Stations of the Cross - FREE Coloring Book

Just in time for inspiration during the Fridays of Lent, here is a lovely FREE coloring book, which you may download for your children.  It is based upon the Stations of the Cross:

http://www.sjtb.org/images/stations%20of%20the%20cross%20coloring%20book-Julie.pdf

High Five for Mass

At our church, when the offertory gifts are brought up, the deacon receives them at the foot of the steps to the altar.   Usually, he raises both hands similar to an orans posture, but with his palms facing the family, and invokes God's blessing upon the family who brought up the gifts.  He then accepts the gifts and passes them on to an altar server.

But, last week was different.

When our (rather short in stature) deacon raised his hands to bless the family, the little girl at the front of the group -- she couldn't have been more than six years old -- broke into a grin, jumped up in the air, and enthusiastically slapped the deacon a high five.

God bless the deacon, he just smiled and kept praying.

Wow.

Awesome!

I'd never seen that.  A child who was SO utterly excited to be participating in Mass that she simply burst with joy and high five'd the minister of God at the altar.

Superb!

Thankfully, my first and most humbling thought was, "Wow.  Shouldn't we all be THAT thrilled to be here!?"

I take the faith formation of my children very, very seriously.  So, it sometimes is equally distressing to me to see an ostensibly Catholic child be oblivious of how to participate correctly in his or her faith, especially the Mass.

But, last week was different.

Last week, this exuberant kid taught me that sometimes you bend rules and leap for joy because... because... because God loves you!  And because you're here.  And because He lets you approach His altar with your humble gifts, often enough just the gift of your lil' ole self.

Wow.

Awesome!

Shouldn't we all be THAT excited to be there!?

The Kingdom of Irrationality

"The Kingdom of Irrationality," St. Pope John Paul II wrote to a friend.

(Well, of course he was talking about motherhood, silly!)

Here's a lovely blog post to encourage every mother out there in the trenches, who is up to her eyeballs in the nitty-gritty of raising children.  The saints see, understand, and are pulling (and praying!) for you!

She's Not Done

Julie Walsh articulates so well the joys, sacrifices, and chaotic madness of love that is life in a larger family!  Enjoy her blog post "You Won't Hear Me Say I'm Done!"

My Favorite Animal

So, after our first-ever field trip to the zoo, I overheard my toddler son telling one of his older siblings:

"My favorite land animal is a lion.  My favorite ocean animal is a shark.  And my favorite sky animal is a reindeer."

Ah.  I see.

Actually, I do see.  Now I think I understand why Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven," (Matthew 18:3).  My young, believing son accepted without question that reindeer are sky animals, because he heard it from me, his most trusted authority.  What more trusted authority is there ever than The Author of Life Himself?  We must, with the absolute acceptance of a small child, believe in the Lord, believe what He tells us, and unquestioningly put it into practice in our lives.

Every day.  Okay?

(This is the point at which you cue the squealing breaks sound....)

Wait a minute.  Really?  Do you really think it's that easy to just do what Jesus says?  Every day!?

No.  Of course not.  (I might like to pretend I'm Wonder Woman when we're playing Superheroes, but in reality, of course, I'm not.)

However, my little son's easy, unblinking acceptance that reindeer can fly, and his assimilation of that fact into his own daily life, was a tiny microcosm for me of the way Christ's example, words, and teachings can seep into our lives and change the way we see the things around us each day, even making us believe that which seems utterly unbelievable.

(Bread and wine are flesh and blood?  Really?  And you're supposed to eat that?  Really!?)

Yes.  Really.

I'm not saying that I nor anyone else I know can turn saintly, day and night, on a dime.  I am, however, saying that your unique life, when viewed purposefully through the prism of Christ's love for His creation (which is all around you and includes YOU), can immediately bring peace to a troubled soul, joy to a despairing heart, and order to a restless mind.  "The eyes of the LORD roam over the whole earth, to encourage those who are devoted to him wholeheartedly," (II Chronicles 16:9, my italic emphasis added).

