AN OPEN LETTER

Dear Friends: During the past six months we have waded through deeper waters than we have heretofore experienced. For years we have mailed the ANGELUS even at the expense of buying groceries, but our plight this past summer has been grievous. For this reason the ANGELUS has been six months behind; it is our intention to resume publication with this issue and to fast and pray for its continuance.

Three weeks ago, we were in such straits that we called a family fast. Even three year old Anna participated. The situation did not change, so the following week, we proclaimed another family fast. As a result, last week six out of seven days the Lord brought in gifts totaling in excess of $450.

We had told our children it was going to be a very slim season during: the holidays, and they had accepted it, but I suppose this year was the greatest we have ever had --and we spent only the meagerest amount on a very few groceries. Yet, someone nave us a ham, while someone else made a gift of a 10 pound turkey! One family was so gracious; they bought two brand new Schwinn bicycles for the boys--something for which they had prayed for two full years. The same family also gave some very nice clothes, while someone else bought shoes and more clothes for the children. One family out of state gave the children many nice toys. For all this and more we give thanks to our gracious God who put it within the hearts of these people.

May the God of all Comfort enrich your life and

bless you in His grace in the coming year –

Postscript: Would you believe that upon hearing about our family fasting by way of the "grape-vine", one of our dear "friends" reported us to the "Family and Children’s Services?"

May God in His mercy bless them for His name’s sake.

The Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Act (HR 2977), sponsored by George Miller (D-Calif.) and 90 co-sponsors, may come to the floor for a vote soon after Congress reconvenes October 10.

This bill originated after HEW created the Office of Domestic Violence (ODV) as part of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families. HR 2977, if passed, would appropriate $65 million to the ODV, which would enable this new bureaucracy to develop and implement federal programs targeted towards the family. The ODV would inevitably supervise the conduct of local and community programs which are already established to deal with the problems of domestic violence.

The new bureaucracy plans to "prevent" domestic violence. How is domestic violence to be prevented?

Dr. Murray Straus, Director of the Family Violence Research Project at the University of New Hampshire suggests we should, "Gradually, eliminate physical punishment as a mode of childrearing...eliminate the husband as ‘head of the family’ from its continuing presence in the law, in religion...and (in) family life." Straus is representative of the kind of "expert" on domestic violence who will run the programs established by HR 2977.

Do we want policy made by people who think that it is bad for husbands to be head of the household? If HR 2977 is passed, the federal government would become directly involved into the arena of husband-wife relationships and other inter-family relations. We must oppose this legislation in order to preserve the traditional American family, which is the most stable social and economic unit of society.

Box 1745, Washington D.C. 20013

"THE MEASURE OF MY DAYS"

Text: "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before Thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Surely every man walketh in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what wait I for? My Hope is in Thee." -- (Psalm 39:1-7)

As surely as I am living, I am as surely dying. As I live, so shall I die: if I spend my life pursuing vanities, it will be spent in vain. My days will soon be over, but so will my trials and hardships. Soon, I will die, and almost as soon will I be forgotten by everyone excepting my Creator.

God has given me a life that is measured by "days" and in this I find comfort: that my life is measured by the directing of the All-Wise God. May I be wise enough to "measure" them so as to order my life, because the day of dissolution of my body will come too late to make preparation for its dissolution.

When I consider the length of Creation, the magnitude of a star, the infinitude of an atom, or the number of days of the Lord Himself, "behold!", "Listen!", "Look here!" --How short and seemingly insignificant is my life! It is even as a "vapor", and moves as rapidly as a "weaver’s shuttle," for I am soon cut off, and I "fly away."

And how frail is my life when a micro-organism can lay me prostrate!

And how vain is the life of man who allows things of the smallest consequence to steal away the peace of his mind! What anxious cares does he bring upon himself which needlessly produce bleeding ulcers!

Lord, I am daily exposed to a thousand deaths, and remain preserved at this hour only by Thy good grace. "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am." Forbid that I, whose life is short as a dream, should spend my days pursuing shadows, when I am myself pursued by Death! Shall I, like the children of this world, rest my confidence in gold which can be stolen by thieves, lost to inflation and taxes, or destroyed in time of war? Shall I rake it in only to leave it to a stranger? or Shall I seek the praise of men when Thou didst warn me of the instability of man’s heart? Lord, forbid that I should be as they who walk through life Duped and Deceived whose end shall be Disappointment and Despair. No, let my Hope be found in Thee; and "all the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come." -- (Job 14:14b)

___________________________________________

JANUARY

8, 1664 --France. At Saumur, Moise Amyraut (Lat. Moses Amyraldus) dies. He has succeeded Jean Daille and has gained wide attention for what is known as "Amyraldism", or "hypothetical universalism." Though opposing Arminianism, he has taught God will all men to be saved on condition they believe, but that owing to original sin, they stubbornly reject. He has nevertheless clung tenaciously to atonement by Christ as being effectual only for the elect.

The School at Saumur is, however, becoming distrusted on account of its heterodoxy. Mr. Louis Cappel, Colleague of Amyraut, denies verbal inspiration of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament; and Mr. La Place rejects the immediate imputation of Adam’s sin.

11, 1688 --Scotland. At Carridden Linlithgowshire, James Gardiner is born. He will become a colonel in the Scottish dragoons and will lead a dissolute life until July, 1719 when waiting for an appointment with a debauched woman; he will pick up a Christian book. He will be so moved he will forsake his old life and henceforth live an example of piety.

Philip Doddridge says the book was Thomas Watson’s Christian Soldier, while Thomas Carlyle says it was William Gurnall’s Christian in Complete Armor.

 "Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." --Psalm 41:9