Mary Grace & Brendan -- happy to have Our Lord in their hearts!

Two of our first graders and one guest from out-of-town made their First Holy Communions this past May 22. Here are some pictures.

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 – Maxims and Sayings
11. The Christian Training of Children – Co-operation with Pastor and Teacher
12. The Christian Training of Children – Catechetical Instruction
13. The Christian Training of Children – Preparing a Child for Confession
14. The Christian Training of Children – Preparation for Holy Communion
15. The Christian Training of Children – Care of Young Adults
16. Mother Love

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 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 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.

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.

The three principal parts of the Mass are:

I.       The Offertory

II.     The Elevation

III.   The Communion of the Priest

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.

O Blessed Jesus, come to me!

O make me burn with love for Thee,

That I may live and die in Thee!

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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 – Maxims and Sayings
11. The Christian Training of Children – Co-operation with Pastor and Teacher
12. The Christian Training of Children – Catechetical Instruction
13. The Christian Training of Children – Preparing a Child for Confession
14. The Christian Training of Children – Preparation for Holy Communion
15. The Christian Training of Children – Care of Young Adults
16. Mother Love

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 XIII. – How a Christian Mother Should Prepare Her Child for Confession.

Third Grade students work on bean bags (a field trip fundraiser).

The sincere confession of sins and faults in union with a sincere sorrow for them and a firm resolution to amend is the best means to root out any bad habits or any evil inclination, as well as to strengthen the will in its determination to practice virtue and fulfill the daily duties and obligations. Confession teaches self-knowledge. Confession reveals the ugly side of our individuality, gives us a clearer view of our responsibility, and proves very vividly that sin, mortal and venial, is an offense, an insult against the supreme authority and majesty of God. Confession, therefore, has a distinct educative value in the development of character such as no other means can supply.

To obtain these results it is important to have the child thoroughly prepared and instructed in the proper manner of receiving the sacrament of Penance. No one can so easily and so effectively contribute to this thorough preparation as a pious father and a pious mother. Therefore parents should for the sake of their children make frequent use of the Holy Sacrament themselves. Their example will be the child’s first lesson on the subject of confession. The child will be deeply impressed when it observes how for some days after receiving the sacraments father and mother evidently are more subdued, more happy and peaceful, less irritable and less impatient.

Only clean consciences can work happily!

When, finally, the time arrives for the child to make its first confession, the parents should evince a cordial interest in its prospective happiness. They should carefully guard against frightening the child about confession and never represent confession as a difficult and laborious task; on the contrary they should represent it as comparatively easy. They should instill into the child’s heart love and confidence towards the priest who hears its confession in the name of Jesus Christ, in Whose name he is also ready to absolve every child, if it is sorry for its sins and resolved never to commit them again.

About a week before the day fixed for its first confession the parents should begin to pray with the child for the grace to make a good and worthy confession. The Our Father, the Hail Mary, or some other easy prayer will be suitable. The following prayer or at least a part of it may also serve the purpose:

O Jesus, my God and Savior, I have often been a naughty child, I have been bold and saucy, disobedient and stubborn, and in this way I have displease You very much, so that You could hardly love me any more. I wish I had never done anything wrong. My Lord, I am sorry for all the naughty things I have done. I will never do them again. I love You, Lord; please, forgive me all my sins and love me again also. Help me to make a good confession, and help the other children too.

If a child receives sufficient instruction in school, the parents’ task will be much easier. All they need do in this case, is to let the child tell them what was said in school, and then supply what the child may have forgotten. Certainly the task will be much more difficult if the school instruction is deficient. Then the duty will devolve upon the parents to instruct the child themselves. The following items may be of great usefulness to them.

Five things are necessary for a good confession:

1) Prayer to the Holy Ghost;

2) Examination of conscience;

3) Sorrow for sin and the resolution to sin no more;

4) Telling of our sins to the priest;

5) Satisfaction or penance.

The first is prayer to the Holy Ghost. This prayer the parents should have the child repeat frequently, till it has learned to say it devoutly. The following form may well serve the purpose:

Come, O Holy Ghost, and enlighten me that I may know my sins, be heartily
sorry for them, and sincerely confess them, and earnestly amend my life.

Our students make their first confession in first grade (usually). This Third Grade boy could give YOU some tips on "sewing a straight line" in your life.

Then follows the examination of conscience. When the child is quite young and has only learned the rudiments of the catechism, the parents should assist it in making this examination.

A good way to help children recall their sins is to remind them of how they behaved at home, at school, at church, on the street, on the playgrounds, towards father and mother, towards brothers and sisters, towards the teacher and towards other children. Parents should not ask their children to tell them the wrongs committed, but if a child should in its innocence reveal something which father and mother never expected it to do, they should not become excited over the revelation but use the opportunity calmly to recall the meaning of sin and the punishment which God will inflict for sin.

Children should also be assisted in making an act of contrition, and parents should consider it a privilege to teach them some form of this act. Any of the following will meet the purpose.

My Father in heaven, I am sorry for all the naughty things I have done because
They have displeased You Who are so good and kind, and because I love You.
I do love You, indeed I do. Please forgive me and help me to be a good child
after my confession.

O my God, I am sorry that I have sinned against You, because You are so good,
and I will sin no more.

O my God, I am sorry for all my sins. I hate them more than all evils, because
they deserve Thy dreadful punishments; I hate them because they offend Thy
infinite Goodness. Do not punish me as I deserve. Forgive me and I will try not
to do these sins again.

Older and better instructed children should be taught to make their examination of conscience by going through the then commandments of God, the six commandments of the Church, the nine ways of being accessory to the sins of others, and the seven capital sins.

The first commandment demands that the child recite daily and devoutly its morning and evening prayers, the grace before and after meals, and frequent acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity.

The second commandment requires reverence towards the names of God, of the Saints, and of holy things. It forbids therefore the abuse of the name of God and of Jesus Christ by using them as by-words or in curing and sinful swearing.

