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

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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!

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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 . . .