Category Archives: by Leane Vdp

Our Daily Duties ~ Leane VanderPutten

15 Monday May 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Catholic Home Life

≈ 3 Comments

Painting by Vilhelm Rosenstand,1883.

by Leane VanderPutten

What do our daily duties consist of and how important are they in the success and happiness in our life here on this earth and in our after life?

When Our Lady appeared at Fatima, she stressed the importance of prayer and sacrifice. She also stressed the importance of the fulfillment of our daily duties as Catholics.

Our Lord said to Sister Lucia “The sacrifice required of every person is the fulfillment of his duties in life and the observance of My law. This is the penance that I now seek and require.”

What are those daily duties?

Well, each of us has our own particular daily duties according to our state in life. For each of us this will be different.

As a wife and mother, we have certain things we need to attend to. When we attend to them with diligence, we are rewarded in many ways. We achieve a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in a duty well done. Our homes run smoother because tasks are fulfilled. We gain success in many areas of our lives including the raising of children who will also be diligent to their duties, following our own good example.

And we are gaining merit for heaven.

Fr. Fulgence Meyer from Plain Talks on Marriage says:

“We all need to be periodically enlightened and animated regarding our particular life duties.

The Holy Father, the cardinals, bishops, priests, friars, brothers, and nuns make a retreat or a mission once a year. They are then told very plainly what their duties are within their state of life; they are warned against certain dangers; and their defects and shortcomings are pointed out to them, without gloss or varnish.

They appreciate this much, and are sincerely grateful for it, conscious as they are of the blinding influence of self-love, and of the advantage there is in seeing ourselves as others see us.

For the same reason married people need to be reminded of the importance of their daily duties and their adherence to them.

 Life is often compared to a stage, upon which we are all given a part to play.

God Himself has assigned our individual roles to us. In calling you to the married state, He has allotted to you a distinguished and arduous part on the stage of life.

And if you are a parent, your part is immensely more sublime and difficult. It is no small task to be a Catholic husband, wife, and parent. This requires virtue and ability of the highest order.”

So…what does that look like for a wife and mother?

Prayer

Well, our spiritual duties will be on top, with the Morning Offering being very important. This, in particular, will offer up all of our duties on that day as a sacrifice to Our Lord.

We must be faithful to our prayers or our days will not be what they could be. Not only that, the small decisions of saying our prayers each day will be the ladder that gets us to heaven! Now, that’s rather important!

We can pray throughout the day by offering little heartfelt prayers or just a turning of the heart to God. This will sanctify our daily duties.

Father Paul O’Sullivan from How to be Happy, How to be Holy reminds us:

“We have our duties, our work, our various occupations, but the first and greatest duty we have is to pray to God. How can we say that we love and serve Him if we do not pray?

There are 24 hours in the day—five minutes given in the morning, five in the evening, is very little to give to God. Give Him this at least.

But these minutes must not be given by rushing over our prayers, pouring out words as if we were so many gramophones. We must pray as intelligent beings.”

Prayer is most important, and then next in line is our actual duties of the day.

A few quotes on the importance of the particular duties of our state in life:

“… Prayer, in a wider sense, must consist of more than mere words beseeching God’s mercy; it embraces everything we do with a dedicated spirit of faith in the service of our Creator.” – St. Bede (from a homily)

Abbot Marmion wrote to a student:

“What you tell me of your progress in your studies much consoles me, for true piety, real love of Jesus urges us ever to do our best to fulfill our duties of state.”  (Union With God)

St. Therese:

“Our Lord has granted me the grace never to fear the conflict.  At all costs, I must do my duty.”  (Story of a Soul)

So…first duty is prayer.

Husband

Next is our husband. We must fulfill our duties towards him. Things like:

Does he need a lunch made to take to work…make it. What about dinners each night? And his laundry? These don’t have to be perfect but just the decision to get them done as best as we can each day is very important. Wives tend to know what makes their husbands happy and we need to make that a priority as best we can.

Children

The children are next…their prayers, their meals and their schooling…whatever that looks like in your house.

Home

And then…order in the house by keeping it clean and running smoothly.

There…that seems to be a good general list for daily duties.

We all know that there will be times when things are not as perfect as we would like. We have to give ourselves grace for that.

For the most part we need to make a firm decision to get these things done each day in order to fulfill the important duties of our state in life.

Does it get old and do we not feel like it….day in and day out, week after week? I understand. I don’t feel like it either at times.

Fr. Edward Garesche from the Catholic Book of Character and Success says:

“Rely on your will, not on your feelings  You should draw a very clear distinction between the feelings and the will in your own mind and observe it in your conduct.

For want of this distinction, many persons grieve unreasonably and suffer foolish regrets.

Because they make too much of their feelings, they allow themselves to be carried away by them, when a strong will would keep them steadfast to duty.”

Doing our daily duties consists of making small decisions, regularly throughout the day. And if the decisions are in accordance to what we should be doing …in other words, our daily duties according to God’s will for us, we will be accomplishing much!

This also includes the  decisions to take some time to read a book, take a walk or whatever else we need to rejuvenate us.

From Divine Intimacy:

“‘Sanctity properly consists only in conformity to God’s will, expressed in a constant and exact fulfillment of the duties of our state in life.’” (Benedict XV).

 This statement confirms my knowledge that sanctity does not consist in doing extraordinary things, but is essentially reduced to the fulfillment of duty; therefore, it is possible for me.