The cheerfulness of a clean soul!

The third commandment demands attendance at Mass on Sundays and feast days of obligation, and also attendance at Christian Doctrine instructions; it forbids on Sundays and feast days any kind of unnecessary manual labor, and at all times bad conduct in church, such as laughing, talking, playing, disturbing others at prayer, and inattention during church service.

The fourth commandment requires reverence, obedience, gratitude and love towards father and mother, towards the priest and the teacher; and these obligations also include that children gladly accept and follow the admonitions of their superiors; that they do not despise parents and superiors; neither offend, deceive, or provoke them, nor wish them evil or speak evil of them. Finally it commands to respect old people and forbids ridiculing them, etc.

The fifth commandment demands that all persons and especially those who are more closely connected with us, as brothers and sisters, relatives and comrades, be treated with respect and consideration and that we should do them no harm either in body or soul. Hence we should fail against this commandment if we are self-willed and disagreeable, contemptuous and hateful, rude and unmannerly, harsh and uncharitable, irritable and revengeful; if we quarrel, fight and strike others or in some other way seek to hurt them; if we curse ourselves and others, endanger our own lives and the lives of others, and unnecessarily inflict pain upon dumb animals. Finally we fail against it when we are accessory to the sin of others. There are nine ways of being accessory to the sins of others: 1) by counsel, 2) by command, 3) by consent, 4) by provocation, 5) by praise or flattery, 6) by silence, 7) by toleration, 8) by assistance, and 9) by defense of the evil done. Tolerating or not punishing a sin is a sin which parents and superior commit when they are too lenient and indulgent with their subjects. It is evident that children cannot be accessory to the sins of others in this manner, but in all other ways they also can cooperate with another’s sin.

The sixth and ninth commandments forbid all unchasteness in thought, imagination and desire, as well as in looks, words, and actions, and, in short, everything that might lead to such sins, as dangerous reading, dangerous games, dangerous company.

Wouldn't you like to buy a bean bag? We promise to give you the correct change.

The seventh and tenth commandments demand honesty and justice in all our dealings with others; therefore, they forbid pilfering and stealing, receiving stolen goods and keeping what was found, destroying and injuring the property of others. Children, furthermore, are not permitted even at home, to take anything that does not belong to them, nor give anything away without the permission or consent of their parents.

The eighth commandment demands truthfulness as well as respect for the honor and reputation of our fellow-men. Therefore it is a sin against this commandment to tell lies, may they be ever so slight, to insult our neighbor or speak badly about him whether it be true or not true. To make known secret faults of our neighbor without necessity is called detraction; to brand him with crimes and faults which are untrue is slander or calumny.

The commandments of the Church dictate the manner in which Sundays and feast days must be observed, and this has been referred to in the third commandment of God; but, besides, a child is obliged by the law of the Church also to abstain from flesh meat on Fridays and all days of abstinence, and is also bound to go to confession once a year and to receive Holy Communion at Easter time.

Finally children should be taught to examine themselves regarding the seven deadly or capital sins. Regarding pride they should ask themselves whether they raise themselves above their neighbor or even above God, and think themselves better than others. Sometimes children think they look pretty because of their hair or their dress or their eyes, and like to show off before others, etc. These actions are not real pride, but are indications of vanity and silliness.

Avarice shows itself in wanting everything for yourself, and never sharing with others any of the good things you may have.

Sins of lust are sins of unchasteness, as forbidden in the sixth commandment.

Envy shows itself when you grieve at the good things which others receive, and are glad when they meet with misfortune.

Gluttony is eating or drinking too much, or [doing] something which is injurious to the health of the body.

It takes concentration not to get distracted!

Sloth is to neglect the work which you should do, because you do not like to do it or do not feel like doing it; sloth shows itself also in omitting our daily prayers, missing Mass and other devotions in church, neglecting the study of the catechism, etc.

It is not advisable to let the younger children make their whole examination of conscience at one time; let them do it gradually so that their little minds do not tire, and they perhaps get disgusted with the whole matter. Neither should they get the impression as if the examination of conscience and the memorizing of the sins were the most important part in preparing for the sacrament of Penance. It is certainly true that they should remember their mortal sins well and the number of times these were committed; and the child must not be allowed to consider the examination as negligible. Still the emphasis should be given to the necessity of a sincere sorrow for sin and a firm purpose of amendment. Hence in the course of the examination the parents should repeatedly try to elicit in the child sentiments and acts of real contrition. This can be most easily accomplished by pointing out again and again the motives for sorrow in language which will be intelligible to the child. A long discourse on these motives would be of little value. A mother’s instinct will naturally find the best method, but for a little guidance herein we have appended a few suggestions.

After having given the child some time to recall its faults, for instance, against the fourth commandment of God, the mother might ask: “Well, my child, are you sorry for these sins?” Whether it answers, “yes” or “no,” mother should use the opportunity to recall to the child one of the motives of sorrow in the following manner: “My child, remember, that all sins, event he smallest, are insults against the good God and displease and provoke Him very much.”

It is a valuable assistance to mothers to have the Sisters to help them in the training of their children.

At another time she might say: “Remember, child, even venial sins are hated by God, and they lead slowly but surely to mortal sin, and mortal sin leads to the eternal punishment of hell; and do not forget, God punishes venial sins very severely even in this world, but especially in the fires of purgatory.” On another occasion she might remind the child of the horror of sin as follows: “Sin, my child, is indeed a very wicked thing, otherwise God would not have demanded that His beloved Son Jesus Christ suffer so many and cruel pains and tortures. To redeem us from sin and from hell the Son of God had to come from heaven, become man, be persecuted and hated and finally shed the last drop of His blood and die for us on the Cross.”

