Above all let her not neglect or undervalue the
welfare of the souls committed to her, in a greater concern for fleeting,
earthly, perishable things; but let her always bear in mind that she
has undertaken the government of souls and that she will have to give an
account of them. And if she be tempted to allege a lack of earthly
means, let her remember what is written: "First seek the kingdom
of God and His justice, and all these things shall be given you
besides" (Ps. 33[34]:10). And again: "Nothing is wanting to
those who fear Him." Let her know, then, that she who has undertaken
the government of souls must prepare herself to render an account of
them. Whatever number of sisters she knows she has under her
care, she may be sure beyond doubt that on Judgment Day she will have to
give the Lord an account of all these souls, as well as of her own
soul. Thus the constant apprehension about her coming examination as
shepherd (Ezech. 34) concerning the sheep entrusted to her, and
her anxiety over the account that must be given for others, make her
careful of her own record. And while by her admonitions she is helping
others to amend, she herself is cleansed of her faults.
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Several
years ago I read an article that argued that children with fathers who
regularly attended church services with the family were much more likely to maintain an active
church going practice as adults. I find this curious because it seems to fly in
the face of conventional wisdom that the mother is more influential in
maintaining an active church life.
Regardless
of my perspective, there appears to be some truth to the idea that while
mothers are the glue that binds families together, it is the father who is the
role model.
While I
was a regular church goer as my children were growing up, there would be long
periods of time when I was not in a proper frame of mind to go with the family
or I might be away hunting, fishing or whatever. I did not set the same example
as other men I know whose children are still active.
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