For this reason I must be punctual and persevering in the fulfillment of my duties: punctual, that is, diligent, being careful to please God in all my actions, in order to do His holy, sanctifying will.

Hence, I must accustom myself to see the expression of God’s will in every one of my duties, for then everything I do will be an opportunity to submerge myself in God’s love and to unite myself to Him; persevering, that is fulfilling my duties faithfully,  not only when I feel great fervor, but also when I am sad, tired or in aridity; constancy calls for generosity.

This untiring, generous fidelity will not always be easy; however, I must not become discouraged by my failures, but begin again every day, fully confident that someday, God will make my poor efforts fruitful.”

Father O’Sullivan from How to Be Happy, How to be Holy, also says about daily duties:

“We expect the soldier to do his duty. If not, he is looked upon as a coward. We insist on our hired servants doing their duties. If they fail, we dismiss them.

The doctor who does his duty, whose whole heart is in his work, rapidly becomes an eminent practitioner. If he is remiss, he may cause the death of his patients.

The student who studies with great earnestness makes far more progress than his fellows, and he carves out an honorable and lucrative career. In contrast, the idler will likely, sooner or later, have to face poverty and disgrace.

The mother who instills into the minds of her children this golden rule gives to the world splendid men and women. If she neglects her duty, she is the cause of their unhappiness in life and very possibly of their eternal ruin.

It is the same in every branch of life. The person who invariably does his duty is happy, is successful and wins the esteem and confidence of everyone.

This is the first thought that must occupy our minds …to ask our Blessed Mother to give us a clear idea of the far-reaching importance of this great rule of life: ‘Do your duty, do it always.’

There are occasions when it may be hard to do it, but if we are accustomed to do our duty in the small things of everyday life, then God will give us strength to do it under more difficult circumstances.

We must pray fervently for this essential virtue, the love of duty, the grace to do our duty on all occasions, fearlessly and unswervingly.

The Venerable Simeon and the Prophetess Anna watched daily for the coming of the Redeemer, and they received as a reward of their diligence the joy, the grace of being among the first of the children of Israel to see and adore the Messias. Whoever, like them, does his duty, is no less certain of a great reward.”

Fr. Fulgence Meyer, Plain Talks on Marriage says:

“But every profession in life imposes certain hardships and severe trials that try our mettle and test our love for God, and our worthiness to be received in His kingdom.

Married life hardly has more taxing duties, not excepting the one we are discussing, than other states of life have, all things considered. We are here on earth on probation. Not by shirking difficult obligations, but by meeting them resolutely and generously, shall we gain a claim to God’s recognition and reward.”

In doing our daily duties, St. Francis de Sales reminds us…

“Accept the duties which come upon you quietly, and try to fulfill them methodically, one after another. If you attempt to do everything at once, or with confusion, you will only cumber yourself with your own exertions, and by dint of perplexing your mind you will probably be overwhelmed and accomplish nothing.”

In all your affairs lean solely on God’s Providence, by means of which alone your plans can succeed. Meanwhile, on your part work on in quiet co-operation with Him, and then rest satisfied that if you have trusted entirely to Him you will always obtain such a measure of success as is most profitable for you, whether it seems so or not to your own individual judgment.”

And remember let us never get discouraged because as is said in the book Divine Intimacy:

“Let not your imperfections discourage you; your God does not despise you because you are imperfect and infirm; on the contrary, He loves you because you desire to cure your ills. He will come to your assistance and make you more perfect than you would have dared to hope, and adorned by His own hand, your beauty will be unequaled, like His own goodness.”

And so, let us wake up each morning and, saying our Morning Offering in order to gain the merits and the indulgences that we can throughout the day, let us roll up our sleeves and dig in.

Let us look squarely at the day, and putting one foot in front of the others let us tackle our daily duties with diligence, at the same time being open to the interruptions that God sends us, as we move from one duty to the next, raising our hearts to God throughout the day.

“… Prayer, in a wider sense, must consist of more than mere words beseeching God’s mercy; it embraces everything we do with a dedicated spirit of faith in the service of our Creator.” – St. Bede (from a homily)

Abbot Marmion wrote to a student:

“What you tell me of your progress in your studies much consoles me, for true piety, real love of Jesus urges us ever to do our best to fulfill our duties of state.”  (Union With God)

St. Therese of Lisieux:

“Our Lord has granted me the grace never to fear the conflict.  At all costs, I must do my duty.”  (Story of a Soul)

Her way, that is, at every moment of her every day, in all her duties, in all her works, joys and sufferings, was confidence and love.  St. Thérèse, sometimes called the “saint of the itsy-bitsy,” found treasures in the smallest happenings, the smallest tasks – all met, all accomplished, with a simple and pure love for God and neighbor.  She also found sanctity. ~Sisters of Carmel

St. Teresa of Avila:

“We shouldn’t build castles in the air.  The Lord doesn’t look so much at the greatness of our works as at the love with which they are done.  And if we do what we can, His Majesty will enable us each day to do more and more, provided that we do not quickly tire. 

But during the little while this life lasts – and perhaps it will last a shorter time than each one thinks- let us offer the Lord interiorly and exteriorly the sacrifice we can.  His Majesty will join it with that which He offered on the cross to the Father for us.  Thus even though our works are small they will have the value our love for Him would have merited had they been great.”

Here is a simple outline to ensure we are carrying out our daily duties as best we can on this road we travel as Catholic women. This is my own list of what I deem the basics of a successful day. It is an ideal I strive for. You may have your own plan, and I hope you do. If this can help in any way, then I have accomplished my goal with this video…

🌺🌺Surrender Novena Prayer Card and Wire Wrapped Chaplet🌺🌺

Available here.