Again mother might speak to her child as follows: “Remember, my child, by every sin you do, you hurt Jesus just as much and even more than the Jews did. The Jews hurt His body only, but by sins you hurt His soul, His Heart which loves you so much, and desires to give you only what is good.” Finally, a mother might recall to the child all the great favors and benefits which God has bestowed on the child, such as life and health, food and clothing; the grace of baptism and of Christian instruction, the companionship and protection of the guardian angel, etc. Surely all these considerations repeatedly and earnestly retold will not fail to impress the tender heart of your child, and will fill it with a horror for everything sinful so that it will resolve never to be ungrateful again and never to commit a sin again, because God is so good and holy and sin is so vile and punishable. After you have accomplished this result, it may be very profitable if the mother or the father will recite with the child the following litany:

Lord, have mercy on us! Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord, have mercy on us! Christ, hear us! Christ, graciously hear us!
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us!
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us!
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us!
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us!
Thou who dost call all sinners to penance and the amendment of life, have mercy on us!
Thou who dost not take pleasure in chastisement and condemnation, etc.
Thou who dost will to preserve every creature from hell and render him happy,
Thou who hast promised me, also, pardon and grace if I am sorry for my sins and
never again commit them,
I have sinned,
I have repeatedly and thoughtlessly sinned,
I have trodden under foot Thy commandments,
I have not fulfilled my duties,
I have neither watched nor prayed,
I have not feared Thy punishments,
I have dishonored Thee,
I have irritated Thee,
I have renewed Thy Passion,
I have deserved the most severe punishments,
I am sorry that I ever committed a single sin,
I am sorry that I ever displeased Thee,
I am sorry that I was ever disobedient to Thee,
I am sorry that I was ever ungrateful to Thee,
I am sorry that I ever departed from Thy love,
I will now detest all evil,
I will now be carefully on my guard against it,
I will now cheerfully overcome myself,
I will pray repeatedly and devoutly,
I will consider sin the greatest evil on earth,
I will rather die than ever willfully commit a single sin again,
Grant me, O God, grace to keep my resolution,
Enlighten my understanding and strengthen my will,
Preserve me from temptation and seduction,
Protect me from the snares of the evil spirit,
Subdue my evil desires and passions,
Grant that I may rejoice in virtue and the fear of God,
Bestow upon me final perseverance in good,
Give to me a short and easy purgatory,
Take me to heaven and make me eternally happy,
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, Thou dost love us so much and art willing to forgive us
when with a sorrowing heart we come to you for forgiveness. I have been very naughty and disobedient. I have not loved or honored Thee as I should. I deserve to be punished severely. Please forgive me my past sins, because I am sorry for them, and from now on I will never do anything willfully that I know displeases Thee. Love me again , O Lord, as Thou didst love me before. Love me as if I had never sinned; yes, love me more and help me to love Thee also more than anything else. Help me to keep my promise that I may always be Thy good and loving child, and may also give pleasure to my parents and teachers and to all my friends. Amen.

Your child, dear mother, is now ready for the cleansing, healing and helping graces of the sacrament of Penance. But before sending it to the confessional, instruct it also how it should enter the confessional, teach it the form it should use in beginning the confession, and also the one with which it should close its confession. Finally instruct it also to make a short thanksgiving after confession, and then to say the penance which the priest imposed. Then let your child “show itself to the priest” so that he may bless it and by the words of absolution purify it from the stains of sins and adorn it with the garb of sanctifying grace.

Bean bags are very useful for a variety of games and using energy that could get children into trouble. (Bean bags are also useful for developing physical coordination skills!) Would you like any for Christmas presents?

When the child returns from church, receive it, dear mother, with evident signs of joy and admonish it to make itself worthy of the great mercy it has just obtained. Watch over its conduct closely for the next few days, and remind it occasionally of its good resolutions.

Oh, how much good a Christian mother can achieve by taking a personal interest in her child’s confessions! She thereby sows a seed that is bound to bring forth fruit a thousandfold. Surely it requires much tact and much tender solicitude, but all her loving efforts will be richly rewarded when she sees her little ones earnestly responding and striving to make a good and worthy confession. And as they begin in their childhood to appreciate the value of this holy sacrament, she may confidently expect that also in later life they will find in it a source of consolation and of spiritual rejuvenation and strength against the dangers and the temptations of the wicked world. Through their whole lives and in eternity they will be ever grateful to your solicitude which familiarized them with this treasury of grace and opened to them the gates of heaven.

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 – Maxims and Sayings
11. The Christian Training of Children – Co-operation with Pastor and Teacher
12. The Christian Training of Children – Catechetical Instruction
13. The Christian Training of Children – Preparing a Child for Confession
14. The Christian Training of Children – Preparation for Holy Communion
15. The Christian Training of Children – Care of Young Adults
16. Mother Love

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

Temper tantrums in adults (or students acting adult parts) are not pretty.

Chapter VII. - Of Rewards and Punishments.

A stubborn evil spirit that resists the ordinary means of control, is driven out according to the words of our Lord by prayer and fasting. This is also the means by which deeply-rooted defects and faults in children must be driven out. Prayer and fasting will win. Still as long as a child is young enough to be coerced, it should be compelled to pray and fast in its own behalf, though it may be good and advisable that a mother pray for such a child and offer for it many personal acts of self-denial. Prayer humbles the spirit, while fasting chastens the flesh and is the sovereign remedy against sensuality.

This two-fold means is indicated in all cases which do not yield to admonitions and remonstrances, nor to kind words or threats. The mother should consider the source of the fault–pride or sensuality–and choose the remedy accordingly. But she should remember that prayer alone, though very efficacious, will not in itself subdue a proud spirit. It is also necessary to make the child feel humiliation. This may be done by showing preference to its brothers and sisters, by being brief and curt, by disregarding its advances, by isolating it from the others, and by other such minor humiliations.

Humiliations come in many forms.