Serve Him wholeheartedly.  With all of yourself.  In every situation.

Remember:

Who made us?  God made us.

Why did God make us?  God made us to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven (Baltimore Catechism, No. 1, Question 6).

God wants you to be a part of His glorious eternity.  Forever!  Believe it!

But, first we have to schlog through this messy little thing called, "life."  It ain't always glamorous, but in the end, if we truly believe and seek His Presence and Purpose in every situation, you will be well on your way along the path to Heaven, thanks to your trusting and believing in Him like a little child -- completely and without question.

I'm not saying don't ask Him any questions.  I am saying, for starters, just believe.  Just.  Believe.  And let your belief and trust in Him be reflected in everything you do.

Then, "You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the hand of your God," (Isaiah 62:3).

Keep the Toddler Busy!

Here's another (actually useful) idea to keep your toddler busy (I know, because mine are doing it right now and have been for the past 20 minutes -- score!):

Gather all your stencils, crayons, pencils, and markers and a large sheet of newsprint.  Spread the kids out on a hard floor, tear off a sheet for each of them, and let 'em rip!  The stencils are great because the little ones do not need your help to "draw" or scribble, and you can get a newspaper endroll for $4.00 from the front desk of the Frederick News Post off of New Design Road, which should last you all year.

Now you actually can TEACH your older kids.  In peace.  For a little while.

Enjoy!  :-D

Parental Wisdom from St. Louise de Marillac

"The faults of children are not always imputed to the parents, especially when they have instructed them and given good example. Our Lord, in His wondrous Providence, allows children to break the hearts of devout fathers and mothers. Thus the decisions your children have made don't make you a
failure as a parent in God's eyes. You are entitled to feel sorrow, but not necessarily guilt. Do not cease praying for your children; God's grace can touch a hardened heart. Commend your children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When parents pray the Rosary,at the end of each decade they should
hold the Rosary aloft and say to her,"With these beads bind my children to your Immaculate Heart", she will attend to their souls. "
(St. Louise de Marillac)

Finding Peace with the Prince of Peace

 A friend recently posted a request for prayers, as her homeschool responsibilities and Christmas preparations had been cast aside by her son's unexpected admission to the hospital.  As a faithful Catholic, she immediately rejoiced in having time for her and her son to be together in Advent prayer and reading Jotham's Journey.  But, understandably, she nevertheless was a little disappointed that certain school and holiday tasks at home just would have to be left undone this year.

As a compulsive list-maker and cookie-baker myself, I completely understood her frustration with not being able to "accomplish" or "do" the things she wanted to achieve, in order to prepare her family for Christmas.

But, let's also be practical here:

Schoolwork always will be there, whether you do it today or tomorrow or ten months from now.  Your child's good health might not be.  See to him, see to your souls, and see to the internal preparations that God wants you to make this Advent.  Remember, the Bible doesn't say that Mary baked the shepherds some cookies and sent out The First Christmas Cards (that would be Jesus's Shutterfly, photocard, birth announcement).

But it DOES say that she treasured all these things in her heart.

We all should do the same.

I've often found that when God allows all my plans to go completely awry, it's because I was facing in the wrong direction.  Turn your face toward Him, trust in His guidance and Will, and know the inner peace of the Christ Child, the Prince of Peace!

On Subtlety and Grace

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made." (Genesis 3:1)


And here's how Old Scratch does it in my world:

".....the idea that somehow this is all pointless. I think one way that the devil distracts and dissuades mothers of many, who came to mothering with the best intentions, is to suggest to them that their wide-eyed optimism and extraordinary openness to life was really a very silly propostition. He teases them with the apparent 'failures' of their mothering experiences, the ungrateful children who hurl ugly words, the stumbling sinfulness of every day life. He taunts them with the little ones yet to raise and undermines every last shred of confidence. And he says, 'don't you think you better look for something more? Clearly, this magnum opus isn't turning out so great.'  "  (Elizabeth Foss, "In the Heart of My Home", blog post 11/05/12)

Wow!  Was Elizabeth at MY house today!?  How did she know this?  Well, she probably could hear us.  Because in my house, we don't have the Richter Scale.  We have the Screech Scale.  And the more frustrated Momma is, the higher the register on the Screech Scale.

