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Tuesday 27 August 2013

Not Wanting to Face Evil-Choosing Comfort Over Truth


Today, I ran into two people who revealed an evil in their characters.  They did not want to do this, but it happened.

I was trying to explain to someone about the heresies and false prophecies of The Warning, which many of you who follow this blog have read about here.

More and more supposedly good Catholics are getting trapped in this web of lies, which has been condemned by a bishop's conference and two other bishops. One can look here.

One woman told me that the bishops who have condemned this false seer are from Satan.

Oh, my goodness.

She does not have the ability to listen or look at the discrepancies between this site and Church doctrine.

Two other people chimed in to say that I should let this drop, as arguing, which I was not doing, merely pointing out error, was not a good, and that all of this was a matter of opinion.

Wow! The evil of not wanting to acknowledge evil leads to complicity.

Because these other two people do not like conflict of any kind, they did not want the discussion to continue.

I was shut down.

People who are afraid of conflict may find themselves compromising truth.

To not deal with heresy is to allow it to continue, fester, grow.

The world has seen this type of silent complicity before-in the Protestant Revolt,




To not want to face difficulties or conflict means that one does not really care about Truth, but only Comfort.

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.ie/2013/08/musings-on-treachery.html

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.ie/2013/08/by-whose-authority-will-we-be-judged-on.html

http://guildofblessedtitus.blogspot.ie/2013/08/by-press-divided.html

http://guildofblessedtitus.blogspot.ie/2013/02/a-time-machine-back-to-1581-death-of.html

Dark Night Clarification Two


Some have been wondering if all people need to go through the Dark Night. The answer is yes, except...

Some people have been spared lives of sin and internal corruption. Many of the child saints, whom I have noted on this blog, were perfected early on in childhood and reached the Illuminative State early on.

Some people who are martyrs were unified with Christ in His Passion through their martyrdom.

That would be a quick, but painful way, to perfection.

I shall return to the Dark Night discussion on Thursday.


This new war is crazy. What is America doing?

http://www.wnd.com/2013/08/congress-should-veto-obamas-war/

or

http://buchanan.org/blog/congress-veto-obamas-war-5773

quote

Who made Barack Obama the Wyatt Earp of the Global Village?

Check Out Archbishop Chaput's Keynote Address

"The abortion rate among Latinas is actually higher than the national average," he continued. "And nothing illustrates the power of relentless mass media pressure and special interest lobbying than this fact: In just six years, between 2006 and 2012, Hispanic support for same-sex 'marriage' rose from 31% to 52%."

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/archbishop-chaput-american-culture-digesting-latino-values

Home Schooling Part Eight-Religion and the Parent


I am merely in this post going to list the qualities necessary for the parents of a child.

I wish I had been more aware of my lack of holiness when training my own child.

Now, these comments are a combination of me and Maria Montessori. Her comments first:

And I summarize--direct quotations in purple....

the mistress, or in this case, the home schooling parents need:

humility

patience,

the superior value of deeds over words

the sensorial environment as the beginning of life of the soul

the silence and recollection obtained from the children

the liberty left to the child soul in striving after perfection

the minute care in preventing and correcting all that is evil

the control of error by means within the very material for development

the respect shown for the interior life of the child

Because I was aware of these things before I started home schooling, I could implement these in the day.

I began to develop means to do this, step by step.

Think on these and if you need to ask questions, I shall cover these points in posts to come.


Now, my comments. How do parents ruin these steps?

Insisting that the child DO too many activities. One or two activities, such a one sport and one musical instrument is enough. Too many parents think their children have to be doing and going, when in reality, the child needs silence for reflection.

By not paying attention to details-the working mother is death to a family, as details cannot be seen by teachers who do not have the graces given to the parents for the raising of their children-parents who are too busy or too keen on status miss details.

Parents do not seem to realize that the child is seeking God from day one of his birth. This is innate.
Respect for that process is essential.

Knowledge of things and self in reflection leads to knowledge of God, which is why so many Benedictine monasteries supported Montesorri early on. These abbots and abbesses could see the connection of work and prayer, reflection in silence and character formation even for the very young.

I use to give talks to parents in the Midwest and in Alaska on these points. And, the response was magical.  Once a parent realizes that the children have their own call to find a personal relationship with God, things in the home change. In each house, as in each truly Catholic school, a chapel, which should be the most beautiful place, or a quiet corner, must be made.