Repeated faults of sensuality are most easily conquered by denying a child a dessert or some delicacies and knick-knacks for which it may have a special predilection; in extreme cases sine favorite dish of necessary food may also be denied. In serious breaches of sensuality the child should be compelled to sleep on a hard, springless bed, or some other physical chastisement be administered with the palm of the hand or with the rattan or rod. Hardness of heart against the poor should be conquered by distributing alms to the needy through the hand of the child, avarice and greed may be corrected by depriving the child of things to which it may be much attached and by insisting upon its sharing liberally with its brothers and sisters whatever it possesses. The same means, namely distributing alms through the hands of the child and denial of the comforts and luxuries of life, may be used when the child is inclined to extravagance.

The choice of the particular punishment to be administered in the individual case must be a subject of intelligent study. A mother’s intention must never be merely the infliction of pain, but rather the amendment of the child. Severe punishments should only be resorted to, when light punishments produce no results. The punishment also which was fixed upon, should never be applied more severely than necessary, and it should always be administered with due regard for the child’s physical condition. Frequent mistakes are made in the choice and infliction of chastisement.

Drama queens require special treatment.

They are mostly administered without reflection, on the spur of the moment and thoughtlessly. On one occasion parents will punish excessively, and on another not enough, or not at all. Would to God that every mother and every father understood the value of conscientious punishment! The punishment of children has for its object the correction and amendment of faults, and if it is to produce these results, parents must consider it one of their most important obligations, the faithful fulfillment of which becomes a source of untold benefit to their boys and girls and also the occasion of infinite merits to themselves.

However, it is not sufficient to inculcate merely a fear of sin in the hearts of children by the infliction of some punishment; parents must also instil [sic] in them a love of virtue for its own sake and for the sake of the joys and rewards attached to the practice of virtue. This may be done by portraying to them the inner peace which is consequent upon the doing of good works in the service of God and of our neighbor, and by describing in some appropriate story the unrest and remorse of conscience which the sinner experiences after his misdeeds.

Sticky Fingers claims her own reward (and then loses it).

Parents should not be chary of words of commendation and encouragement when a child perseveringly strives to get rid of some fault, or when it had performed some act of self-denial, of patience, of kindness, of obedience, or of forgiveness, which perhaps required no little moral courage. Indeed, mother and father should show sincere pleasure in any act of virtue that the child might perform, and at times, even reward it with some material recompense. Still, in doing so, they should remind the child of the greater pleasure which God has in its well-doing, and how He will reward it with the eternal happiness of His own heavenly home, if it will only persevere in its efforts till the end of its days.

Valuable presents and extraordinary pleasures should rarely be given as a reward. Trifling gifts and minor enjoyments may be granted, but not too frequently, otherwise the child may learn to despise them. The child should never join in the amusements proper to adults only, neither should it be drawn into their cares and worries. The longer we can preserve in the children the simplicity and the innocence of childhood, the more shall we be able also to preserve in them the spirit of docility and obedience and their love for the simple pleasures of home-life.

To be continued . . .

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 – Maxims and Sayings
11. The Christian Training of Children – Co-operation with Pastor and Teacher
12. The Christian Training of Children – Catechetical Instruction
13. The Christian Training of Children – Preparing a Child for Confession
14. The Christian Training of Children – Preparation for Holy Communion
15. The Christian Training of Children – Care of Young Adults
16. Mother Love

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

Yes, come with me!

Chapter IV. - How the Christian Mother Should Combat in Her Child the Concupiscence of the Flesh.

The first evil inclination, the concupiscence of the flesh, seeks inordinately after all that gratifies the body, tickles the senses, and excites them to pleasure. Certainly the physical needs must be provided for and the sense activities must be exercised, otherwise life would not be worth living. But, how easily may the proper measure of enjoyment be exceeded, and thus that which might have been, according to St. Paul, a source of heavenly merit and for the greater honor and glory of God, is turned into a source of demerit, sin and punishment!

If then, dear Christian mother, you do not want your child to become the slave of sensual and carnal pleasures, you must train it from its earliest years to self-restraint and self-denial, to application and industry, to order and cleanliness. Among other things therefore a prudent Christian mother will provide for a thorough ventilation of the living and the bed rooms, so that wholesome, fresh air may constantly fill them. She will provide for the children plain, nourishing food, sensible clothing, and a neat comfortable bed; on the other hand, she will withhold from them everything that merely indulges the sensual appetite or wantonly excites the nerves. Children must not be permitted to eat as much and as often as they please, but whatever their reasonable needs demand, should be granted kindly and graciously. Cookies and candies and other palate-ticklers should not be allowed too frequently, since experience teaches that excessive munching of sweetmeats is not only injurious to the teeth and stomach but also to the general health. Try to impress upon the minds of your little ones, Christian mother, that it is a good work occasionally to give up some creature comforts and enjoyments for the love of God, that God especially loves children who act that way and rewards them for it in body and soul. Performing such little mortifications with a good intention is a powerful means of obtaining many favors from God. But in these mortifications children should be supervised so that they may not overdo them.

Playing is hard work!

A Christian mother should let her children play much in the open air, even when the weather is somewhat cold and unpleasant. She should put them to bed early and in the morning also get them out early. They should be taught to get up immediately on the first call, to dress themselves quickly and to make their morning ablutions with cold water. Each child should have its own little daily work to do according to its age and strength, and a fixed time to do it. Dresses and coats, hats and caps, shoes and slippers, as well as playthings should not be allowed to be scattered around, and for everything that belongs to a child there should be a fixed place and it must be trained to put them in the proper places itself. Dirty hands and dirty faces as well as dirty clothes must never be tolerated.

Children should always be cheerful not only at their games and recreations but also at their work and even in their little trials and hurts. As early in life as possible they should be taught that the afflictions and reverses of life, such as excessive cold or heat, slander or gossip, offenses and insults and abuse, sickness and wounds and death, are blessings in disguise and sent by God to wean us from the world and its attractions and arouse in us a greater love and desire for the eternal joys of heaven. They should also be taught to see in them a means which God provides, to atone for our sins, our faults and imperfections. Finally, they should be taught that Jesus Christ Himself was willing to endure the same or similar afflictions during His life here on earth, and that it is a mark of great love of Christ to be satisfied to live amid the same conditions as He did and to bear willingly what He was willing to bear.

