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Thoughts on Christmas from Brother Francis

Thoughts on Christmas from Brother Francis

[I realize that the Christmas season just ended; but one of our Sisters gathered these quotes, and I don't wish to wait another year to share them with you. Sr. M. Ph.]

Dominus dixit ad me, Filius meus es tu; ego hodie genui te.  The Lord said to my Lord, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee. That was taken from Psalm II. For one thousand years all the holy men and women repeated it. The royal, poetic prophet David, who was inspired to give us the 150 Psalms, was privileged to hear this sentence uttered in eternity. This is overhearing talk among the eternal Persons of the Trinity. Continue Reading »

Posted 04 February 2010 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § General Pedagogy § Religion § Society ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

American Civics and Economy (Current)

My high school American History II class just finished the Spanish American War and were sailing into the twentieth century when discussions came up surrounding President Obama’s State of the Union address. Upon their own initiative, the students are working on letters to President Obama expressing their concerns for the future of our country.

Some food for thought regarding one issue (adding to the National Debt a trillion dollars at a time) can be found at the following sites:

US Debt Clock
A Trillion Dollars Taxes the Mind and the Taxpayer

Posted 01 February 2010 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § Fathers § History § Mothers § School Life § Society ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , ,

Pius XII & Hitler

I recently came across John Cornwall’s Hitler’s Pope, published in 1999 by Viking Press. Just reading the Prologue and the first chapter was enough to convince me that this was not the type of solid research I was looking for. Not only was the author’s bias obvious, but his facts were more than dubious. In discussing the subject with a friend, I was referred to an article by William Doino, Jr. I found his article to be so well-written (and extremely well researched) that I thought our readers might find it informative as well. Just click on that hyperlink two sentences back.

Posted 22 January 2010 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § History § School Life ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , ,

Elementary Geography Champion

GBmarcCongratulations to Marc Doucette (grade seven) for winning the school level of the 2010 National Geographic Bee! Ten IHM students from grades four through eight competed at this level. Marc must next take a written test to see if he qualifies for the state level. Good luck, Marc! Continue Reading »

Posted 21 January 2010 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § History § School Life ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , , , ,

A Winter Breakfast

I received the following note in an email from an IHM friend:

Dear Sister, I found a very good breakfast item that your school and the school kid’s parents may be interested in. If you serve it at school or kids eat it at home it is inexpensive, good and nutritious. Continue Reading »

Posted 14 January 2010 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § Fathers § Mothers § School Life ‡ Comments (0) °

Philosophy – A Grounding in Reality

Our Philoso-Fur!

Our Philoso-Fur!

The Sisters are taking evening classes in Philosophy, going through Brother Francis’ Philosophia Perrenis lectures on tape with the assistance of a tutor-at-a-distance (using a speaker phone). We are almost to the end of the course on Cosmology, and there is never a lecture that doesn’t touch on something we can use in the classroom. This last week one of my students asked me about the resurrection of the bodies at the general judgment, when everyone who ever lived gets their bodies back. The question was: If someone is cremated (the morality of which was also discussed) or completely decomposed and the exact matter is no longer “free” — how do we get our bodies back? The very day that I answered that question (does anyone know the answer?), I heard Brother’s answer in our evening class. I was very glad to see that I’d answered it correctly! Rhipsime is a regular guest at our class, a regular little philoso-fur (as you can see from her choice of books!).

Posted 13 January 2010 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § General Pedagogy § School Life § Sisters ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

The Christian Training of Children – Maxims and Sayings

Table of contents for Mother Love

  1. The Christian Training of Children – Early Cares
  2. The Christian Training of Children – New and more Difficult Cares
  3. The Christian Training of Children – Admonition to Mother
  4. The Christian Training of Children – Combating Concupiscence of the Flesh
  5. The Christian Training of Children – Combating Concupiscence of the Eyes
  6. The Christian Training of Children – Combating Pride
  7. The Christian Training of Children – Rewards and Punishments
  8. The Christian Training of Children – The Father’s Role
  9. The Christian Training of Children – Prayers
  10. The Christian Training of Children – Co-operation with Pastor and Teacher
  11. The Christian Training of Children – Preparing a Child for Confession
  12. The Christian Training of Children – Maxims and Sayings

Little Book of Instructions for Christian Mothers [continued]
(from Mother Love – A Manual for Christian Mothers – by Rev. Pius Franciscus, O.M.Cap., 1926)

On the Christian Training of Children

Chapter X. – Maxims and Sayings Which a Mother Might Teach Her Child.

