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The Christian Training of Children – Catechetical Instruction

Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:44:29 +0000

Table of contents for 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 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.

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The Christian Training of Children – Maxims and Sayings

Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:29:21 +0000

Table of contents for 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 X. – Maxims and Sayings Which a Mother Might Teach Her Child.

Pithy, pregnant maxims and sayings are wise thoughts expressed tersely and strikingly. Watchwords we might call them. The Saints were partial to such little sayings. St. Francis is renowned for his “My God and my All,” St. Ignatius for his “All for the greater honor and glory of God,” and there is hardly a saint who did not have a special predilection for some particular expressive saying. It would be wise if all of us would profit by their example and also choose one or the other for our guidance. Every mother should have a storehouse of them, and should on suitable occasions quote them. The evident truth and wisdom of them cannot fail to impress the tender hearts of your little ones. These proverbs will in later life frequently occur to them, and may prove for them a source of strength in temptation as well as in the fulfillment of duty. The most valuable ones are those taken from Sacred Scripture, in particular, from the New Testament and directly from the teachings of Jesus Christ Himself. Next to these are the sayings of the Saints and, finally, proverbial sayings which are in daily vogue among the common people. Mother should be well acquainted with a number of them, and should, when occasion offers, not only quote them but also explain them.

In the following pages some few of each kind are recorded with the intention of making our mothers acquainted with a choice selection for daily use. There are no doubt better ones than those recorded and any mothers knowing such may confidently make frequent use of them; but we would earnestly warn against the use of worldly ones which though fairly expressive, are couched in vulgar or rude terms. Mothers must faithfully avoid silly, sinful and unchristian expressions which children are apt to remember much more quickly.

My Child, gain heaven and you have gained all, lose heaven and you have lost all.

If you do only what you please, can you be considered a servant of God?

We are in the world not to win money, but to win heaven.

Remember, Child, where’er thou art,
God sees into thy very heart.

Where’er you be and whate’er you do,
Remember ever: God sees you.

Do unto others as you would
That others should do unto you.

God will bless with happy days,
With store of precious good,
The child that honors and obeys
Its parents as it should.

My Child, I would rather see you dead at my feet than in mortal sin. (Words of St. Blanche, the mother of St. Louis.)

First the necessary, then the useful, and finally the pleasant.

Lying is a fatal evil,
Liars server their lord, the devil;
And no one every will believe
The child that once did dare deceive.

On Sunday rest and love to pray,
For Sunday is the Lord’s own day.

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Lost innocence and wasted time are never found again.

Little strokes fell great oaks.

Constant dropping wears away the stone.

Never leave till tomorrow what you can do today.

Judge not and you shall not be judged.

Diligence is the mother of good luck.

You will never lose by doing a good turn.

No Cross, no crown.

Many words are not without sin.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all things else will be added unto you.

Fools make feasts and wise men eat them.

A small leak will sink a great ship.

It is head for an empty bag to stand upright.

God is merciful to them who love Him.

A fat kitchen makes a lean will.

Believe no wrong if you have not see it; narrate no scandal whether you believe it or not.

Famine means unmentionable pain and sorrow, but no famine of food or drink can compare with the loss of God’s grace.

There is just one fearful thing about death — the moment after.

My life is but the weaving
Between my God and me;
I may not choose the colors—
He worketh steadily.

Full of the weaveth sorrow,
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget — He sees the upper,
And I, the under side.

If now the Cross of Chirst I bear,
I may be sure His Crown to share.

More things are wrought by prayers than this world dreams of.

‘Tis easy to sigh, but ‘tis better to pray.

So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man,
When duty whispers low, “Thou must,”
The creature says, “I can.”

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.

Kind words are the music of the world.

There is so much bad in the best of us,
There is so much good in the worst of us,
That is hardly behooves any of us,
To rail at the faults of the rest of us.

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The Christian Training of Children – Combating Pride

Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:19:14 +0000

Table of contents for 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)

Looking at science projects

On the Christian Training of Children

Chapter VI. - How the Christian Mother Should Combat Pride in Her Child.

In the last two chapters I have briefly pointed out how a Christian Mother may successfully counteract in a child its inborn lust of the eyes and of the flesh. The means recommended are, indeed, effective but not infallible, unless the mother will reenforce [sic] her instructions, her admonitions and her corrections by the mortification of her own evil inclinations and by presenting to her children in her own daily life an example of self-denial and restraint. Teaching and good example are practically certain of producing favorable results under the grace of God. In the present chapter I shall give a more detailed instruction on the manner of combating the third concupiscence, called by St. John the pride of life. The conquering of this concupiscence is more difficult, because the sins caused by it, seemingly contain something elevating and pure, although they are more offensive to God and more destructive to the soul. Some pious author distinguished the lust of the eyes as a human fault, the lust of the flesh as a bestial aberration, but the pride of life as a hellish, a devilish guilt. Pride is, indeed, the worst of the three concupiscences and must, therefore, be combated just as relentlessly as the other two.