This chaplet is designed to be prayed with the Surrender Novena, which was given to Servant of God, Fr. Don Dolindo Ruotolo.
Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality.

SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF GOD ~ “Jesus, You take over!”

Prayer by Father Dolindo Ruotolo 1882-1970 – Servant of God, Man Who Padre Pio Called a Saint!

Great prayer against worry, fear, anxiety, depression and stress!

Many miracles have been obtained through this novena.

Revised under Pope Pius XII, this official collection (raccolta) of the Church’s prayers and devotions was published in English in 1957. It includes a timely supplement of additional prayers for many urgent needs all of which were composed under the same pontiff. Many of the more commonly used prayers and devotions are followed by the Latin text, thus providing the perfect aid for teachers and parents anxious to keep the Church’s language both alive and spiritually efficacious. These eight hundred prayers touch practically every spiritual and physical need, and every personal and societal hope. They are the confidently suppliant voice of the Catholic Church in her maternal zeal, joy and agony, nobility and militancy.

* Prayers and Devotions 1958 Edition Reprint

* Red Bonded Leather Hardcover

This unique book of powerful prayers and devotions, compiled by Joan Carroll Cruz, includes wonderful promises made by Our Lord or Our Lady, most of which were revealed to famous Saints, including: St. Faustina, St. Gertrude, and St. Catherine Laboure. Author Joan Carroll Cruz has carefully selected and compiled devotions to Our Lady, the Infant Jesus, Precious Blood, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, St. Michael, and more in one place so that your daily prayer can be more powerful and more fruitful than ever before.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

 

 

New Podcast! A Cheerful Catholic Morning Routine / Morning & Night Prayers for the Little Ones

08 Monday May 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Podcasts - Finer Femininity, Prayers, Praying

≈ 1 Comment

Each morning is the dawn of a new day that God has given us. It is up to us how we receive it. And for a Catholic woman it is a choice that doesn’t just affect ourselves. No, the ripple effects of those first few minutes of the day will affect all the members of the household, each of their walks of life, the people they encounter, etc…

Subscribe to my channel here.

An example of a short prayer form for the little ones….

Morning Prayers

O Jesus, I offer You everything I do today!

Please help me be a good boy and a good girl today.

Thank you for everything today!

God bless Mommy, Daddy, etc., etc.

O May, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee. (Get your child a small miraculous medal to wear, if they are old enough. This prayer goes with the medal but is efficacious without it, too!)

Angel of God, my Guardian dear, To Whom God’s Love entrusts me here,

Ever this day be at my side to light and guard, To rule and guide. Amen.

3 Hail Marys

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Night Prayers

Dear Jesus, thank you for everything today!

(Stop for a moment to get them to think of their sins of the day)

I am sorry for any sins I committed today. Please help me not to sin again. Thank You for forgiving my sins. I love You, Jesus.

God bless Mommy, Daddy, etc.

Angel of God, my Guardian dear, To Whom God’s Love entrusts me here,

Ever this day be at my side to light and guard, To rule and guide. Amen.

Please help me to love You more and more.

Dear Jesus, protect me through the night.

Dear Mary, cover me with your mantle.

Hail Mary…

Amen.

An example of a prayer form for the Big People

MORNING PRAYERS

Traditional Morning Offering:

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for the intentions of Thy Sacred Heart, the salvation of souls, reparation for sins, and in union of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our bishop, the apostleship of prayer and for those recommended by Our Holy Father the Pope for this month.

Prayer to St. Joseph: (over 1900 years old)

Oh St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord; so that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer you my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers. Oh St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach Him while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us.
Amen.

Memorare:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Spiritual Communion…Read this post if you want to be inspired about this powerful prayer!

O My Jesus,
I believe that Thou art in the Blessed Sacrament.

I love Thee above all things,
and I long for Thee in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. As though You have already come, I unite myself entirely to Thee. Never permit me to be separated from Thee.

(Take some time here to meditate. Just a minute or two.)

I add these personal petitions at this time, you could add a short list of your own:

For the gift of loving You above all things, to do Your will in all things, for a spirit of self-sacrifice, to be poor in spirit and detached from the things of this world, to love my husband as the Blessed Mother loved St. Joseph, for patience, humility, charity, faith, purity and final perseverance.

Come Holy Ghost Prayer: (very important, we need His wisdom and guidance throughout the day). Read The Holy Ghost, Our Greatest Friend to help you realize the importance of the Holy Ghost in your life.

Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. … O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost,, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Eternal Rest Prayer: (for our dearly departed)

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them, May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

3 Hail Mary’s (To learn more about the 3 Hail Mary’s listen to this sermon.)

Now, say your 3 Hail Mary’s. You can offer them for purity, or for whatever. I have a special intention(s) for each of the three. Or you can just say the 3 Hail Marys. They are powerful…don’t forget them!

Morning Prayer:

O God we thank thee that Thou has protected us during the past night and has protected us from a sudden and unexpected death. Please give us Thy grace that we may not offend Thee this day but that we may faithfully do Thy holy Will in all things. Amen.

Prayer for those who will die this day:

O Most Merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray Thee by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Thy Immaculate Mother, cleanse in Thine own Blood, the sinners of the whole world who are in their agony and will die this day. Amen. Agonizing Heart of Jesus, have mercy on the dying.

St. Raphael, Pray for us.