Last point on this post for parents. Know that you will learn about God from your children, as they, as Montessori notes, have souls more open to divine intuitions than that of the adult.  That is simply because they have sinned less and because the grace of baptism is alive and working.

To be continued...and this will not be a mini-series as first thought, but a maxi-one. Enjoy!


Home Schooling Part Seven Elementary Materials

I shall get back to the discussion on religious and character training later, but here is an exciting thing for home schooling parents. The entire 1917 book on materials for Montessori elementary education, including Grammar, Maths, Music, Reading, and Drawing are here FREE. I used this book in the training of teachers from Kindergarten to Six Grade when I was doing consultancy work. Fantastic. The child is interpreting the painting here at the Guttenberg Project. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42869/42869-h/42869-h.htm





Home Schooling Part Six Religion II-The Life of The Child Within The Church


God is good. Here I am over 4,000 miles from my papers and by chance, a rare set of essays I did not know existed until a short while ago falls into my hands from a friend's book shelf. And a begging note, if any readers could please see it in their hearts to help me get my small shipment of things over to Europe from the Quad Cities in Illinois, I would be very grateful. Please pray about helping.

Not an accident. The title is The Child in the Church: Essays on the Religious Education of Children and the Training of Character by Maria Montessori, London: Sands & Co,.  1929

I wrote a book on character training over ten years ago and did not even know this book existed.

I shall share some bits from it for home schooling and other parents. In the beginning is an Apostolic Blessing from\Pope Benedict XV. Father W. Roche, who wrote the introduction states that this book is for anyone who cares about the souls of children.

I note the points rather slowly as these are new for many of you.

The first is that God has planted in every child and, therefore, in every human being, the desire for Him.  This desire is more obvious in the unspoiled child, who has been allowed freedom to maintain wonder and awe in his soul. Sadly, most parents, pushing their child in front of computers and televisions, have already disturbed that natural thrust.

The second point is that a parent of educator must be sympathetic, sensitive, to this growth of religious feelings and beliefs in the young child. Paying attention and knowing what to look for are essential for the parent. Parents who are busy, like Martha (this is my metaphor) and not reflective like Mary, will miss the signs of religious sensitivity in the child.

The third point Maria Montessori makes, and I shall go into more detail in posts to come, is the the Liturgy, and that would be the TLM, the EF,  is not only the magnificent expression of our faith, but "the pedagogical method"of the Church, the door to religion in the life of the child.

I hope you are as excited as I am about these words. Here is the passage on the Mass.

"The Liturgy, magnificent expression of the content of the Faith, may well be called,'the pedagogical method' of the Catholic Church which, not satisfied with teaching by means fo the word preached to the faithful, makes the various acts of religion real, makes them, as it were, live and allows the people to take part in them each day. And to find life=giving food for his soul the child has but to open these portals resplendent with divine light, portals resplendent with all the solemnity given to them through the ages, by the lives of the saints, who found in the Liturgy a means of fructifying the virgin soil of their souls, open to the sweet influence of divine grace."

May I add as a comment that the biggest problem is that parents are spoiling this fertile ground by several means.

Television, computers, too many toys, not enough silence in the day, too many activities, and so on.

I am grateful for poverty, as I had to maintain simplicity in the home, which saved my son. But, I knew this before hand because of the Montessori training.

As I learned and as I am reminded in this text, and as you know from the perfection series, the growth of  the spiritual life is a process.

I shall close this post with a quotation from Pope Benedict XV from the book.

"...I implore the dear and all-powerful little ones, to stretch out to me their helping hands from the altar." We must realize that the Church is, as Montessori states, "the true place for the education for the child "and that includes home schooling parents most of all, plus our Guardian Angels.

Later on, after the theory, I shall talk about the Atrium, found in this book, but for those who like photos, here is one in a Protestant church. Amazing. The Episcopalians picked up the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, but I introduced it into at least one Catholic school years ago with success. I chose this photo because parents can set this up so easily in the home.



To be continued...

Home Schooling Part Five Religion I



So far, the poll indicates more readers who home school than I anticipated, so I shall continue this mini-series.

Catholic home schoolers can incorporate the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd into their curriculum. http://www.cgsusa.org/

Interestingly, I had Montessori training but did not come across CGS until much later. I actually developed some of the same things as in CGS merely by applying Montessori ideas to religious education.

I need to finish a paper I have here on Montessori and the Catholic child. Then, I shall continue these thoughts, most likely in two days. Stay tuned!

However, the teaching of religion should happen even before baby is born. Saying the rosary out loud while baby is in the womb prepares the child for his relationship with Mary, the Mother of God.

