The Divine Habit
This booklet is no more than Dr. Luther’s Small Catechism, which has served as the primary key for Christian instruction in Lutheran churches since the time of the Reformation.
But the Catechism is much older than Luther. In fact, his own Small Catechism is merely a summary of the chief parts of the Christian faith as he learned them and meditated on them during his time as a monk.
Because these chief parts have accompanied the Christian church since the beginning, it is important that we, as Christians internalise them, and make their language our language, the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, of which Christ himself is the cornerstone.
“The Divine Habit” is named thus, because of the importance of habits in shaping our lives. What you do for a few minutes every day accumulates and will ultimately end up taking a large portion of your life, and as a result, it will influence a large portion of what you are and do. We are the children of God, and he has commanded: “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’” (Dt. 6) Because we are the children of God, we likewise try to gather at his table out of habit, asking and learning why we listen to his word and keep it. We do that best by gathering around our table at home and inviting him to teach us through prayer, the Holy Spirit, and his Word.
To streamline and make this process somewhat more accessible and duplicable, The Divine Habit has been divided into 52 “cards”, each of which is headed with a number and is designated to each of the 52 weeks that make up a calendar year. Use the Card assigned to the number of the week of the year in which you find yourself and let the head of the house read and guide a meditation on the things prescribed on said card for the duration of that week. You will find that the repetition helps to memorize the different elements on each card and deepens your understanding of these pillars of the Christian faith and life. Ask your pastor, if you need any guidance or have any concerns guiding your family along the path of righteousness.