Properly Ordered

Oh my, how life does get in the way. Or maybe it's just laziness. In any case, we're finally in the Easter Season, praise be to God, Alleluia!

One thing we're definitely finding is prayer. The richer our prayer lives, the better our family life. This is especially true for me. Lemme 'splain (elliptically).

The three year old is very fascinated with family right now, the fact that her grandparents are Erin and my parents, that our brothers are her uncles, that her "Great Papas" are our "Papas."

Then of course she gets around to us. "M is the brother, and I'm the sister! And you're the daddy, and mommy's the mommy!" Or, my other favorite, "Daddy, you're in my family!" Jokingly I correct her, "No, you're in my family!" and from there there is a good natured argument about the primacy of the members in the family.

But I'm right.

Told you this would be elliptical.

All members of the family have ownership of the family, but the father has a specific pride of place. In a sense the family is ordered to the father: he is the spiritual head of the household, as well as the temporal one. It is his name that defines the family (in general, but that is a sign rather than a necessity, there are good reasons for the wife to keep her maiden name in certain circumstances). My family is the Evans family because of me. We cooperate in family-ness, especially Erin and I, but I am still the leader of the family.

If my prayer life isn't good, how good of a leader can I possibly be?

If I don't study the scripture, and the catechism, and the saints, how can I train my children to love them? How can I encourage my wife to love them?

If I am not drinking the Water of Life, plugging myself into the Source of All Life, of All Fatherhood, how can I give my life for my family?

Let me say that again. If I do not have a life, how can I give that which I do not have to my family?

There are a million excuses, and it's time I stop making them. I need to live so that I may die.