The warmest welcome to all fathers and men with fatherly hearts.

Our monthly prayer group is consecrated to Jesus through the Immaculate heart of Mary in union with St. Joseph. As husbands and fathers we will strive to imitate the Holy family and bring the love of Jesus to our family, friends and all whom we meet.

We meet once a month at a different home on a Wednesday evening from 8:00-10:00pm.

Schedule:
8:00 Opening Prayer followed by Rosary (15 decades).
9:15-10:00 fellowship and sharing

Upcoming meetings:

JUNE

Date: June 18, 2003 (Wednesday)
Location: Home of Terry Murphy - 129 Maplewood Road, RR#2, Combermere

JULY

Date: July 16, 2003 (Wednesday)
Location: To be advised

AUGUST

Date: August 20, 2003 (Wednesday)
Location: To be advised

www.dads.org - St. Joseph Covenant Keepers, online resources for dads.
www.familylifecenter.net - Family life center international, dedicated to supporting families.
www.ewtn.com - Eternal word television network (Founder: Mother Angelica).
www.exceptionalmarriages.com - Marriage and Family resources.
www.lifesite.net - Pro-life news, information and resources..
www.vatican.va - Official website for the Vatican in Rome.
www.catholicity.com - Catholic supersite.
www.omsoul.com - One More Soul - helping couples to be open to new life and educating about the harms of contraception and sterilization.

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:3-5

"Children's children are the crown of old men: and the glory of children are their fathers." Proverbs 17:6

"The just that walketh in his simplicity, shall leave behind him blessed children." Proverbs 20:7

"The learning of a man is known by patience: and his glory is to pass over wrongs." Proverbs 19:11

The Crooked Tree

Willie Brown had very kind parents, who aimed to set a good example, and to bring him up in the love and fear of God.

Instead, however of profiting by the lessons he received, he often caused his parents much unhappiness by his naughty conduct. He was idle and disobedient, did not always speak the truth, and several times took what was not his own.

His father was very anxious to impress on his mind the danger of forming sinful habits, which would grow with his growth and strengthen with his strength, until they would bind him, as with iron chains. At last he thought of a plan by which he hoped to teach his son this important lesson.

In the orchard, not far from Mr. Brown's house, there was a young tree so very crooked, that he had more than once determined to cut it down. Close by were some young trees which were remarkable for their straight and beautiful appearance.

Mr. Brown directed his men to take an ax, with some stakes and ropes, and go down into the orchard, to see if they could not straighten the crooked tree. He told Peter, the gardener, to go down at the same time, and put some more fastenings upon the pear trees. He object in all this was to teach Willie a lesson.

After they had been gone a short time, Mr. Brown saw Willie running from the barn to the house, and he called to him. "Come, Willie my boy, let us go down to the orchard, and see how Peter and the men get on with their work: we shall have time enough before school begins."  

When they arrived at the orchard, they first saw Peter tying cords round the pear trees, and fastening them to the stakes, which were driven into the ground by the side of the trees. It seems that when they were little trees, they were fastened in this way near the ground, to keep them straight. As the trees grew up they were fastened in the same way, higher and higher, till by-and-by, they were strong and firm enough to need no such stay.

Some of them were so much inclined to grow crooked that they had to put three stakes down and fasten them on all sides; but by beginning early, and keeping a constant watch, even these were kept straight.

"The pear trees seem to be doing well, sir," said Peter "we have to train them up pretty close to the stakes; for it is the only way. They must be taken near the ground, when a bit of twine will hold them, and followed up till they are safe."

They went on a little further, and there were the men at work on the crooked tree. They had a long stake at this side, and a short one on that; hear a rope and there another; but all to no purpose. Indeed, they were very surprised that Mr. Brown should send them to do such a piece of work.
When Willie and his father came to the crooked tree, one of the men was just saying to the other, "It will never do: you can't straighten it, and so you may as well let it alone." - "Ah!" said Mr. Brown, "do you give it up? Can't you brace it up on one side, and then on the other?"

"Oh no, sir," said one of the men, "it is too late to make any thing of it. All the rigging of the navy could not make that tree straight." - "I see it," said Mr. Brown, "and yet a bit of twine applied in season, would have made it as straight as the pear trees. Well, men go to your mowing."

"I did not expect them to do anything with that tree, my son," said Mr. Brown, turning to his little boy, "but I wanted to teach you a lesson. You are now a little twig. Your mother and I want you to become a straight, tall and useful tree. Our commands and prohibitions are the little cords of twine that we tie around you to gird you up."

"Prisons and Penitentiaries are the ropes and chains upon crooked trees, which were not guided wisely when they were twigs. If not kept straight now, you certainly will not be likely to grow straight by-and-by. If you form evil habits now, they will soon become too strong to break. If while you are a green and tender sprout, we can not guide you, we surely can not expect to do it when you become a strong and sturdy tree. But if we do all we can to guide you in the right way now, we may hope that when you will have grown old, you will not depart from it."

This story is compliments of Catholic Heritage Curricula, for information on the complete book of stories please contact CHC at www.chcweb.com

If you have a story, article, scripture quote or other information you would like to add to the Fathers page please send an e-mail to: richard@catholicspot.com