From IHM School

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 XII. – Catechetical Instructions Which a Christian Mother Should Frequently Explain to Her Children and upon Which She Should Often Question Them.

[This chapter is a lovely summary of the penny catechism.]

The Holy Sign of the Cross:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen

The Our Father:

The Our Father consists of one address, “Our Father, Who art in heaven,” and seven petitions. The first three, “Hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” refer to the honor of God; and the last four, “Give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”— bear reference to our own and our neighbor’s temporal and spiritual welfare. The word “Father” is placed first because we should never repeat the Our Father without a filial turning of our heart to God. The mother should accustom her children to this.

The Hail Mary:

The “Hail Mary” is composed of two parts. The first contains the salutation, “Hail Mary,” a threefold eulogium of the Blessed Virgin, “Full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women,” and the praise of her Divine Child, “and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.”

The second part contains an address full of reverence, “Holy Mary, Mother of God,” and an humble petition, “pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Impress upon your children that it should always be said with child-like respect for the Mother of God.

The Six Truths which all must know and believe to gain eternal salvation:

1)    There is but one God, who created, preserves and governs all things.

2)    God is a just Judge. He rewards the good and punishes the wicked.

3)    In God there are three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

4)    The Son of God became man, and died on the Cross to save us.

5)    The soul of man is immortal.

6)     Grace is necessary to salvation.

The Apostles’ Creed:

This Creed contains twelve articles which are as follows:

1) I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

2) And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

3) Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.

4) Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

5) He descended into hell, the third day He rose again from the dead.

6) He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.

7) From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

8) I believe in the Holy Ghost.

9) The holy Catholic Church, the Communion of saints.

10) The forgiveness of sins.

11) The resurrection of the body.

12) And life everlasting. Amen.

The Gloria Patri, or Lesser Doxology:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Holy Rosary:

Teach the children at each decade to picture to themselves the mystery honored by the same and dto pray that its corresponding virtue may be impressed upon their hearts.

The five Joyful Mysteries are to be said form the first Sunday in Advent, until the Feast of the Purification; the five Sorrowful Mysteries, from Ash-Wednesday until Easter Sunday; the five Glorious Mysteries, from Easter Sunday to Trinity Sunday. During the remaining part of the year, the Joyful Mysteries are said on Mondays and Thursdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Glorious Mysteries on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

The Rosary is to be said as follows:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

I believe in God, etc.

Our Father.

Hail Mary (three times).

Glory be to the Father, etc.

The Joyful Mysteries  (The spirit of joy)

1)    The Annunciation of Our Lady (fruit: humility). Our Father, Hail Mary (ten times), Glory be, etc.

2)    The Visitation (fruit: love of neighbor). Our Father, as above.

3)    The Nativity (fruit: spirit of poverty)

4)    The Presentation (fruit: obedience)

5)    The Finding of the Child Jesus, twelve years old in the Temple (union of heart with Jesus and Mary)

The Sorrowful Mysteries (the spirit of compassion)

1)    Our Lord’s Agony in the Garden (sorrow for sin)

2)    The Scourging at the Pillar (fervor of penance)

3)    The Crowning with Thorns (mortification of self-love)

4)    The Carrying of the Cross (patience in the trials of one’s state)

5)    The Crucifixion (love of Jesus and Mary)

The Glorious Mysteries (spirit of reverence)

1)    The Resurrection of Our Lord (true conversion)

2)    The Ascension (desire of heaven)

3)    The Descent of the Holy Ghost (recollection of mind and fervor of prayer)

4)    The Assumption of Our Lady (grace of a good death)

5)    The Coronation of Our Lady (perseverance, reverence for the glorious Queen of Heaven, and confidence in her prayers)

Conclude with the Salve Regina:

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

It is not necessary to reflect upon the foregoing virtues. Other meditations may be substituted and other petitions made according to the devotion of the individual.

The Ten Commandments of God:

I.      I am the Lord, thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them nor serve them.

II.    Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.

III.  Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.

IV. Honor thy father and thy mother.

V.   Thou shalt not kill.

VI. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

VII.        Thou shalt no steal.

VIII.      Thou shalt not bear false witness against they neighbor.

IX. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.