Many things are sources of pleasure to children. In the first place there are the things of nature itself. These captivate the eyes of children by their beauty and variety. Naturally, the child admires them, asks questions about them and is happy in knowing them. A Christian mother will not only call attention to their beauty and variety of arrangement, but she will also show how they are evidences of God’s goodness and love as well as proofs of His infinite wisdom and power. The parish church is another source of joy to the child: its majestic appearance, its length and width and height on the outside, and on the inside its altars and their ornamentation, its pews and pictures and statues, its pulpit and confessionals. Gradually, the mother should teach the child the purpose and meaning of them all, so that it may learn to appreciate them as the means by which the salvation of mankind is affected. The feasts of the Church should give the mother opportunities for explanations and stories from the life of Christ in order to instill a greater love of Christ into the heart of her child; when occasion offers she will also narrate stories from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so that the child’s affection for our heavenly Mother may constantly grow and confidence in her tender mercy may increase. Again and again she will tell of the lives of different saints, of their zeal for their own salvation as well as for the salvation of the souls of others and of their love of God and His glory. All that was ever learned in Catechism or Bible History, in sermons or conference, in the Lives of the Saints or some other spiritual book, the Christian mother will impart to her little ones in such simple words that even the youngest may understand. Her efforts will surely be blessed by God and she will enjoy not only the pleasure of gladdening the hearts of her children by her story-telling but will also be rewarded by the earnest endeavors with which her children will try to imitate the virtues of Jesus and Mary and of the saints.

Folk dancing - wholesome entertainment

Another species of joy is derived from home-life and the intimate associations of the family-members. Home, sweet home! Oh, that every home were so sweet and inviting, so pleasant and cheery, that neither father nor children would ever desire to be anywhere else but with and around mother! In such a home every say is the herald of new joys, and certain occasions such as the nameday or birthday of father, mother, brother, or sister and the anniversary of some joyous, important event, are celebrated in a festive manner with some innocent amusements and recreation and sincere testimonies of mutual affection.

In this manner the children will be protected against the deceitful allurements of carnal and worldly pleasures which alas! are only too often the death of purity and innocence. Would to God that every mother at least realized her responsibility in this matter! It may be safely affirmed that the loss of the sense of shame and modesty, so noticeable among the youth of the present generation, is primarily due to the indifference of mothers in observing proper precautions in bathing, dressing and bedding her little ones. Other causes are frequently assigned such as the prevailing fashions of the day, the promiscuous gatherings of young people in dancehalls and amusement places and the modern dances themselves, but all these should be considered as contributing causes merely, since the seed of immodesty and shamelessness was sowed earlier in life.

I can only indicate the sowing of this seed by telling what a mother should not do. A Christian mother will never bathe a child while other children are looking on, nor will she bathe them together at the same time. She will never strip them entirely to change their underwear in the presence of others; she will always have separate rooms and beds for her boys and girls. She will earnestly reprimand even the least breach against modesty and, if repeated, she should severely punish the offender. True, the little one may not understand the indecency of its act, but it is important to impress upon it the gravity of the fault by the infliction of some punishment so that it may not in later life fall into sins which, more that all others, are the cause of eternal damnation. The girls in particular, should be trained in Christian modesty, which includes also decency in dress. Fashions change with the times, so that sooner or later we may expect some improvement in present-day styles; but a mother who today dresses her girls in fashionable décolleté and sleeveless undress, is surely not preventing the violation of the sense of modesty, and is, indeed, contributing to the moral laxity of her daughters.

As the children grow older, the vigilance of parents must become more alert, so that the boys and girls may not become victims of vicious companions who are ever ready to initiate the innocent into the clandestine and sinful methods of sex gratification. As soon as parents observe in their boys and girls a curiosity regarding sex, it would be highly imprudent to conceal from them the desired sex-knowledge, because they will not content themselves with evasions, and the danger is lest they obtain that knowledge in a crude and sinful way. Tell them briefly and frankly what they desire to know, and at the same time warn them against speaking on such subjects with outsiders and encourage them to seek all sex-information from you only-the girls from mother and the boys from father. But also, according to the age of the children, admonish them to preserve their mind[s] and heart[s] pure and chaste through an earnest devotion to the immaculate Blessed Virgin, who is ever ready to help and protect us in all unprovoked dangers and temptations.

To be continued . . .

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 – Maxims and Sayings
11. The Christian Training of Children – Co-operation with Pastor and Teacher
12. The Christian Training of Children – Catechetical Instruction
13. The Christian Training of Children – Preparing a Child for Confession
14. The Christian Training of Children – Preparation for Holy Communion
15. The Christian Training of Children – Care of Young Adults
16. Mother Love

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

A yummy Field Day treat

Chapter III. – Admonition to the Mother.

Above all things, Christian mother, you yourself should be animated with the love of Christ! You should be a pious disciple, a courageous soldier of Jesus Christ, a Catholic Christian ardently desirous of the attainment of virtue. Have you not been such from your early youth? Be such, at least, and with redoubled earnestness, from the day on which you feel that you are a mother. Permit not the poison of unmortified passions to flow with your milk and life-blood into the heart of your child. That poison will, in later life, expose it to numerous and violent temptations, and even to the danger of eternal damnation. When you carry it in your arms, let Christian meekness, peace, and love beam in your eyes; for your child understands their language, and responds to it eagerly in its own little heart. When it begins to lisp and, under your direction, tries to stammer its first word, then teach it as its firs word, not “Mamma,” or “Papa,” but that name which should be to you also the sweetest and the dearest of all names, namely, the name of Jesus, which will rise as a loving sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise to its Creator, its Redeemer, its Judge, and its Savior. The second should be that which, next to the name of Jesus, has the sweetest sound, namely the dear name of our heavenly Mother Mary. Believe me, the child will experience something of the blessing of these sweet names which causes hell to tremble and heaven to thrill with joy.