St. Michael the Archangel with the cry-Who is like to God-drove the bad angels out of heaven and out of the company of the good angels. In the same manner a Christian Mother should contemplate the dignity and majesty of God, and remember His rightful claim upon our worship and submission; hence like St. Michael she must not relax in her efforts, until the devil of pride is cast out of the heart of her child, and the child itself, strengthened in earnest piety, has become an angel of humility and modesty, of obedience and good deportment.

The first visible sign of pride in a child is wilfulness [sic]. In combating it, the mother must, indeed, manifest a knowing and prudent love which never connives at a child’s contrariness or humors its exhibitions of obstinacy. The child may weep and cry, it may fuss and stomp its feet-the more unruly it conducts itself, the more the mother must ignore it. Such treatment will soon put an end to its noisy demonstrations, and the child will gradually show a more tractable disposition. Then also insist on immediate and prompt obedience. “A good child must obey quickly.”

Shut the Door - a skit performed by the 7th & 8th grades for Saint Patrick's Day

Irreverence, stubborness [sic] and insubordination must not be tolerated. A command given by father or mother, must be carried out, and the child that will not obey, should be banished from the table and from the presence of father and mother and no conciliatory countenance be turned to it until it has fulfilled the will of its parents. Certainly the directions and the commands of father and mother must not exceed the limitations of the child; they should be reasonable and well-considered, and be given with dignified earnestness, in brief and gentle words, and with perceptible marks of affection. Children should be taught to obey cheerfully to please their parents; they should obey conscientiously, whether they be observed or not, because Jesus Christ gave the example of obedience, because parents are representatives of God, because the will of the parents is the will of God, because obedience or disobedience to them is obedience or disobedience to God, and therefore will be rewarded or punished by God.

Considerate and affectionate demands on the part of the parents, and ready, cheerful obedience on the part of the children are the foundation stones of a good education. When, therefore, a good education is not achieved it is usually due to some defect in the exercise of parental authority or in the observance of filial submission. Generally speaking, the greatest fault is on the side of the parents. Children are so completely dependent on their parents, that they must practically obey, if the parents earnestly insist upon it. When the children are disobedient, disrespectful, bold and spiteful, there is no other cause but lack of firmness and enforcement of parental rights. In every Christian family one principle must always stand forth in the fullness of its meaning, namely: Not the will of the children is law, but the children must obey the will of the parents without exception and without contradiction.

Another St. Patrick's Day skit

Other manifestations of pride are meddlesomeness, lying, and an assumption of cleverness and wisdom. Among girls are to be found especially dissimulation, self-love, vanity and conceit. A child must be trained to be truthful and sincere in its words and its conduct, and simple and modest in all its dealings with others. Whatever good it may possess, it should consider an undeserved gift of God, for which it must be grateful, and of the use of which it must some day render a strict account. The child’s attention should be called to its own shortcomings, and at the same [time] be directed to the good qualities of others, to the virtues of the saints and to the perfections of God, so that it may learn to think lowly of itself and willingly humble itself before others.

Pride shows itself also in quarrelsomeness, in lording it over others, and in vengefulness. Among boys, in particular, we also find as a fruit of pride a certain spirit of independence which brooks no restraint, and ambition that tolerates no rivalry, and a coarseness of feeling that borders on brutality. All these qualities are evidences of a hard heart and must be corrected with a firm hand; and, if no improvement is observed, mother and father should even resort to severe corporal punishment.

After the child’s natural roughness has been pretty well polished off in this manner, it must also be taught to get rid of its sensitiveness or touchiness and to conquer its natural aversions or dislikes. The wonderful example of Christ should constantly be kept before its mind, especially His patient endurance of all kinds of injuries, His imperturbably meekness and mildness and His everready [sic] willingness to forgive His enemies and traducers for whom He even prayed after they nailed Him to the Cross. Surely this example will have a powerful influence over the impressionable child-mind and inspire the child to earnest efforts of imitation.