X.   Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.

The Six Commandments of the Church:

I.      To rest from servile work, and to hear Mass on all Sundays and Holydays of Obligation.

II.    To fast and abstain on the days appointed.

III.  To confess our sins at least once a year.

IV. To receive worthily the Holy Eucharist during the Easter time.

V.   To contribute to the support of our pastors.

VI. Not to marry persons who are not Catholics or who are related to us in the third degree of kindred, nor privately without witnesses, nor to solemnize marriage at the forbidden times.

The Six Holydays of Obligation [in the USA]:

I.      The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin (8^th of December).

II.    The Nativity of Our Lord (25^th of December).

III.  The Circumcision of Our Lord (1^st of January).

IV. The Ascension of Our Lord (forty days after Easter).

V.   The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (15^th of August).

VI. The Feast of All-Saints (1^st of November).

The Seven Sacraments:

The Seven Sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ, for the salvation of sinners, and the perseverance of the just. They are: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.

1.Baptism remits original sin and every actual sin committed before Baptism by one that has reached the age of reason. It takes away the eternal and temporal punishment due to sin; it pours into the soul sanctifying grace along with the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity; and it raises man to the dignity of a child of God, and rightful heir of the kingdom of heaven. In case of necessity, anyone of either sex that has reached the age of reason can and ought to baptize. Pouring common water on the head of the person to be baptized, so that the skin becomes wet, say at the same time the words: “I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

The Baptismal Vows are fourfold:

I. I believe all that the Holy Catholic Church believes and teaches.

II. I renounce Satan.

III. I renounce all his works.

IV. I renounce all his pomps.

By these words the newly-baptized promises to be forever a faithful child of the Catholic Church; resolutely to resist the suggestions and temptations of Stan; perseveringly to shun all sin (which is the work of Satan), and all the occasions thereto; to abhor and never to desist from mortifying in himself the threefold concupiscence in which the world seeks all its pleasure and enjoyment. Never  mshould we forget promises so holy, promises made on so solemn an occasion! Never should we violate them!

2.     Confirmation confirms the Faith and the life of grace in us, makes us able and strong to battle at the side of Christ against the enemies of the kingdom of God.

3.     The Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is the true Body and the true Blood of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. It is the nourishment of the soul unto life everlasting for all who receive it worthily and with due preparation. The Holy Mass is the real sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, under the appearance of bread and wine. It is the most worthy act of adoration, praise, and thanksgiving, and the most powerful sacrifice of atonement and petition that we can offer.

The three principal parts of the Mass are:

I.       The Offertory

II.     The Elevation

III.   The Communion of the Priest

4. Through the Sacrament of Penance are remitted all actual sins committed after Baptism, their eternal punishment and, at least, a part of the temporal punishment due to them. Through it Sanctifying grace is restored or, if it was not lost, is increased in the soul; and finally, it confers special graces for the leading of a pious life. For the worthy reception of the Sacrament of Penance, five things are necessary, namely:

I.   Devout prayer to the Holy Ghost.

II.  A careful examination of conscience.

III. A sincere contrition and a firm resolution.

IV. A sincere confession of, at least, all mortal sins with their number and any

circumstances that materially change their nature.

V. Satisfaction, or the performance of the penance imposed by the Confessor.

5. Extreme Unction is the sacrament of the sick and comforts the soul especially for the hour of death. It often alleviates sickness, and sometimes even restores health itself.

6. Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, priests receive power to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and to forgive sins. It confers on them, also, many other powers and great graces.

7. Through the Sacrament of Matrimony, husband and wife receive the grace to live together in love and peace, and to rear their children in a Christian manner.

Spiritual Communion

Spiritual Communion consists in an ardent desire to receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Spiritual Communion can be made at any time, and in any place, and it enriches the soul with many graces according to the intensity of the desire for receiving Holy Communion. The Divine Savior Himself really deigned to teach the devout religious, Maria Lataste, the following simple form. He said: “Recollect thyself for one instant, place thyself in spirit before My tabernacle, and say to Me ‘O Jesus come into my heart!’ That is sufficient.”