Teach your child by your own example. Let all your words and actions in its presence bear upon them the impress of innocence and Christian piety. The child hangs upon you as the apple on the tree, and draws from your deportment and expressions nourishment for the life of its soul. Ah, give it not poison. Supply it with Christian, edifying, enlightening, consoling food; and as its years multiply, be still more careful on this point.

Hold pious converse with your child as soon as it is capable of answering. Sing to it holy hymns, and teach it to sing them after you. Pray with your child. Teach it to repeat with joined hands the words of the prayers after you. If it does not understand your words, it certainly does comprehend your devotion; and the Holy Ghost who dwells in its soul, will effect in its depths the wonders of His inexpressible love.

Pray for your child. You could not free it from original sin, had God not seconded your pious desire by holy Baptism; and just as little, without the grace and mercy of God, can you release it from the threefold concupiscence and imbue it with Christian sentiments. The Divine Savior alone can do that, for He has said: “Without Me you can do nothing.” Turn, then, to Him. Entreat Him, expect everything from His blessing, and attach to your own efforts only as much value as the Lord will be please by His helping hand to supply. You must, indeed, “always pray and never faint,” as the Divine Savior teaches. For as it is your duty ever to provide for the good of your child, so must Jesus Christ constantly lend you His support that you may always make use of the right word and the right manner of acting; namely, that which springing from the Heart of Jesus, will bear fruits of salvation. May your heart, O Christian Mother, be ever as full of prayer to God as it is at all times full of love for your children!

This exhibit tied for Third Place (Science Fair '09)

Be watchful and combat the threefold concupiscence in the heart[s] of your children, wherever and as soon as it shows itself. Do not wait until bad habits have become deeply rooted. Keep the pruning knife always at hand, and cut away the wild branches as soon as they put forth their little heads. What may be easily removed in the beginning, might later on cost you years of bitter tears, tears of heartfelt regret, and even then you might be unable to effect a reform. Rear your little on in such a way that the power of its evil inclinations may be broken before it knows what evil is. Well disposed and carefully reared children, even at the early age of four, no longer need corporal chastisement, no longer have need of severe correction; a glance, a gentle sign or a word is sufficient. Still, I know well that children are not alike. Some give more trouble and take longer to correct than others. But if a child over twelve years of age still needs chastisements, it is, for the most part, a sign that in the administration of such punishment in the past, something has been wanting.

Bring before your child the words and example of Jesus, as soon as it is able to understand. Has it been guilty of some naughtiness say “Little Jesus never did anything like that!” “Ah, now you are grieving dear little Jesus!” “What would the little Child Jesus think were you to do such a thing!” -If the child has performed some good action, say: “That’s the way little Jesus used to do!” He says, “if you love Me keep My commandments!” “He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words!” “Jesus loves good little children!” Or again, “Jesus Chirst forbids that!” or, “Jesus commands this,” etc.

Be not without anxiety when your children are out of the house. You know how inexperienced, innocent, and thoughtless they are. Do not permit them to go into neighbors’ houses, or to any place in which you are not sure that their innocence and their soul’s welfare will receive no harm. Give them rules, instructions, and warnings for their conduct on the street; and on their return inquire how they have behaved themselves, what they did and said, what they heard. Make yourself acquainted with these points by means of others, and direct your future line conduct by what you may discover. Many a child well guarded at home has learned wickedness out-doors and stained its soul.

If the child gives evidence of possessing one of the three concupiscences in an especially strong form[,] search your own heart and actions, notice the disposition and life of the father, and see whether the same inclination is not found there. Consider whether or not up to the present you have taken serious action against it. Resolve now, at least, to free yourself from it. Facilitate by your own conversion that of your child; by your own improvement, the improvement of the child.

And when you have done all that lies in your power, say in your heart: “I am a useless servant. I have done what I was obliged to do, and by far not as I should have done.” The good results that you observe in the child, attribute humbly to divine grace, ascribing to yourself only faults and sins; and beg Almighty God to repair and forgive the harm you have done your child. Then your merit and reward will be truly great, if you refer to God alone all the honor your children bring you.

To be continued . . .

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 – Maxims and Sayings
11. The Christian Training of Children – Co-operation with Pastor and Teacher
12. The Christian Training of Children – Catechetical Instruction
13. The Christian Training of Children – Preparing a Child for Confession
14. The Christian Training of Children – Preparation for Holy Communion
15. The Christian Training of Children – Care of Young Adults
16. Mother Love

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 II. – The Two Ways and Kingdoms. New and more Difficult Cares.

Through baptism the child is consecrated to the Divine Savior. It becomes His own property and possession, subject to Him and forever bound to Him, believing in Him, hoping in Him, and loving Him, disposed to live and act as He wills and as His example suggests. It is for the mother to help it on to this. If she is accustomed to follow her natural inclinations, she will find her task a most difficult one; for the life of the Divine Savior was in no way similar to that of our lower nature. It was diametrically opposed to it.

Our nature longs for temporal possessions, seeks after prosperity, riches, and affluence: but the life of Jesus was one of the greatest poverty. He possessed nothing on earth, not even a place whereon to rest His head.

Our nature loves comfort, seeks pleasures, entertainments, amusements; whereas the life of Jesus was full of privation, hardship, labor, pain, and suffering. It was an uninterrupted “Way of the Cross,” a continued martyrdom, a perpetual penance.

Our nature prizes honor and a good name, strives after authority and high places, desires to see itself in power, loves display, titles, influence, command. The life of Jesus, on the contrary, was simple, His deportment unpretending. He avoided honors. He permitted calumnies, invectives, persecution. He stood as a criminal before the courts of justice; and, after the most cruel treatment, He died in the bitterest pain upon the cross amid the triumph of His enemies.

