Dear _______,
Your Mother told me she was very concerned about your physical danger and asked for prayers. It's very good news to know that you are all right.
My prior email that referred to the Didache, describing the way of Life and the way of Death, dealt with embracing truth or deceit. Truth means knowing God, knowing ourselves, distinguishing friends from enemies, and then learning about the rest of the world--in that order. Deceit means lying to ourselves and living in a world of spend-and-consume materialism and self-indulgent "feelings," which my husband contends are the bases for most social and spiritual problems.
You grew up in and were affected by the "If it feels good, do it!" world publicized by Jerry Rubin and Woodstock that advocated indiscriminate sex, the use of illegal drugs, and the abandonment of self-discipline and restraint. Worse, your Catholic education was an unfortunate byproduct of accepting portions of the "feel good" focus on one's self. The resulting societal evils that now challenge our younger generations are well described by a Catholic acquaintance of mine, Jack Cashell, who was interviewed extensively on TV yesterday evening. He penetrates and analyzes the always-advancing-to-the-pit California in his new book, What's the Matter with California. [Definitely read the extensive rebuttal to the Publishers' Weekly review comments--much further down the Amazon page.]
Until this past month, you were only being prayed for but not contacted. However, as you approach half your lifespan, you will likely begin to review your past life and may try to project your future. A "reality check" is a good basis for beginning the second half of your life.
Your mother, _______, and we pray almost daily for you to find a new life in Jesus Christ. He claims He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." So either Jesus is God (He says He is "I am Who am") or He is a liar. He can't be both. His Way and Life of truth and charity are either good or they are bad. Picking and choosing (cafeteria-style) what to believe and follow from His teachings pretends we have two masters--Jesus and ourself.
Living my life in imitation of Christ (or at least trying to most of the time) has given me so many good things that I often say to myself that "I am the most blessed and gifted person in the entire world!" That is what I want you to be able to say someday.
Love, Your Godmother (dustiam)
[The above email is sitting in my DRAFTS box. I'd appreciate reader comments before I send it to a beloved, fallen-away Catholic.]