Thankfully for us all, Elizabeth addresses conversely, with grace and gratitude, the vocation of being "A Servant Mother"  in this post:

http://www.elizabethfoss.com/reallearning/2012/11/a-servant-mother-31-days-to-remember-the-mission-resumes.html

I must remember that God's purpose for me as a mother is not to mold into Perfect People the precious children He has placed on loan to me, but rather to give those children the unending and unconditional love that encourages them to blossom into the perfectly unique people God already knows they have the potential to be.

Oh -- and before you think I can just stand idly by and calmly watch it all unfold, like magic sparkles in a Disney cartoon, let me assure you of this.  I am well aware that I still have to wipe hineys, correct manners, dispense hugs, referee arguments, grade papers, and make semi-palatable dinners.

But that's not the mission.  The mission is to seek God's Will.  And then get out of His way.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." (III John 1:4)
 

The Gift of Humility

This week, another homeschooling mom showed inspiring humility by sharing with me (...okay, "venting!") some of her frustrations that day.  It seemed everything she had spent the past two decades teaching her children had flown directly out the window!  The laundry was mountainous; the kitchen was a sticky mess; and school work that day was most characterized by inattention.

Go figure!

Now, I will have you know that this mother is widely regarded as a "Super Mom" around here, so you know where I'm going with this:

"Whew!  Thank God!  It's not just me!"

It's never easy to have a "bad day" with our children, and on the most elemental level I think we moms actually are consoled by shared conversations that include the selfish relief of, "Whew!  It's not just me!"  When we see "Super Moms" who really DO have their act together in so many ways and for so many years, their "bad day" here or there gives the rest of us the encouragement of knowing that, even for the most talented mothers among us, not every day is perfect, even in homeschooling.


Now, I'm not encouraging you here to go out and gripe gloomily and endlessly about your vocation as a stay-at-homeschooling-mom (or whatever your parental situation is), which actually is quite a privilege.  I am, however, encouraging you not only to be a good listener to your mom-friends when they need to vent, but also to welcome the shared support of reciprocity in that regard.  Allow yourself to share your frustrations or perceived failures with a trusted confidant who shares similar moral and family goals, and I'd be willing to bet you both will end your conversation by feeling the relief of released anxiety.

Lift each other up in prayer and be renewed in your commitment to the gift of the lifestyle that God has given you and your family!

It is a gift of humility for us to step out from behind The Polite Facade we all wear to face the public.  Share that gift with a dear friend who can help you reorient your focus back to being on your knees, not in frustrated defeat, but in the triumph of grateful supplication and prayer.

As I like to say:  "In homeschooling, not every day will be perfect, but every day will be blessed."

So, the years might fly by, but if today feels like an eternity, think about what God might be wanting you to learn today -- and perhaps it's not geography, math, nor algebra.

Plus, in the immortal words of Scarlett O'Hara, don't worry about it too much.  Because, "after all, tomorrow is another day!"

You Only Get One Shot At Being Your Kid's Mom

I've struggled for a long time with how to articulate the importance of investing oneself FULLY as a mother during the years when our children are home with us.

It's exhausting.
It's rewarding.
It's frustrating.
It's exhilerating.

It's a vocation.

It's the most important thing you EVER will do in your life, with your life.  And Sarah Mae expresses this more eloquently than I ever could!

Read and be challenged.
Read and be inspired.
Read and be renewed in your vocation as a mom!

And be assured that my prayers are with you!