But we may also make use of other and more lengthy forms; for instance,

O Blessed Jesus, come to me!

O make me burn with love for Thee,

That I may live and die in Thee!

Mothers, instruct your children already before they have made their First Communion to receive Jesus in this spiritual manner.

The Three Theological Virtues:

The three divine virtues, Faith, Hope, and Charity, are infused into the soul together with Sanctifying Grace. They should be stirred into activity by frequently reciting them according to some definite form and thus they will take firm root in the soul and render it more and more holy. The following forms are recommended.

Act of Faith:

My God, I believe in Thee and in all that Thy Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed it, and Thy word is true.

Act of Hope:

My God, I hope in Thee for grace and for glory, because of Thy promises, Thy mercy, and Thy power.

Act of Love:

My God, because Thou art so good, I love Thee with all my heart, and for Thy sake I love my neighbor as myself.

Act of Contrition:

My God, because Thou art so good,

With sorrow I deplore

That I have ever offended Thee.

I’ll never offend Thee more.

The Confiteor:

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech the blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all Saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

May the Almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen.

May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and remission of my sins. Amen.

The Four Cardinal Virtues:

1.     Prudence. Christian prudence causes us to discriminate in every circumstance the good from the bad, and prevents our being led astray by false appearances.

2.     Justice. By the practice of Christian justice, we constantly render to every one, to God, to superiors, to equals, and inferiors, all that we owe them.

3.     Fortitude. Christian fortitude enables us to overcome all the difficulties and dangers that might prevent us from doing good.

4.     Temperance. By Christian temperance we keep our sensual inclinations and desires in check.

Christian Perfection:

Christian perfection consists in this: That we love God above all things, and all things for God’s sake.

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost:

The seven gifts of the Holy Ghost are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and the Fear of the Lord. They are infused into the soul, together with Sanctifying Grace, and affect us in such a way that, following the inspirations of the Holy Ghost, we dread to offend God (Fear of the Lord); we feel toward Him like children (Piety); we can rightly discriminate between the false and true, the good and the bad (Knowledge); we courageously conquer all obstacles in the serviced of God (Fortitude); we choose what is most advantageous for the honor of God and the salvation of souls (Counsel); we apprehend what is divine and eternal (Understanding); we love and esteem it as our greatest treasure (Wisdom). The Christian needs the first five gifts in order to struggle manfully; the two last, Understanding and Wisdom, are necessary to pray well.

The Merit of Good Works:

All our words and actions as well as our good thoughts and holy imaginations, virtuous desires and resolutions, pleasure in good and fear of evil, briefly all our good works, exterior and interior, when performed in the state of grace, and with a good intention, are meritorious for heaven. They produce in us an increase of sanctifying grace and a greater love of God besides a higher degree of heavenly bliss; they obtain for us the remission of venial sin and of temporal punishment; and, finally, they procure for us and for others special actual graces.

Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving:

The principal good works are prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and comprise in themselves all other good works. Prayer embraces all other religious exercises; fasting, all corporal discipline; and almsgiving, all acts of mercy toward our neighbor. When practiced in their perfection, they lead to the three:

Evangelical Counsels:

Entire obedience to a superior as to the representative of God, perpetual chastity, and voluntary poverty. By the three evangelical counsels, man sacrifices himself entirely to God. By chastity, his body; and by poverty, all his possessions. Only few are called by God to such a life. Members of religious orders bind themselves to it by vows.

The Works of Corporal and Spiritual Mercy:

Christian charity does not consist in mere words and sentiments; it must also become practical in deeds. The ordinary needs of body and soul may be reduced to seven kinds, and hence we distinguish seven corporal and seven spiritual works of mercy.