Pithy, pregnant maxims and sayings are wise thoughts expressed tersely and strikingly. Watchwords we might call them. The Saints were partial to such little sayings. St. Francis is renowned for his “My God and my All,” St. Ignatius for his “All for the greater honor and glory of God,” and there is hardly a saint who did not have a special predilection for some particular expressive saying. It would be wise if all of us would profit by their example and also choose one or the other for our guidance. Continue Reading »

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Posted 13 January 2010 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § Educational Philosophy ‡ Comments (0) °

Merry, Mary Christmas!

The Infant welcomes all our guests! Does He have a place in your heart?

The Infant welcomes all our guests! Does He have a place in your heart?

If you did not get the Sisters’ e-Christmas card (and would like to), please click here.

Posted 25 December 2009 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § History § Religion § School Life § Society ‡ Comments (0) °

The Acquisition of Wisdom and the Transmission of Culture

Table of contents for Education - Necessary for Life

  1. Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Powers of Life
  2. As They Transcend the Material
  3. The Acquisition of Wisdom and the Transmission of Culture
St. Ignatius (kneeling, center) and his first Jesuits

St. Ignatius (kneeling, center) and his first Jesuits

Our third level of education is the human or liberal — the training of man as man (how to think, how to act, and how to express oneself eloquently with both tongue and pen). A liberal education presupposes the earlier levels. If you can’t stay alive, you won’t be able to train your intellect. If people aren’t working together in society and providing for its needs with servile education, liberal education isn’t an option. But, once a society is established, now we can build even higher. And, to paraphrase Brother Francis, having a liberal education will make everything else you do more meaningful. Remember, the more you know, the more you can love, and the more you love, the more you serve.

In honor of Father Leonard Feeney, one of my examples is Saint Ignatius and his Company of Jesus.

Like that of Saint John Bosco, the story of Saint Ignatius’ personal education is fascinating. He was of a noble family and followed a military career. When he was laid up after the cannon ball broke his leg, he was disappointed that his sister-in-law had nothing else for him to read than the lives of Christ and the saints —so he was literate — but this reading educated him in a way that opened his soul to grace and God’s call (he had not been living the faith very well until now). Continue Reading »

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Posted 07 December 2009 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § Educational Philosophy § English § Fathers § Mothers § Religion § School Life § Sisters § Society ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As They Transcend the Material

Table of contents for Education - Necessary for Life

  1. Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Powers of Life
  2. As They Transcend the Material
  3. The Acquisition of Wisdom and the Transmission of Culture

Our Lord Himself is the Educator par excellence and in the Great Commission, which was His last directions to the apostles before His ascension, He gave His Mystical Body a teaching mission: “Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you.” (St. Matthew 28:19-20) Throughout history, the Church, in fulfilling this mission, has encountered people in every level of society, at every level of education. Her success often depended on the level of education she finds. The Greeks & Romans, with their liberal education, ordered societies, just laws and lofty ideals, proved the most fertile soil for the reception of Wisdom on the highest level. With others, works of charity had to come first so that people could lift their eyes above survival mode (as after the Barbarian invasions or in Post-Revolution France) — they have to be lifted above survival mode before they can see the beauty of eternal things.

I have some examples to show that, regardless of method or curriculum, the aim of the Church is the same: the formation of Catholic men and women in this world, for the next. It was painful to limit the examples because this is a constant theme throughout Church history. Continue Reading »

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Posted 07 December 2009 † Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. § Educational Philosophy § Fathers § History § Mothers § Religion § School Life § Sisters § Society ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,