(St. Raphael is the patron of happy meetings, he guides us in our vocations, he is the help of the sick and the protector of travelers.)

NIGHT PRAYERS

Act of Faith

O My God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in Three Divine Persons, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man, and died for our sins, that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.

Act of Hope

O my God, relying on Thy almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I
hope to obtain the pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and Life Everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

Act of Charity

O my God, , I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

Examination of Conscience

Spend just a few moments recalling the sins you committed during the day….and also your omissions (the things you should’ve done but didn’t).

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

Other Prayers:

O God we thank Thee for all the benefits and blessings which Thou hast given us this day. We offer Thee the good that we have done with Thy grace and the hardships that we have sustained.

O Angel of God, to whose holy care I am committed, enlighten, defend and protect me this night from all sin and danger. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE HOME

(I have married children and siblings I care about so when I say this prayer, I put “these habitations” in place of “this habitation”.)

Visit, We beseech Thee, O Lord, this habitation, and drive far from it all the snares of the enemy; let Thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace; and may Thy blessing be upon us forever. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to Jesus, Mary and Joseph:

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, let my soul depart in peace with you.

Prayer for Peace:

O God from whom are holy desires, just works and right counsels, give to Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be disposed to obey Thy commandments and the fear of our enemies being removed, our times, by Thy protection, may be peaceful. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Who liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen.

Every morning, we may be tempted to put off our prayers until “later” or skip them altogether because we have much to do and action is where it is at. If we allow the devil to win in this very first struggle of the day, he will win many more of the battles throughout the day. Our Morning Prayers, whether they be said while nursing a baby or changing a diaper, need to be a priority and the very foundation of our daily life. -Finer Femininity

Lovely & Durable Wire Wrapped Rosaries!

Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality! Available here.

Revised under Pope Pius XII, this official collection (raccolta) of the Church’s prayers and devotions was published in English in 1957. It includes a timely supplement of additional prayers for many urgent needs all of which were composed under the same pontiff. Many of the more commonly used prayers and devotions are followed by the Latin text, thus providing the perfect aid for teachers and parents anxious to keep the Church’s language both alive and spiritually efficacious. These eight hundred prayers touch practically every spiritual and physical need, and every personal and societal hope. They are the confidently suppliant voice of the Catholic Church in her maternal zeal, joy and agony, nobility and militancy.

* Prayers and Devotions 1958 Edition Reprint

* Red Bonded Leather Hardcover

This unique book of powerful prayers and devotions, compiled by Joan Carroll Cruz, includes wonderful promises made by Our Lord or Our Lady, most of which were revealed to famous Saints, including: St. Faustina, St. Gertrude, and St. Catherine Laboure. Author Joan Carroll Cruz has carefully selected and compiled devotions to Our Lady, the Infant Jesus, Precious Blood, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, St. Michael, and more in one place so that your daily prayer can be more powerful and more fruitful than ever before.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Femininity & Modesty (Part Two) by Leane VanderPutten

19 Wednesday Apr 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Modesty

≈ 2 Comments

by Leane VanderPutten

Part One is here.

Let’s talk about the beauty of modesty.

Here are a couple of definitions of beauty from the Merriam Webster Dictionary:

“The quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.”

Pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit….Can you imagine a tight pair of jeans exalting the spirit? What about a low-cut blouse….does that exalt the mind or spirit?

Here’s another definition of beauty:

“A particularly graceful, ornamental, or excellent quality.”

Sounds quite lovely, doesn’t it?

Here’s some synonyms of beautiful. Makes us think Of Our Lady maybe?

“Bonny, comely, fair, good, lovely, exquisite, decorous, charming, seemly, appealing, favored.”

And it was interesting to read the VERY FIRST example of a sentence in the dictionary when describing beautiful:

“The Vintage Clothing maxi dress is beautiful in its own right with over 40 gorgeous prints and summery colors.”

Hmmm….seems Merriam Webster knows the definition of beautiful, and uses it to describe a piece of clothing…a dress, at that!

Every woman loves beauty. We admire beautiful homes, beautiful flowers, beautiful pictures, etc. We all long to be beautiful. Even if we don’t know it, we do. Those days when I was the “toughest” girl in the class and could outrun any boy….I longed for a different respect but I couldn’t put my finger on it because no one…and I mean no one….was teaching girls the beauty of modesty and femininity.

And just a note to all of us….

We don’t need good looks to be womanly and feminine and to gain the respect that those qualities gather up.

As Mabel hale so aptly puts it….

“A desire to be beautiful is not unwomanly. A woman who is not beautiful cannot properly fill her place. But, mark you, true beauty is not of the face, but of the soul. There is a beauty so deep and lasting that it will shine out of the homeliest face and make it comely. This is the beauty to be first sought and admired. It is a quality of the mind and heart and is manifested in word and deed.”

Do we want others to see THAT  true beauty? Of course we do! Then let’s not distract them by something we are wearing that draws undue and wrong attention to our bodies. We want friends to love us for who we are.

We realize that the womanliest, most beautiful, feminine woman in the world, the Blessed Virgin Mary, would want us to dress like a woman…a modest, graceful lady.

And this femininity shouldn’t shine forth only in church or outside the home. We must be an example for those around us. And most importantly, dressing modestly needs to become part of who we are…whether at home or abroad.

We need to seek goodness and purity first, then strive to keep the body in harmony with the beauty of the heart. And if we are struggling with that goodness of soul, let’s begin with our externals. They will help to change us on the inside.