Bible reading can happen immediately as well, One can read Scripture out loud in front of the smallest child to good effect.

I suggest an altar which changes with the liturgical year. I did this, in a little prayer corner, changing the color of the liturgical day and time and setting up special symbols for saint's days.


Of course, a May altar for Mary is an old and wonderful tradition. The more physical and symbolic representations of our faith one has at hand, the better for the child.

Celebrating name days is important and I used  My Nameday: Come For Dessert by Helen McLoughlin
which one can still find. 

Of course, the most important thing home schooling moms can do is take their children to daily Mass. I highly recommend Maria Montessori's Mass Explained to Children which one can order from amazon.com.

Timelines on both Old and New Testament events are excellent for having in the school room. Here are some links. Do not get Protestant ones, as there are discrepancies.




I recommend this as an introduction to the saints, for early grade school with the ones below for pre-schoolers.

Picture Book of Saints: Illustrated Lives of the Saints for Young and Old, Saint Joseph Edition

Many Catholics Will Fall Away in Persecution


Examples of subjective and objective thinking in three minutes in this video.

I am convinced, and in great grief, at the realization that many Catholics will fall away and join those against the good orthodox Catholics for one reason.

Too many Catholics cannot think objectively. Now, I have written on this before, but want to make the point clearer in the context of persecution.

First, objectivity is a sign of holiness. In the time of purification, one learns to step back and see one's self and others objectively. Real holiness is antithetical to subjective thinking, which judges everything from one's own viewpoint, instead of from the outside, the external, eternal Truth.

Second, the past two generations, unless they had rare teachers, like myself, who taught logic, debate, apologetics, have not learned how to think objectively. Now, we have two generations who refuse to judge anyone's actions or events as good or bad, worthy or crass, because they have not learned to judge by objective criteria. They cannot see the difference between judging a person and judging good or evil.

Third, this objectivity can be taught to children and should be part of a child's formation. Montessori helps children be objective, as the basis for this method is Aristotelian and Thomistic. Scholastic methodology in education can happen at home, if parents are aware that it is their duty to raise objective thinkers. Daily examination of conscience is one way of training a child to be objective; that it, looking at one's daily sins and failings. This can be started in training for the sacrament of Confession as early as age six.

Fourth, subjectivity reveals two serious sins; one is self-centeredness, even narcissism, and the second is pride, the lack of love.

Fifth, objective love is the only love which matters-that which is in the will and not in the emotions.

I am increasingly concerned that we shall lose many Catholics and that they will join the ranks of the persecutors because of subjectivism. This is what happened in the English Reformation, or Revolt, as I prefer to call it. When one judges only according to one's immediate needs or safety, one compromises. One loses sight of eternity and only thinks of the now.

Subjective thinking people compromise.

To be continued...and there are many posts on this topic.

Feast of St. Monica


Today, let us pray for all Catholic mothers who are mourning the loss of children to agnosticism, atheism, serious sin. Let us ask dear St. Monica to bring back to the Catholic Faith, all who have lapsed.

A Prayer to St. Monica, for Mothers 



Exemplary Mother of the great Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son not with wild threats but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so that they may learn to draw their children to God. Teach them how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray. Amen.



A Prayer to St. Monica, for Children 


Great St. Monica, patroness of fathers and mothers, please take our children, especially those who have turned from the ways of God and His Church, under your protection. Let them always remain faithful to their baptismal vows. Give them strength to walk always in the ways of the Lord, despite the temptations and false values they find in the world today. Grant that they may share with you n the joys of eternal life in God. Amen.

At Mass today, I prayed for all the moms who read my blogs and tweets.

The Time Is Short

 

English: A Converted British Family Sheltering a Christian Missionary from the Persecution of the Druids, a scene of persecution by druids in ancient Britain painted by William Holman Hunt, 1850. Oil on canvas. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK.
Русский: Английское семейство, обращённое в христианство  http://www.bg-blog.ru/comments.php?id=604
Wikimedia Commons.

I have written this before.

Please listen.

Be orthodox in all things.

Get into an orthodox Catholic community now. You do not have much time to move.

Move if you have to do so. If possible.

The time is coming when people will not be able to move freely.

The time is coming when Catholics will betray Catholics. The time is coming when other religions will betray Catholics. We irritate those in sin, because we represent the light.

It has all happened before in history. There will be Penal Laws again.

Please pray and act. Do not make excuses which are only fear of change or fear of losing status.