Here's the link:


http://sarahmae.com/2012/08/sometimes-we-are-failing/

On Lilliputians at Mass

A friend of mine made me feel much better recently when we mutually commiserated on the challenges of keeping several Lilliputian toddlers in line during Mass.  Here’s a synopsis of her take on it (thank you Kathy T.!):

My kids are a lot of things, but bashful is not one of them.  I would say most mothers of toddlers and pre-schoolers bring their kids up to communion with them, not so much to get a blessing, but because the thought of leaving a band of pirates in the pew is unwise, so mothers have learned to cleverly disguise a half-nelson as a loving embrace, which she doesn't dare let go of till the Ite Misa Est!

I spent most Masses when my kids were that age doing one or more of the following:

1.         Yanking people out from under pews by their legs.

2.         Shushing people who decided to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider to Jesus at the consecration.

3.         Shushing people during Lent who were whisper-shouting that we forgot to sing the Gloria or the Alleluia.

4.         Giving shoes back to ladies in front of us, because people had removed them from her feet while she was kneeling.

5.         Keeping people from undressing in church.

6.         Giving unsatisfactory answers to people who were loudly protesting that poor Jesus was wearing only a towel.

7.         Hanging on tight with a hand over the mouth of a flailing, biting, kicking person, while frightening thoughts of calculating how many seconds it would take to suffocate said person unconscious, yet not kill them, began to take on the distinctive quality of a reasonable solution.

It was also during those years that my Mass attire changed dramatically.  After the heel of my dress-shoe caught in the hem of my skirt when I genuflected (while holding one of the kids) and I launched myself headfirst into the side of the pew, I quit wearing heels and skirts.  Pants and shirts became much more practical for the WWF rumblefest that was Our Family At Mass.

So, I know the “blessing” at communion wasn’t necessary nor even sanctioned, but it did give me hope that I might last another 15 minutes!  Hang in there!

Encouragement for Mothers

Enjoy some spiritual encouragement for mothers over at http://sarahmae.com/category/motherhood/!

On Children

"If you bungle raising your children, nothing else much matters in life."

(Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy)

Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

I popped in an old VHS video tape for our son this evening, when what to my wondering eyes should appear?  Some vulgar words and gestures!  I exclaimed, "Oh, dear!"

The preview deemed fit for "general audiences" (read: Rated G) wasn't blatantly blasphemous per se.  But it was disturbing.  Within the first five seconds (a mere FIVE seconds!) of this advertisement for a children's cartoon movie, there was darkly ominous, threatening background music, a roaring Godzilla monster throwing a temper tantrum, a dog lifting it's leg to pee on a wall, and a child aiming his posterior end toward the camera, scratching his hind parts vigorously while exclaiming, "I gots a wedgie!"

(*sigh*)

And people wonder why I preview and pre-approve (or not) my children's screen-based entertainment?

I don't deny that each of these images might be "art reflecting life" but, in reverse, is that kind of "life" a surprise if that is the "art" you supply for your children's consumption?  Ever heard the phrase, "garbage in, garbage out"?

Well, it's true.

If you feed your child nothing but candy, then (*surprise!*) s/he is going to get rotten teeth.  Therefore, if you feed your child visual and intellectual stimuli that are bereft of moral or cerebral edification, then don't be too shocked if your child's contributions to the world are limited to snickering, sophomoric behavior and, later in life, personal and professional decisions that reflect a crass inner depravity.

I'm not suggesting that filtering your child's screen-based entertainment will make him or her the perfect person.  But I am suggesting that careful monitoring (or perhaps even the same admirable, almost slavish devotion some parents give to the natural or organic quality of their child's food diet) will ensure that your child's heart, mind, and soul will receive nourishing material, inspiring him or her to lead a healthy life and achieve the greatest of heights in fulfilling their unique call to be the best person that God has envisioned him or her to be!

Someone I know recently praised the fact that her child frequently had his nose deep in comic books.  "Hey," she shrugged.  "At least he's reading!"

Really?  With that rationale, why not put Mein Kampf in front of him and let 'er rip!