When we make our changes, we do it with humility and charity…not looking at others and their choices. We do it for God, not for human respect. We will be blessed.

From Beautiful Girlhood…

“A fad that is causing strong comment today may in a few years be forgotten, but this principle always holds good: that our girls who are striving for a beautiful girlhood and a clean and useful womanhood should always dress so as to appear modest in their environments.”

Here’s a little story in my own life about the power of femininity…

I was a young lady and I had a crush on a young man in the neighborhood. Please keep in mind that I didn’t have a lot of guidance at that time in my life.

This lad didn’t give me a second look, I was boisterous and rather unruly.

This young man….I will call him Tony, liked another girl. I watched that girl. She certainly was different from me. She was more refined, had a sense of subtle modesty about her. She wasn’t odd, just had more grace and culture. Although she wasn’t real different in her clothing, in hindsight I could remember she definitely dressed more modest than most of the girls in my circle.

So, I , being who I was at the time, set my cap to learn her ways. I studied her mannerisms, her gestures, her femininity. I started to practice them….which was definitely a challenge for me.

The end of this segment of that story is this….Tony asked me if I would go out with him. I had gained his notice, not by being more in his face, but by practicing femininity.

I think this a bit of a silly story, although it was at a different time and place in my life…BUT…

I did learn a few things from this experience. Femininity can be learned, and modesty can be practiced, even if we didn’t start out on that path….or even if we were the opposite of these virtues.

Also, femininity is appealing. This particular young man was popular and could have had almost any girl. He preferred the modest, more feminine ones. Of course, this is often not the case…but with good men it is.

This was a very important experiment for me and I carried its lesson throughout my life.

It was a benefit of femininity purely on the natural plane. How much more is the spiritual benefit of femininity!

Here’s a benefit of modesty that we have found…..

We have an open house to the friends of our children. We monitor it closely, take part in their games, etc. The young men who tend to come over regularly are men who are striving for goodness. The other ones don’t even make an attempt at an invitation….you know why?

They see our girls and how they dress and their deportment and they know, without a doubt, that they have a code of conduct, it is obvious.

Their clothes…and also their speech and mannerisms….tell them that. That eliminates a lot of heartache for the parents and for the girls. It’s like their lovely, modest way of dressing is a billboard that says….I want a man who respects me, who is wholesome and striving for goodness, who will fulfill his role with responsibility and care.

Whoa! Can clothing really say that to a guy? In most cases, I think it can!

On a side note…there wasn’t a lack of suitors. Being modest did not mean my girls were not fun-loving and attractive.

Here’s an objection we run into….If our clothing causes a man to sin, that is his problem.

Is it really? If I knew someone who was a recovered alcoholic (and I do) and I knew that it was very hard on him to have alcohol around him, because it may cause him to stumble and fall, would I not do my utmost to protect him from that? Would I keep the alcohol out of sight while he visited? Would I refrain from having that glass of wine while he was over? Of course I would.

Why would I not dress modestly then, to protect the minds and hearts of the men around me?

A quote from Dressing With Diginity:

“To wear the kind of clothes that can arouse unchaste thoughts or desires in others is to present them with a near occasion of sin. To wear that kind of clothing, knowing it has this potential, is a sin (either a mortal sin or a venial sin, depending on the degree of the immodesty and the other circumstances.)

So, for example, do low-cut blouses, skin-tight jeans on women and teenage girls present an allurement to unchaste thoughts and desires for the average male?”

Colleen has had many men, young and old, write to her with the answer to that question…yes it does.

Remember…

There is a certain exchange that happens when two people interact, even for a brief moment. What is the “residue” you are leaving behind you throughout those hundreds of interactions, whether at home, at the workplace, on the street, in church, during recreation, etc.

J.R. Miller says

“There is a powerful, silent, personal influence, like a shadow, which emanates from everyone — and this influence is always leaving results wherever it touches another person. You cannot live a day — and not touch some other life with this influence. Wherever you go, your shadow falls on others — and they are either better or worse for your presence.”

A young man says…

“It’s a circular thing. When women dress modestly, men are more able to treat women right. A woman who dresses modestly is more attractive to me than a woman who dresses provocatively to catch a man’s attention.”

Have you ever heard the term social modesty? Social modesty may be defined as a virtue which seeks to protect the chastity of other persons, or at least not to endanger it. It is ever careful to avoid anything that is calculated to excite bad thoughts and desires in others or to lead them to sinful actions.

What the Holy Father said in 1957 is still pertinent:

” . . . no matter how broad and changeable the relative morals of styles may be, there is always an absolute norm to be kept; style must never be a proximate occasion of sin.”

This life is short. As a young person, the changes we make now, in our first 20 years will so greatly affect the next 20 years and this goes for any age we are at! Let’s have the foresight to move forward with this.

It was not easy for me to make these changes as a young woman. I was surrounded by the total opposite values and I was stuck in the middle of it. I got a hold of some very good books…old Catholic books, the kind I promote on this website….and I began to make the changes. They were radical changes for the time and the place that I lived. Oh! How much God has rewarded me. It was like a domino effect on my life. Slowly, slowly uphill.

A new respect for myself emerged. And those around me began to respect me more, too.

Sure, it was lonely at first. But I eventually found myself gravitating towards like-minded people ….and it became a part of life.

When I made my “re-version” to serious and what ended up being Traditional Catholicism, I had an open heart and was just ready to do what I needed to do to make changes in my life. I wanted changes. I wanted happiness. I wanted a future where I could get married to a good man and raise Godly children.

