By ERIC GIRTEN
THE CATHOLIC KITCHEN
Since July 23-29 was Natural Family Planning awareness week, I reflected on the past five years and the great strides that have been made to bring awareness of NFP to every corner of the Diocese of Evansville. Detractors will say it doesn’t work or it’s from the 50’s; but members of the Holy Family Center for Life, a regional nonprofit that works to educate couples in one of the various forms of NFP, will quickly tell you the statistics of success in avoiding pregnancy, as well as becoming pregnant, are significant.
However, there was little time to celebrate these significantly successful efforts given that, on July 13, the FDA approved a non-prescription oral contraceptive. You may be inclined to say that, if there is no prescription needed, there must be an appropriate age restriction on purchase of such a drug. And to that I respond no; there is no age restriction on purchase. I will leave you to ponder the obvious ramifications of this milestone while I read Chapter 4. Various Precepts; the next chapter in our little series on the Didache.
Chapter 4. Various Precepts
“My child, him that speaks to you the word of God remember night and day; and you shall honour him as the Lord; for in the place whence lordly rule is uttered, there is the Lord. And you shall seek out day by day the faces of the saints, in order that you may rest upon their words. You shall not long for division, but shall bring those who contend to peace. You shall judge righteously, you shall not respect persons in reproving for transgressions. You shall not be undecided whether it shall be or no. Be not a stretcher forth of the hands to receive and a drawer of them back to give. If you have anything, through your hands you shall give ransom for your sins. You shall not hesitate to give, nor murmur when you give; for you shall know who is the good repayer of the hire. You shall not turn away from him that is in want, but you shall share all things with your brother, and shall not say that they are your own; for if you are partakers in that which is immortal, how much more in things which are mortal? You shall not remove your hand from your son or from your daughter, but from their youth shall teach them the fear of God. Ephesians 6:4 You shall not enjoin anything in your bitterness upon your bondman or maidservant, who hope in the same God, lest ever they shall fear not God who is over both; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1 for he comes not to call according to the outward appearance, but unto them whom the Spirit has prepared. And you bondmen shall be subject to your masters as to a type of God, in modesty and fear. Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22 You shall hate all hypocrisy and everything which is not pleasing to the Lord. Forsake in no way the commandments of the Lord; but you shall keep what you have received, neither adding thereto nor taking away therefrom. Deuteronomy 12:32 In the church you shall acknowledge your transgressions, and you shall not come near for your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life.”