Again.  This is not rocket science.  Garbage in.  Garbage out.

Instead, why not take out the garbage from your children's purview and provide them with activities, entertainment, and education that are enlightening to the soul and invigorating to the mind?  When making a decision about what you will or won't allow your child to visually or intellectually consume, always have before you these two quotes, from people far wiser than I ever will be:

1).  St. Dominic Savio was famous for asking at every turn, in every situation, "What has this to do with eternity?"  How will this benefit my eternal soul and the souls of those around me?  It's that simple.

2).  A local Catholic boys' school principal often is heard telling the fine young men who are his students, "Don't do anything that would break your mother's heart!"

Because remember Who made you?  God made you.  And why did God make you?  God made you to know, love, and serve Him in this world and be happy with Him forever in heaven in the next.

So the next time your child begs to be allowed to have, watch, or participate in something that is less than edifying to his or her soul, remember to pause a moment and consider the potential long-term effect on his or her future residency in heaven, even if it is a seemingly miniscule effect.  Neither you nor your child have to be perfect.  But you do have to be vigilant, especially in the cesspool that is today's world of instant communication and screen-based entertainment.

Oh and remember -- don't do anything that would break His mother's heart, either!

Toys, Son? Or Poison?

My husband and I recently were lamenting that our one year old, while thankfully the possessor of a placid and cheery personality, unfortunately also has turned out to be the child most likely to try to plug a fork into the nearest electrical outlet.  (Why do they have to make those things look like smiley faces, anyway?)

(*sigh*)

Instead of rifling through the mountains of toy bins in our house, he instead insists on methodically tearing through each and every kitchen cabinet, systematically dismantling my carefully constructed storage.  And it isn't limited to the tupperware drawer.  He's into EVERYthing!

I foiled him on one attempt by swapping my clean rags and cleaning solutions -- I put the cleaning solutions in an upper cabinet near the ceiling, and then stocked the underside of my sink with harmless rags, rubber gloves, and the dish drainer.

(Yeah.  He was NOT real happy about that.)

Searching for more ways to avert his potentially life threatening adventures, my husband came up with another plan.  "I know!" he exclaimed.  "Let's put the poisons in the toy chest and the toys under the sink!"

Wow!  Brilliant!  I'll let you know if it works.

Summertime Modesty in Church - First Amendment

In response to my original post, "Summertime Modesty in Church", someone asked me, "Well, what about if you're at the beach?"

You know what, folks?  It's still church.  It ain't Beach Blanket Bingo.  It's still church.  Even at the beach.  There's an old saw that people in poorer parishes look like they're going to the beach and people in affluent parishes look like they're coming from the beach.  Either way, clean up your act and dress appropriately.

Do I really have to explain this?

Apparently.

If someone important were coming to your house, or you were going to visit an amazing celebrity, wouldn't you want to look your best?  Tidy up?  Comb your hair?  Brush your teeth?  Put on your makeup?  Dress your best?

Of course!

So are you telling me that a mere mortal with momentary celebrity status deserves more effort and shine on your part than The Creator Of The Universe?  Really?

Just checking.

"But, it's summer time.  It's hoooooooot out!" is a common comeback.

Okay.  Yes.  I know.  I'm in tune with the weather.  I'm aware that it's hot out.  Does your car not have air conditioning?  Does your church not have air conditioning?  Do you live in a gutter in sub-Saharan Africa?  Is it really going to kill you to dress appropriately and, perhaps, be slightly uncomfortable for one measly hour a week?

Offer it up and get a grateful soul out of purgatory!

"But.....God loves me the way I am!" is another favorite defensive comeback.  Does He?  Of course He does!  You love your own children just the way they are, don't you?  Of course you do!

However....

(There's always a "but," isn't there?)

However, do you expect your children to STAY just the way they are?  I mean, honestly, show me a parent who hasn't corrected his or her child at least once today in an effort to help that child grow into a better person.  As a parent, I constantly am telling my children to sit up straight, say please and thank you, clean up your own mess, and don't eat the dog's food (...well, fortunately that last one really only applies to the toddler).