The good priest I was working for had modesty rules and he laid out the reasons why. This priest helped me so much in learning my faith. He knew his stuff….he himself was a convert from Lutheranism so if you had a question about faith…he could answer it.

So when I learned about how dresses make a woman more womanly, how it raised us up on a pedestal, how it made good men look deeper than our curves, how it pleased Our Lady and Our Lord….I was sold! And I never looked back! It was as simple as that. Modesty was on the menu!

Here are a few points to ponder. In 1927 Mary Immaculate Training College in Ireland created a Modesty Rule… It was part of their Modesty Crusade.

Now, you may say, wait! That’s 100 years ago! My objection to that is….has human nature changed, somehow? Are guys less susceptible to impure thoughts these days? Are women not affected by what they dress now?

No, these types of temptations, etc. are timeless. They remain.

Here are a couple of their rules that really say it all:

“Marylike dresses require full coverage for the bodice, chest, shoulders and back.

The clothing conceals rather than reveals the figure of the wearer; they do not unduly emphasize parts of the body.”

And I want to bring to your attention this excerpt from the International Review of Freemasonry, 1928. Freemasons were using the corruption of the times to try and destroy the Church but they didn’t find success. So here was their plan…. They knew they had to go slow or the women would not go for it. This quote is from the early 1900’s:

Religion does not fear the dagger’s point; but it can vanish under corruption. Let us not grow tired of corruption: we may use a pretext such as sport, hygiene, health resorts. It is necessary to corrupt, that our boys and girls practice nudism in dress. To avoid too much reaction, one would have to progress in a methodical manner: first, undress up to the elbow; then up to the knees; then arms and legs completely uncovered; later, the upper part of the chest, the shoulders, etc. etc. (International Review of Freemasonry, 1928)

And now… a word about sewing…

You may not be a sew-er. A couple of my girls are, the rest…not really. But we have a sewing machine and the girls at home can sit down and sew a seam if they need to.

Thrift shops are our friend but oftentimes we need to let down a hem or add lace to a sleeve.

Sewing is not as complicated as learning how to use a cell phone, so it is something that is worthwhile learning…even just the basics. In your modesty journey, a sewing machine is very helpful.

I have watched my oldest daughter, Virginia, take some curtains that she found at our favorite thrift store and turn it into a lovely skirt. When we need 3 or 4 inches added to a skirt, she always has material around to help in that area.

She gets sheets to line her aprons, lace and lovely vintage buttons to embellish her creations, and so much more! This makes it fun and exciting!

Sewing also helps if you have a more uncommon shape as a girl/woman.

I’d like to reiterate some things.

As a family, we come to you with the underlying theme that we are a dress/skirt family. There are some modesty guidelines that are set out for us by different groups and saintly people that we should follow. Do they say that you HAVE to wear skirts or dresses. Not necessarily but usually it is implied. It is more feminine. It fits who she is as a woman.

We must always strive to be modest no matter what the baseline of our outfit is.

If we wish to take it to the next level, to express to others and to feel deep within ourselves the gift of our femininity we may want to try the skirt/dress thing for a while. Notice the difference it makes in ourselves….and maybe even in those around us.

Here is a list of a few suggestions on raising your girls up to be modest, young ladies….

Be careful of the friends your girls have. Remember, you become like the people you associate with….and that goes for the movies they watch and the books they read. High caliber is what we are to strive for.

Be an example of modesty yourself. At all times.

Start young with the girls. I always strove to keep my girls modestly dressed. Right from the get-go.

Explain to them why you are dressing modestly. At the appropriate age, tell them of the temptations that can occur in men when we don’t dress modestly.

Keep the modesty issue positive. Shop for lovely things. Teach your girls to sew. Allow them the freedom to enjoy their clothes and to look attractive.

Praise them for their efforts.

A note on keeping modesty positive…

All my girls are so different, they have different personalities, different tastes, different styles. Being modest does not stop them from expressing their styles in the clothing they wear. They also tend to dress for their body types.

For example (Keep in mind these were photos I had on hand so they might not reflect exactly the style, but you get the picture)…

My daughter, Theresa, likes the Bo-Ho Chic style…straighter skirts and flowy looser cut tops…

My daughter, Gin, likes the Vintage 50’s look….belts, wide skirts, detailed and frilly blouses…

My daughter-in-law, Z, likes the casual, country style…leathers and denims….

They have fun with this and are still modest and classy. It’s a joy to see!

So we don’t have to squelch our own particular style…just funnel it into a modest fashion to make us look lovely as we express our own tastes and personalities!

May God bless all our efforts in our journeys to become more feminine, joyful, Catholic women!

You can’t help but feel more feminine in a dress! It’s a beautiful thing to look and feel like a woman, whether doing chores at home or out and about. Dress for your role with joy! ~Finer Femininity

A little encouragement in your search for modest blouses for the hot weather along with a little tutorial on shortening and hemming your blouse sleeves…

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Femininity & Modesty (Part One) by Leane VanderPutten

18 Tuesday Apr 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Femininity vs Feminist, Modesty, Smorgasbord 'n Smidgens

≈ 6 Comments

by Leane VanderPutten

Part Two is here.

Femininity… Femininity and modesty…. what beautiful pictures these two words bring to mind! Pictures of gracefulness, poise, dignity, elegance, generosity, tenderness, softness, etc.

G.K. Chesterton say “The important thing for a country is that the men should be manly, the women womanly.” This comment of Chesterton’s represents a basic principle of social order that is so much needed at this time in our nation and in our world.

