These are beautiful little Catechism stories that you can read and discuss with your children. Each story has the application giving ideas on what can be talked about at the end of the anecdote. We have used these for the children at our Legion of Mary meetings for years.
by Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik
TWO JEWELS
An old Hebrew tale tells of a man and wife who had two beautiful sons. While the father was away on a journey, his sons died. On his return, the mother tried to ease the blow by gradually bringing the conversation around to the sad news. “If I borrowed some jewels,” she said, “and got to love them so much that I didn’t want to return them, it wouldn’t be right for me to keep them, would it, my dear husband ?”
He wondered why she asked him such a question, for there could be but one answer.
Then she took him by the hand and led him into the room where their sons lay — those “very jewels” of their eyes. “The Lord gave,” said the wife, “and the Lord has taken away. May the name of the_ Lord; be blessed.”
Application: Resignation. The Creator. Love of parents for children. Death. Suffering.
ST. FRANCIS BORGIA
St. Francis Borgia was a noble at the Spanish court, but unlike most of the other nobles he led a devout life. He spent several hours a day in prayer on his knees. He fasted and practiced self-denial.
When Queen Isabella died, he was given a very disagreeable duty. The Queen’s funeral had lasted a rather long time. Before the coffin was to be put into the grave, it was his task to look into it and identify the Queen’s body.
The sight he saw horrified him. She who had been noted for her beauty was already becoming a mass of corruption. He resolved that henceforth he would serve a Master who was truly noble.
Accordingly, he left his position at court, became a Jesuit priest and later was elected General of the Order.
Application: Death, Serving God, Vocation, Salvation, Pride, Worldliness. Self-denial, Actual grace.
THE OLD SPANISH WOMAN
During the Communist revolution in Spain an old Spanish woman was insulted by some of the Red soldiers who arrived at her little village and were burning the old church. They told her that the Communists intended to tear down and destroy everything that reminded the people of God and religion.
“Well,” she told them, “you’d better tear the stars out of the sky and put out the sun and the moon, for as long as they are there, we shall be reminded of the God who made them.”
Application: The Creator. Creation. Faith. Suffering for the faith. Existence of God. Power of God.
THE FACE OF GOD
Abraham Lincoln was once walking along a country road with a friend. It was night and the stars shone brightly through the still country air.
“I have seldom seen the heavens as beautiful as they are tonight,” remarked the friend.
Abe looked at the stars in silence for a moment and then answered, “I never look at them without thinking that I am looking at the face of God. I do not see how a man can look at the heavens and say there is no God.”
Application: Faith. Creation. Goodness of God. Power of God. Existence of God. Beauty of God.
ST. FRANCIS AND BROTHER JUNIPER
St. Francis of Assisi was walking in the woods with good Brother Juniper. Brother Juniper said, “How happy the birds in the air, the animals in the grass, and the fish in the brook are. Father Francis, why is it that men are not as happy as that?”
“Well, Brother, it is this way,” answered the saint, “the birds, the animals, and the fish are made for this world; that is why they are so happy. Men are not made for this world; that is why they cannot be happy here.”
Application: Salvation. Happiness. Serving God. Creation. Heaven.
THE MANSION
A wealthy man erected for himself a magnificent mansion. One day the wealthy man invited a pious hermit to come and see his palace. He took the hermit through the building and finally asked him what he thought of it.
The hermit said, “This is indeed a most beautiful place to live in, but the house has on fault: there is one door too many.”
Much astonished at this answer the wealthy man asked, What door is that?”
The hermit replied, “It is the door through which one day you will be carried out dead.”
Application: Death. Worldliness. Serving God. Heaven.
THE LITTLE INDIAN MAIDEN
Some years ago, when the Catholic Indian missions of the Northwest were under the supervision of the Indian Bureau, Millington, D. C., a government official visited a first and second grade classroom of one of the missions and asked the Sister in charge to continue with the lesson she was teaching. The subject happened to be Christian Doctrine.
In the course of the instructions, she asked the class, “Why did God make you?”
One little Indian girl raised her hand and answered, “God made me to know, love, and serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him in the next.”
The visitor called the little one to him and asked her to repeat the answer.
Some months later Sister received a letter from the government official. He wrote that he had learned the purpose of his existence from a little Indian girl in her classroom and that he was taking instructions in the Catholic faith and hoped to be received into the Church in a short time.
Application: Salvation. Serving God. Faith. Love of God. Happiness. Christian Doctrine. Conversion. Actual grace.
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Good day Mrs. VanderPutten,
Thank you for this lovely post.
I am wondering about Margie and her baby…. I recall she was expecting their third child soon. Perhaps the news passed me by? A safe delivery for her and baby. God bless you!
These were very good stories! I like St Francis story very much. Thank you!
Yes, I was wondering about Margie, but figured you would post soon, unless they had asked you not to. 😇