Family Day and the New York Public School District

As I was looking at Cardinal Dolan's blog, The Gospel in the Digital Age, I found out that today is Family Day! In his blog post Cardinal Dolan states,

There’s now more than a decade’s worth of research, all of it supporting the idea that the more a family gathers around the dinner table, the less likely a child is to engage in any kind of substance abuse, whether it be smoking, drinking or drugs.  What you eat for dinner isn’t really important – no fancy gourmet meals, or elaborate menus are required.  What is important is spending that time talking – and listening – with your kids. 

Here at St. Joseph's College Seminary, I feel that I have found a second family. My brother seminarians eat together, work and play together. Spending time with my seminarian family helps me to continue to be focused on why I am here. Being with each other in community; praying, eating, studying and playing, we get to know each other better and we are able to help each other to gain a greater knowledge of our Lord and His holy will. The more time I spend with my family, the less likely I will be distracted by anything that is not of good nature.

Yesterday was Seminary-Appeal Sunday. All of us seminarians were sent out to parishes to talk about vocations and St. Joseph's College Seminary. One of the main things we were asked to include in our talks was the importance of a family's involvement in their sons vocation. We urged the importance of daily prayer, of regular attendance at Mass and of good moral teaching. Teaching them good morals and right judgement is particularly important since today, New York public school's have issued "emergency contraception! This means that they will be distributing contraceptives and injections to students as young as 14 years old. Since when do they get the idea to do this without parent's permission? The school system is so misguided! We ask that parents lead their children by example and not let them be open to this tragic idea. If you, as parents, strive to follow Christ, your sons will follow them. Not only are you as parents called to help your children become successful human beings, but you are also called to teach them how to become good disciples of Christ, in a world that wants nothing to do with that.

As Family Day continues, I hope that you not only eat and spend time together with your families, but I also hope that you also pray with and for each other. I hope that as you pray, that each and everyone of you comes to know Christ better each and every day, as a  beloved member of His family.