We are meant for a high calling in this world, to be an example of goodness, wholesomeness and faith in a world gone crazy. As women, we achieve this purpose with our special qualities of being a woman.

At the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, 1946, Janet Kaven had this to say:

“The deepest difference among human beings–far more fundamental than any difference of intelligence or ability, nation or race– is the difference of sex.

This basic difference is not merely physical but also psychological, coloring the total personality. In the whole range of her being – her mind, her senses, her emotions, her will, her interests and reactions – woman differs profoundly from man.”

These profound differences SHOULD be very visible to the eye…through the way the woman carries herself, the way she acts and talks and walks….and the way she dresses.

My girls and I like to approach the subject of modesty in a positive light. Although the reason for being modest can be negative (we don’t want to cause sin) we especially like to bring out what the amazing benefits are of being a modest, lovely woman.

The Catechism of the Council of Trent says “Charm of person is one of God’s gifts to women and girls. That charm is not lost, but enhanced, by modest dress.”

Pope Pius XII agreed with this, saying, “Your zeal, however, against immodest forms of dress and behavior must be not only destructive, but also constructive, by showing in practice how a young woman can, in her dress and deportment, harmonize the higher laws of virtue and the norms of health and elegance.”

He also says:

A young lady can be modest, cultured, sportive, gracious, natural and distinctive, without submitting to all the vulgarities of an unwholesome fashion.

Pope Pius XII on the youth and modesty….

“Independent of the use of dress to hide physical imperfections, youth asks from dress that it highlight the splendor that sings of the joyful springtime of life and favor – following the norms of modesty –that is, young ladies can wear modest dresses that attract young men in order to marry them.”

As we can see by these words of Pope Pius XII, the use of clothing is very influential and is a source of powerful communication. Let’s use it wisely!

Pope Pius XII declared: “It might be said that society speaks through the clothing it wears. Through its clothing it reveals its secret aspirations and uses it, at least in part, to build or destroy the future.”

What would you say that today’s clothing reveals about our country’s aspirations?

God has made the human body beautiful. Immodest attire neither contributes to the promotion of the human person nor to the establishing of the Kingdom. The modesty practiced by Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Saints is obtainable in this day and age and is necessary for us.

I found these definitions of “modesty”:

1) Freedom from vanity

2) Decency of behavior, speech and dress

3) Simplicity and moderation

Three simple points that cover a lot of character building.

Let me tell you a bit about my own journey into femininity and modesty. My beginnings were rocky when it came to enhancing my femininity.

I grew up in a big city, Regina,  the capital city of Saskatchewan  in the middle of Canada. I lived in not a great neighborhood; it wasn’t horrible…but not great.

You see, we, my brothers and I pretty much had to fend for ourselves. My mom and dad worked full time. Mom was finally able to come home BUT I was already a teenager. So I was pretty much on my own all those years…I became a pretty tough girl. At least it seemed like it from the outside. I had to find my way in an atmosphere that definitely wasn’t conducive to femininity or modesty.

I went to Catholic schools all the way up through High School. It was right in the middle of a big city, girls and boys of all walks of life went to them….Protestant and Catholic. The Church was very liberal and was no help when trying to form young ladies into young women. Jeans, halter tops, shorts, tank tops, swimsuits were all the norm of the day.

I have five other siblings but it was mostly my three brothers (because my other two siblings were born much later) that I grew up with. We (boys, some quite big, and then the girls, too)  played tackle football, Pom-Pom Pullaway (which was another tackle sport) and many other rather brutal games…at least for a girl. I was involved in Track and Field and won several awards. I wasn’t big, but I was fast.

When one of the classmates was asked who was the toughest girl in the class, he said it was a draw between Vivian  (a big Italian girl) and well… lil’ old me.  Now wasn’t THAT something to be proud of?! Yikes!

It’s true, I drew a certain amount of respect from the guys and gals around me…but it wasn’t a respect for my femininity, that is for sure! I had a tough exterior…because I was insecure on the inside, like a lot of young girls that age. We just manifest it in different ways.

As time went on and I was growing into young womanhood, I realized my physique was not perfect…perfect, you know, like those women on TV with the long flawless legs and the flat tummies, etc. I started to become very self-conscious. There is a lot of pressure to look that way, isn’t there, and  vulnerable, young women, can easily fall into the trap.

This awakening to what I thought were huge physical imperfections was very hard on me. I loved swimming, I was involved in ballet, gymnastics, tap dancing and drama…but as time went on I found that each of these extra-curricular activities caused me to expose parts of my body that I did not want to advertise.

I remember the last few times I had a ballet or drama performance, I was increasingly uncomfortable to wear what the event called for. The last play that I was involved with (and I usually had one of the leading parts) I instead chose to be just in charge of the stage props and the stage curtain.

This change in me wasn’t necessarily for the right reasons…yet. I was just horribly self-conscious. This self-consciousness actually saved me from a lot of grief. In hindsight I was able to see the Hand of God in this gift.

Thus began my modesty journey. Isn’t it amazing how God uses these very crosses that can be so hard to eventually become a tool for our happiness…If we just see it through, look for answers in the right places and have an open heart to these answers.

Many of my best friends couldn’t withstand the pressures of the times and fell for the first man that turned their heads. Each of these relationships started off on the wrong foot. This could’ve easily happened to me, growing up without the guidance needed.

Someone was indeed praying for me.

