This is going to be short, but very direct and to the point.
I have three children and two nieces. All are adults or think they are. My wife of 26 years and I are divorced. The failure of our marriage is my fault, and hers. There is plenty of blame to go both ways. If I were the man I am today, I don’t know if I would still be married or not, but I would be fighting with everything I have to preserve my marriage. That failure rests squarely on me.
Now, on reflecting on what is most important in life, I wish I would have discovered this when I was 20, not 60. There is only one thing in life that I need to do to be a success. I need to succeed at doing the Will of God. I need to make sure everyone in my family is on the road to Heaven. This is not easy, nor is it what the world puts out there in front of us men as success. Yet, in eternity, that is all that matters. This life is short, it is just the dress rehearsal for eternity.
As the man, the Spiritual head of the family, it is my responsibility to make sure everyone in my family is on their way to Heaven. And the extent to which I accomplish this is how successful I am. Thus far I am not much of a success. I do pray every day for my wife and children. I pray earnestly and passionately. And I am trying to set the right example for them. I thank God every day that I have reached this point in my life and, even though I have failed thus far, He has shown me what I need to do and I am still able to pray and take the virtuous path.
My example is to live virtuously, pray and rely on God’s promises. Proverbs 22:6
My success in life will depend on how I have prepared myself and my family for Eternity.
The Radical Catholic 