Mary’s maternal heart suffered inexpressibly during the injuries to which her Divine Son subjected Himself; but with all that she would not have had it otherwise. She knew and she constantly kept before her eyes that such was precisely the will of God, that it was in accordance with His eternal decrees for the human race, and most necessary for the atonement of sin and the salvation of souls.

It's a long climb back up

In the same way, Christian mother, should you be disposed. A life of mortification of the natural inclinations is just as necessary for your child as for yourself. With original sin is engendered in nature inordinate concupiscence which excites to evil: the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life. By the waters of Baptism, original sin is effaced; but the threefold concupiscence, although weakened, still remains. Your child possesses sufficient grace and it will receive still more, in order victoriously to resist it; but it will have to struggle, and only by an uninterrupted succession of conflicts will it be able to hold its ground. You should stand by it, guarding, animating, and supporting it. You should steel your heart, and firmly oppose all the emotions, desires, and wishes that arise from the dark depths of its sinful nature. How will you be able to do this if you are not yourself a true follower of Jesus Christ, if you are not, as was the holy Mother of God, filled with the spirit of sacrifice and the love of the cross?

Mankind ever was and is still divided into two kingdoms, each opposed to the other, each warring against the other. In the one reigns the spirit of Jesus Christ, the spirit of self-denial and penance. Hearts are lovingly turned toward the Divine Savior. They wish on earth nothing different from Him, they allow themselves to be ruled by His grace, and they go willingly along the route pointed out to them by his providence. Baptism admits to citizenship in this kingdom, in which the fundamental laws are faith, hope and charity. They are, also, the conditions of remaining in it. Let but only love be extinct, and the bond of union with Jesus Christ is broken; union of heart is dissolved, and the way into the opposite kingdom, into the enemies’ camp, is entered upon.

The majority of mankind belongs to this Kingdom of Antichrist. They are all those that have in heart separated from Jesus Christ, have disbelieved His word, have not heard His Church, and have abandoned themselves to evil concupiscences. They are called in Holy Scripture, “The children of this world,” because loving earthly pleasures, they have renounced those of heaven. According to the same sacred authority, their leader is the devil, who incites them to the gratification of their lower appetites, and by this halter leads them along a broad road and through a wide gate to eternal perdition.

Two of the high school girls before Christmas

Between these two kingdoms, Christian Mother, your child is placed. Love and the graces it has received lead it to Jesus Christ and His Church; evil concupiscence, on the contrary, inclines it tot the world and the devil. It needs constant watchfulness on the part of the mother, even from its earliest years, to prevent the influence of such power over the soul of the child. If she fully performs her duty, them will her child, on coming to the use of reason, be prepared and ready for the combat against the snares of concupiscence and the allurements of the world. And if the mother continues to teach and to guide it, it may happen that her child, neither in its earliest childhood, nor as a youth or maiden, a man or woman of mature age, will ever seriously turn away from the love of Jesus Christ. At the hour of death, it will resign to the earth a sinless body, and to heaven a spotless soul in all the splendor of Baptismal innocence. Happy such a mother! She will with great confidence stand before the Judge to receive the magnificent reward prepared for those that have not only loved Him to the end, but that have inspired others with the same love and have confirmed them in it.

But what of a child whose mother neglects it and through gross indifference permits evil passions to grow in its soul?-There begins for such a little one with the dawn of reason, a life of sin; and it is not long before it falls mortally. Then are baptismal grace and baptismal innocence forever lost; penance is now the only way left by which it can be rescued. If, under the influence of strong passions, of great worldliness, this way of penance is rejected or adopted without a determined resolution to combat temptation,–then, alas, the child will be lost! O what a severe account will the mother have to render at the judgment seat of God when He shall demand of her the soul of her child! Where is that soul which He loved so unspeakably, which He entrusted to her in its holiness and innocence, and which she should have restored to Him in that same holiness and innocence!

To be continued . . .

Sister Mary Peter, M.I.C.M.

Sister Mary Peter teaches First Communion catechism in a special Sunday class for those children who are not students at IHM (IHM students have religion class every day and the First Grade students make their First Holy Communions at Christmas or in May, depending on the year). This fall there is a young man “auditing” the Sunday class: he is too young for school, but his mother thought that the discipline of a once-a-week-class would be good for him. The answers and comments of this lad have given us opportunities for many laughs as well as a reinforcement of the fact that the age of reason is a requirement in order to have the understanding necessary for the reception of the Sacraments.

Parent: “What did you learn this week?”

Young Child: “We have to obey our parents . . .  and God is a triangle.”

(Sister actually clarified this with him in class when they were covering symbols, but apparently he didn’t like the answer!)

Parent: “How is God everywhere?”

Young Child: “Well, He is Three Persons.”

Parent: “Now, I want you to be good and act like Jesus.”

Young Child: “But, Mama! Jesus became a statue!”

And a couple of tidbits from the regular classrooms:

Sister: What gifts did the three Kings bring Our Lord?

Student: Gold . . .  m . . . mm . . . Mold . . .

Sister: Who is the patron saint of cooks?

Student: Habacuc! (The correct answer is St. Martha and St. Lawrence.)

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 – Maxims and Sayings
11. The Christian Training of Children – Co-operation with Pastor and Teacher
12. The Christian Training of Children – Catechetical Instruction
13. The Christian Training of Children – Preparing a Child for Confession
14. The Christian Training of Children – Preparation for Holy Communion
15. The Christian Training of Children – Care of Young Adults
16. Mother Love

[Editor's note: This little gem was recently "discovered" on our bookshelves. The Sisters are giving it to the school mothers one chapter at a time at our monthly Mothers' Teas. We hope that you will enjoy it, too.]

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

On the Christian Training of Children

Chapter I. – Early Cares.