You get the idea.

It is BECAUSE I love my children so much that I correct them and strive every day to shape them, not only into a better person, but into the fullness of the lovely person whom God has created them to be!  When my children arrive at The Pearly Gates -- please, God! -- I want St. Peter to smile, but a big gold check mark next to their name, and wave them on to Jesus, Who's first words will be, "Well done, My good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:23).

Because isn't that what it's all about?  (No, not the Hokey-Pokey.)  To know, love, and serve Him in this world in order to be happy with Him forever in the next!

So, the next time you're headed off to church, ask yourself this: For whom are you dressing?  The boy in the next pew?  Your own self-comfort?  The beach party you're headed to afterward?

Or have you really taken a moment to prepare yourself (physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally) not only to meet but to worship Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, the Maker of your soul, and the joy of your heart!?

Mom's a Superhero!

Recently, my husband's colleague shared a most charming moment in her story as a mother -- her son told her that a mother's apron was her superhero's cape!  Her apron!  Who knew!?

My husband, My Hero, God bless him, has never failed to buoy me up in my own role as the mother of his children.

"Ugh!"  I'll groan some days. "I didn't get anything done today!"

He'll look puzzled. "Yes, you did. You raised our children."

Some days, we can get so bogged down in what we perceive to be the necessary, yet utterly mundane, responsibilities of the day:

We must finish the laundry.
We must do school.
We must make dinner.
We must run errands.
We must clean the bathrooms.

And while these things are indeed important to efficiently run a bustling household, we sometimes can get frustrated with the seeming lack of real importance in these actions.  I mean, honestly, is anyone going to come into my house and nominate me for an Oscar because I have a sparkling commode?

"Maria!" they will say, with a breathless admiring gasp.  "Your toilets really shine!"

"Well, I'd like to thank the Academy...."

Um.  No.

But, it's in moments like these, when I'm stepping over littered toys, dragging a screaming toddler who's glued to my left calf, as I take out a trashcan full of diapers from having swabbed 1,479 rear ends that day, that my dear husband will turn on the computer and play Jamie O'Neal's "Somebody's Hero":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_uMQTw7v2g

For me.  Wow.  How very humbling.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta famously said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love."  And Brother Lawrence said, "Our sanctification depends not on changing our works, but on doing that for Jesus's sake which commonly we do for our own."

(I've got that one right next to my kitchen sink, by the crucifix!)

It's on days like that and moments like these that I need to remember that not all of us are called to be stars on the world stage.  In fact, very few of us are.  In fact, most of us are mere groundlings ([ground-lings] noun  ....4. a member of a theater audience who sits in one of the cheaper seats).

A groundling.  I know I sure am.

But then, I also know Who made us.  God made us.  Why did God make us?  God made us to know, love, and serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.

Even the groundlings.

So don't "should" on yourself about all the seemingly mundane things you "must" do around your domain.

I should finish the laundry.
I should do school.
I should make dinner.
I should run errands.
I should clean the bathrooms.

Honestly!  Stop should-ing on yourself!  Instead, look upon these tasks as opportunities in service to Him.  And be open to accomplishing whatever He has in mind for you today, whether it's cleaning toilets or something else completely out of proverbial left field, that was not on your List Of Things To Do Today.

This morning, instead of accomplishing another row of math equations and washing the breakfast dishes, I played dollhouse with my five year old.  I couldn't remember the last time I had done that.  Isn't that sad?

And I was her hero for it!  For the rest of the day, she wanted to nest her tiny hand in mine or plant little fairy kisses on my cheek.

The laundry, the dishes, the vacuuming, and even dinner, all can wait.  Go be some little person's hero, whether your little person is two or twenty-two.  Cuddle them or call them.

Because when your offspring finally accepts that Academy Award, the first human being s/he will thank is you!