Immaculate Heart of Mary - The high school classroom statue

The worst fruits of human pride are sins against God Himself, namely, indifference to religion and religious practices. These manifest themselves by repeated neglect of divine service, particularly, of the Holy Sacrifice of Mass, by irreverent conduct in Church and at devotional exercises, by desecration of the Lord’s Day and feast days of obligation, by superstitious observances and mockery of religion, by ridiculing the veneration of the saints, their pictures and relics, by cursing and sinful taking of oaths and such other sins against the three first commandments of the decalogue. Indifference towards God and all that relates to Him is, indeed, at the bottom of man’s perversity as of all sin, and only in so far as this indifference can be rooted out, can the heart of man be remodeled and the image of the Divinity be restored in him. Hence the principal efforts must be directed towards this purpose and parents must never cease till they have implanted into the hearts of their children a sincere love of God and a salutary filial fear of Him, till they have awakened in them an ardent zeal for His honor and glory and an eager, joyous readiness to live according to His Will. In this matter, particularly, parents must give a good example, so that the child may see that they themselves are sincerely and truly religious.

The parents must also carefully observe the child at its prayers, never condone any fault in the recital of them, immediately correct any faulty pronunciation of the names of God or of the saints, and, in general, supervise its conduct in all matters pertaining to religion and its practices. Faults and sins against the first three commandments must not be considered lightly and should be earnestly reprehended and, if necessary, more severely punished than faults and sins against any other commandment. The degree of firmness with which parents persist in their efforts to educate and train their children in the proper reverence towards God and religion, will naturally depend upon the degree of esteem in which they hold their dignity as representatives of God and guardians of His honor; the more they realize the dignity of their position, the more they will uphold and defend the rights of God.

To be continued . . .

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The Christian Training of Children – Combating Concupiscence of the Eyes

Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:48:05 +0000

Table of contents for 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

We should see the goodness of God in everything!

Chapter V. - How the Christian Mother Should Combat the Concupiscence of the Eyes in Her Child.

The second evil propensity, the concupiscence of the eyes, is the inordinate pleasure in things which attract the eye, such as riches, clothes, houses, furniture, etc. Holy Scripture says: “What doth it profit the owner of riches, except to feast his eyes on them?” Ecclesiasticus, ch. 5, v. 10.

The child must be made to realize that it had, properly speaking, nothing of its own, that everything belongs to its parents. The things a child receives from them, should be considered a gift, for which it owes them a debt of gratitude. It should also be made to understand, that even its parents can call nothing their own, that all they have is loaned to them and should be used for performing works of love and mercy according to the Will of God. Furthermore, the child should be taught to consider the poor its equals, and be glad to share with them whatever they need, so that in the day of judgment it may be rewarded for its helpfulness as having done unto Christ whatever was done unto the least of His brethren. Poverty, in general, should be appreciated as a visitation and a grace of God, by which men become like unto the Master and worthy of eternal life. Heaven should be described to the child as a land teeming with riches and treasures, the least part of which is more valuable than all the accumulated values of the whole world. Finally, the child should be taught that riches and possessions are rather dangerous for the soul and that rich people who are not poor in spirit, whose hearts are not detached from the things of this world, have a hard time saving their souls, as Christ Himself says, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Poverty, on the other hand, with its privations, when borne with patience and for the love and glory of God, is a rich source of eternal merit and reward.

Watching the Blueberry Melodrama with a Sister for company!

Pilfering, which is frequently practiced among children, should be earnestly censured, because it is petty thieving; and continued pilfering as well as larger thefts should be severely punished. A child should never be allowed to take anything without permission, and whatever it needs, it should be obliged to ask for. If the child’s wishes are granted, it should be required to express its thanks, and, if they be refused, it should be trained to accept the refusal with submission and never be permitted to show its disappointment by pouting or grumbling. It should be taught gladly to share with others whatever it has received for its own use or pleasure. When others have more, or prettier, or better things, it should be taught to rejoice in their greater fortune, while on the other hand it should deeply sympathize with the losses of others as if those losses were its own. Gifts of money[,] which a child sometimes receives from friends and relatives, should not be at its own disposal, nor should it have the control of its own little money-bank. Money expenditures for any purpose whatever should always have the permission and the approval of the parents.

Combating the spirit of the world and the inordinate love for temporal possessions, fostering in her children the spirit of Christ, and arousing in their hearts an ardent desire for heavenly things-it is these duties that a Christian mother should consider her most important task, and what we have said may assist her in her very arduous task.

To be continued . . .

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The Christian Training of Children – Combating Concupiscence of the Flesh

Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:40:08 +0000

Table of contents for 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 . . .

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The Christian Training of Children – Admonition to Mother

Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:49:38 +0000

Table of contents for 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 . . .

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The Christian Training of Children – New and more Difficult Cares

Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:42:00 +0000

Table of contents for 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 . . .

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The Christian Training of Children – Early Cares

Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M. — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:51:25 +0000

Table of contents for 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 . . .

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