As soon as the Christian Mother becomes aware that a new being has been engendered in her womb through the power of God, she should immediately offer it up to God, and again and again commend it to His fatherly care and protection in aspirations and words which her own mother-heart suggests. During the months of its development she must carefully avoid unwholesome food, undue exertion, and still more all passionate outbursts of impatience and anger, of grief and worry, of excessive sorrow and care. She must, moreover, refrain from vain and proud thoughts as well as from inclinations and emotions not in keeping with perfect purity. On the other hand, she should constantly strive to remain calm and unruffled in all adverse circumstances, foster a devout and contented disposition, pray earnestly, and receive the Holy Sacraments frequently and worthily; briefly, she should seek to be as she expects her child to be some day. All her troubles and pains and suffers she should offer to God as so many means to draw down upon herself and her child heaven’s choicest blessings and graces, and she should gratefully acknowledge God’s goodness not only in joyous events but also in unpleasant and disagreeable affairs.

After the child’s birth she should look upon it as a gift of God and as His image, created for His greater honor and glory. She should consider herself as God’s agent to whom the child has been entrusted and, therefore, she should love it, watch over it, provide for it and protect it. All this should be done in a systematic manner and under the guidance of the moral teachings of Holy Church as well as the approved methods of pious and prominent educators.

The newborn child has at best a frail physical constitution and, if it were not tenderly cared for, it would soon become a victim of death. But its spiritual condition is even more delicate. In consequence of the original sin in which it was born, it is a child of wrath, and if it should die in that state, it would be forever deprived of the vision of God and of the incomprehensible happiness and bliss connected therewith. Surely, no truly Christian mother would endanger the eternal happiness of her child by letting it remain in this state of original sin even one day longer than is absolutely necessary.

A New Child of God

The first duty, then, of a Christian Mother is to provide for the baptism of her child within one week or, at least, within two weeks after its birth. The baptism must take place in the church of the parish in which the parents live, or in which the child is born. A godfather and a godmother should be provided according to the instructions of the Church. The godparents should be well instructed in the rudiments of the Faith and also true to its practices, because before God and the Church, they take upon themselves, together with the parents, and second only to these, the responsibility for the Christian education of the child.

The choice of a name for the child is most dear to the mother’s heart. It may be her own or that of the father, of one of the sponsors, or of any other, provided that it be the name of a saint whose life-story she knows, to whom she has a great devotion, and from whom she expects for the little newcomer every loving and powerful protection. She may look forward eagerly to the time when she will relate to her child the beautiful incidents in the life of its patron or patroness, and when she will tell of the love and care with which its powerful patron watches over all its footsteps. Even now ardent ejaculations arise from the mother’s heart-ejaculations which, later one, will form in the consecrated heart of the child and on its innocent lips those devout aspirations that will pierce the clouds.

At the time of its birth of immediately thereafter the life of the child may be in danger. If such be the case, the mother should at once insist on the private baptism of the child. The minister of the private baptism may be the attending doctor or mid-wife or a relative or one of the attendants; but if none of these would know how to administer private baptism; either the father or the mother should administer the sacrament. The proper manner is the following:–The one who baptizes should take ordinary water, pour it on the head of the child, and, while pouring it, should speak the words: “I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” If the child should recover, it should be taken to church as soon as advisable, to have the ceremonies of solemn baptism supplied. The priest, who performs the ceremony, should be informed of the previous private Baptism and also of the manner in which it was administered.

When the child has received holy Baptism, the first and most necessary thing has been accomplished; namely, the greatest evil that had befallen it has been removed, original sin had been removed, original sin had been washed away, and the wrath of Almighty God has been averted from another of Adam’s posterity. The young soul now shines with a luster and beauty that make it more like an angel than a mortal. He may now raise his eyes to Jesus Christ and call him his Friend, his Brother, and his Spouse. With Jesus’ lips and Jesus’ Heart and Jesus’ confidence, he may now call the Eternal Father his own dear Father and himself His beloved child. He is now all this in perfect truth. Is there a dignity on earth to be compared with this? If emperors and kings had jurisdiction over the whole world, but were not in the state of grace, their honor, majesty, and glory would be far beneath, indeed, would be nothing in comparison with the dignity of this little child of God.

If the child, having received valid Baptism, dies before reaching the age of reason, before being capable of actual sin,–it goes straight to heaven, there to praise God among the choirs of blessed spirits. The happiness secured to it for all eternity, no human tongue can express. The delights that earth can offer, the joys of the earthly paradise, all are nothing compared with the felicity prepared by God for His chosen ones in heaven. The difference between the former and the latter is far wider, far greater than that existing between a drop of water and the vast ocean, a ray of sunshine and the sun itself.

Whether the child be living or dead, the Christian mother does not neglect, on making her first visit to Church, to beg the priest to church her [i.e. give her the blessing after childbirth, called "the churching of women"]. In either case she owes God thanks for protection and deliverance from greater danger; and she cannot offer thanksgiving more pleasing to God than that which the priest utters over he in the name of the Church. If the child is living, there rests upon her the responsibility of providing for its temporal and eternal welfare; and for this the blessing of the Church is indispensable. Her first outing should be to the Church. The priest receives her at the entrance and sprinkles her with holy water as a sign of grace that the Church invokes upon her, and to strengthen her also to receive more efficacious blessings. She is afterward presented with a lighted taper as a sign of the good example which a Christian and a Catholic, and still more a Christian mother, should give her child and her whole family. The priest’s stole is then laid on her hand, and she is led to the altar; because the treasures of salvation, which the Church holds for her and her child, are to be dispensed to her by the hand and the power of the priest. Having reached the altar, the priest offers prayers and thanksgivings for her and her child, and ends with reiterated prayers, blessings and sprinkling with holy water. Christian mother, esteem not as unimportant this touching ceremony instituted by the Church for you alone, and which every priest will, at your request, consider it his duty to perform. Much is contained in it, as well for you as for the child.

To be continued . . .