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Family life can be a school of formation from our youth into adulthood, a school of purification for married couples and a school of evangelization to the world. However, it is one thing to speak about the great nature and calling of the family and another thing entirely to live out these principles within today’s modern family setting. Great faith, determination and discipline are needed in order to effectively do this and it is often a lonely and challenging journey. My own experience has led me to the conclusion that adopting a rule of life is necessary to keep our lives ordered to the spiritual goals we wish to achieve. In light of the times in which we live, this is proving to be even more necessary for the family. We need the support of a rule for the family in order to help fortify our efforts as we seek to live holy lives and transform the culture as an inseparable part of the new evangelization. By adopting such a rule, it doesn’t mean that we will be immediately perfect. I assure you, even after having a rule of life in place for my family and myself for nearly a decade now, we are still stumbling along. In fact, the effect of a rule in our household often seems to be a daunting and ever present examination of conscience that, quite honestly, can make us feel uneasy and often very weak. That said, I can attest with all my heart, that it is an even greater consolation to us to have a road map (that is particularly crafted to our vocational needs) to which we can turn for guidance when we have drifted into “no mans land”. This is why I am pleased to share this proposed model of what a rule for the family should embody, which draws from the authority of the Church and the saints of our day. I found this conscience manual representative of the core spiritual values the Church has highlighted for us to live out in our homes. Whether formalized or not, every family needs such a rule. Why? Because without a solid understanding of what it will take to accomplish the mission of holy family life and having a practical vision to get us where we want to go, there is no chance on earth that families today will survive the journey to heaven. The current against us is very strong and many have already been swept away by it. I hope this practicum helps launch you and your family on the path to embracing a family rule that will keep you moving toward the ultimate summit of our lives, Jesus Christ.