldom considered a rare treat but a stepping stone to more freedom.

When I was checking my calendar, I noticed that Holy Days of Obligation are not always an obligation for us anymore. Making time for Mass on a Holy Day in my childhood was often a challenge between school and parents' jobs but we always managed it. Now, when ever a Holy Day falls on an 'awkward' day, the diocese make it easier for us by canceling our obligation. I often wonder if, we, as grown ups view it much the same as children and treats. Do we strive to live within a certain discipline or do we adjust our discipline to fit our lives?

Quote for the day . . .

"Those thinkers who cannot believe in any gods often assert that the love of humanity would be in itself sufficient for them; and so, perhaps, it would, if they had it."

G. K. Chesterton