The Corporal Works of Mercy

I.       To feed the hungry.

II.     To give drink to the thirsty.

III.   To clothe the naked.

IV.  To ransom the captive.

V.    To harbor the harborless.

VI.  To visit the sick.

VII. To bury the dead.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy

I.       To admonish the sinner.

II.     To instruct the ignorant.

III.   To counsel the doubtful.

IV.  To comfort the sorrowful.

V.    To bear wrongs patiently.

VI.  To forgive all injuries

VII.        To pray for the living and the dead.

Point out to the child the works of mercy which are performed on its body and soul by others and which it can and ought to perform itself.

The Imitation of Jesus Christ:

This imitation manifests itself in love of Jesus Christ, reverence for His words, obedience to His will, the following of His example. They follow Jesus Christ who exercise the three Theological Virtues, the four Cardinal Virtues, and the eight Beatitudes, and who cooperate with the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. Seek ever to understand the Divine Master better and better, for this is eternal life.

The Eight Beatitudes (Matt. V):

I.   Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

II.  Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.

III.  Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.

IV.  Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall be filled.

V.  Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.

VI. Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God.

VII. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.

VIII. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The poor in spirit are they who have no attachment to perishable goods, whether they have earthly possessions or not. The meek are they who gently repay aversion and persecution with kindness and benefits. They “shall possess the land” means they shall gain the love and respect of all good people, shall oftentimes win over their adversaries; but, above all, shall obtain the kingdom of God, namely heaven.

They mourn in a holy manner, who are patient in suffering, who grieve over their own or others’ sins, or who long for the kingdom of heaven.

Hunger and thirst after justice indicate an ardent longing after virtue, after perfection, after grace, after the holy Sacraments, after the word of God, etc.

Merciful are they who are easily moved to compassion, and who love to exercise works of mercy.

The chaste souls detached from earthly things have a pure heart. They cheerfully stand before God here below, praying readily and fervently. And thus they enjoy a foretaste of the eternal vision of God which is prepared for them in heaven.

The peacemakers preserve peace with God by avoiding sin; they guard, as much as they can, against dissensions with and among their neighbors; and, as soon as they can, they restore the peace that may have been disturbed. They bear a special likeness to God, who is a God of peace; they are His well-beloved children, the objects of His special favor.

Ill-will, contempt, and persecution are the portion of all those who would lead a Christian life. What men inflicted upon the Divine Master, even this his disciples may expect: the cross and martyrdom.

The children of this world consider those who follow this road to heaven as fools, ridicule and despise them. This only shows how little the worldling understands what would save him from the eternal perdition into which he is precipitating himself.

The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghost:

As the spirit of the flesh and the world can bring forth only evil and bitter fruit, so the Holy Ghost, on the other hand, produces in all souls, that allow Him to work freely in them, a multitude of beautiful virtues and good works, of which the holy Apostle Paul enumerates twelve, as follows:

Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Benignity, Goodness, Long-Suffering, Meekness, Fidelity, Modesty, Continency, Chastity.

The Four Last Things which men should constantly keep before their eyes, are: Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven.

The Life-Work of every Christian here below is:

I.    To serve God, by keeping His commandments.

II.   To imitate Jesus Christ, by practicing the Christian virtues.

III.  To honor the angels and saints and invoke them.

IV.  To save his soul.

V.    To avoid hell.

VI.  To gain heaven.

VII. To despise the vanity of the world.

VIII. To atone for his sins.

IX.  To overcome evil inclinations.

X.  To perform good works.

XI. To edify his neighbor.

XII. To die, and to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.

The Two Means of Perseverance are watchfulness and prayer. “Watch and pray,” said the Divine Saviour to His disciples, “that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We must watch over the evil inclinations of our nature, that we do not fall into sin; over the movements of grace, that we may profit by them; over our love for Jesus Christ, that it may not be lost to us. We must pray, because without the assistance of God we can do nothing toward our salvation, much less persevere in the love of Jesus Christ. We must always watch, always pray, because we are always in danger of being unloyal [sic] to the love of Christ. Those moments in which we gave way to our evil inclinations, were moments of negligence in watchfulness and prayer.