Protection

Have you ever thought about the people you know, or those you meet at work or in social situations, in terms of the built-in level of protection they have in their lives? Having been a psychiatric social worker & a therapist for quite some time, I have thought extensively about this. Being in a role like that is an honor; one gets to see into the lives of others from an "up close and personal" vantage point. When I was younger, what I saw often surprised or even 'floored' me.

To be succinct, I spent much time assisting individuals who did not begin to have the advantages that an understanding of Christ, and the deeper reasons behind 'the rules' of the Catholic Church, provided. People got into many harrowing situations: a woman moving in with a man, for instance, with no commitment. I saw so much pain from this: broken hearts when the man dumped them; depression because of the risks, sexually, that only the woman took, while the man was carefree; the supportive services that the woman supplied & the man took, and benefitted from, with nary a "thank you!"; and complications at the urgency of a child born with the daddy having fled to less demanding circumstances.

All of this has become so common that society at large seems to simply accept that this is how we live now. However, Christ taught against this type of lifestyle, and the Church agrees. It is so horrid to bring this up to others because one is usually, then, put down as some kind of dinosaur-freak. But what I see is that Christ wanted us to live free ~ free from hurt, harm, and true inequality. Few experiences are as unequal as a woman doing much of the work, carrying all the risk and, with pregnancy, all the load, in any relationship. The nuns in Catholic school taught me this, saying essentially, "You can either accept what we tell you now - how to live a happy life WITH protection, as God designed; or you can find out the truth the hard way." I saw repeatedly that individuals did not realize that Biblical admonitions & Church teachings were designed to help us protect ourselves from harm!

I feel deep gratitude for the many instructions & warnings that the Sisters of Mercy gave us. Also, I yearn for the time when more - no, ALL - children will be taught these principles and given these gifts, the blessings of a life of faith.