I want to pause here to remind all of us that no matter how badly we may feel about ourselves for whatever reason, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, mistakes we have made, what the negative people in our lives have told us, Our Lord is there for us.

He wishes to show us the way and often it is these very hardships that help us to reach UP and become the person God wants us to be….

So let’s not think of our trials as something negative. God’s Hand is in our lives and is leading us through them…

It was at this time, when I was about 19 years old, that, after working very hard at a job for many summers, I found myself the head secretary at an office that had a warehouse in the back. I was the only woman who worked there, except during the busy summer months, and the warehouse had several young men working full time.

Most of the time, I wore jeans to work…the guys thought of me as… pretty much….one of the guys.

Every once in a while, I got some sort of bee in my bonnet, and I would put on a dress. I don’t know what got into me….I guess that femininity was trying to peek out. It was interesting to see the knee-jerk reactions of these same coworker guys who didn’t give me a second glance normally.

As I approached a door, if they were around, they’d make the effort to scramble towards the door in order to open it for me. Well, now, wasn’t that interesting? A skirt…that’s all it took. I was the same Leane that worked with them day in and day out. ….they didn’t even notice me when I came to work on other days….”Open your own door:” was very much understood.

I was surprised with their reaction.. They also treated me with more respect, in general. It was very noticeable. At the time, I just made a mental note of it.

I grew up in the Novus Ordo, which was very liberal at that time, went to a Catholic school all my life, rubbed shoulders with priests and nuns and yet, when I came out of High School I did not know about the True Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist.

When I was about 20 years old I was introduced to the Latin Mass. If there is one thing you notice when you go to the Old Mass the first few times….there is Someone special there. How do you know? By all the externals surrounding the Mass. The genuflections, the general silence and then the extreme silence during the Consecration. The reverence, kneeling while receiving, receiving on the tongue,etc. You don’t need a sermon to tell you that Our Lord is present. You see it through the externals.

You can bring little children to Mass and without saying a word, they know that something special is happening….Someone special is there.

Externals count.

I remember reading an article about the Latin Mass. It said that the liturgy will actually form who we are, if we give it enough time. The more we attend, the more It will change us on the inside..

Well, I feel the same way about our dress.

There is a saying….

“The body is the shell of the soul, and the dress the husk of that shell. But the husk often tells what the kernel is.”

What is that saying to us? Our externals matter. Our husk, our clothing, reveals who we are on the inside. And on the reverse, our mode of dressing, will work to change us intimately, too.

The virtuous person will manifest this virtue through the use of proper dress.

From Cardinal Siri:

“The clothes a person wears conditions, determines and modifies that person’s gestures, attitudes and behavior such that from merely being worn on the outside clothing comes to impose a particular frame of mind on the inside. So when a person changes their dress it will change how that person views her self-image. On the converse of that, if she has a distorted self-image, it will be manifested in her dress.”

“Women who go back to dressing like women find an inner change which occurs within them. They feel more feminine. Which is a good thing…femininity is a perfection proper to a woman. And those perfections are very admirable.

The virtue of modesty will attract a worthy man. A virtuous man turns away from what is immodest. So if a woman wants to attract a man it’s a matter of dressing like a woman.” -Fr. Chad Ripperger

After I committed to dressing modestly (and I took the bull by the horns and committed to dresses and skirts)…which I did before I met my husband and while I was working at a Catholic Shrine in North Dakota, I found myself slowly changing.

Automatically, without much notice on my part… I changed the way I sat, the way I held myself, the way I walked, the games I played, etc.

I thought it was quite amusing when, one day, as were sitting in the refectory, one of the respected elderly ladies, who was sitting across from me, said to her friend, and I don’t remember how it came about, that “Leane was the most mannerly and feminine woman that she knew!”

Who? Me? The toughest girl in class? The girl who dared to tackle even the biggest boy on the football field? It really was quite funny…but I was pleased. I liked this respect a lot more than what I got measuring up to “one of the guys” because women have an innate desire to femininity. They just don’t know it and are not taught how to embrace and enhance it.

I had the support of the community there at that time so it was relatively easy to be modest in that environment.  But then my first big challenge came up. I had a two-week trip planned with my best friend, who was a Protestant, to go to my brother’s home several miles away to spend a couple weeks kicking up our heels.

We stopped and took pictures along the way….me in my dress, my friend in her jeans. We hiked on some of the mountains along the way. I did everything she did. She accepted me and the steps I was making…but I could tell she didn’t understand it…but she DID respect me for it.

There were questions when I got to my brothers and some uncomfortable moments…but I actually did it! I made it through that trip meeting all sorts of people, going to events and…dressing with dignity! And I never looked back. And I feel so blessed that I started my married life with modesty high on the list…what a blessing!

Let me also pause here to reiterate that our clothing is a very personal thing, along with the journey that goes with it. I am not telling you how to do it. I am not telling you how far to reach and to what extreme.

I also am not the last word on modesty and I don’t claim to have all the answers. But it is good to search our hearts and see what changes we CAN make in order to enhance the beauty, not of our bodies, but of our Catholic femininity. Not frumpy…but beautiful.

A couple of quotes…

“There is a difference between dressing attractively, and dressing to attract.”

“Your character is the picture and your appearance is the frame.  The frame should complement the picture, not distract from it.”

It is a wonderful and beautiful challenge in this journey towards becoming more Mary-like in our day and age. And we will see many blessings come from it! Maybe some hardships, too, but all good things are wrought through struggle. It helps us grow in character.

Something for us to remember….No one gets the crown — without the conflict!

Pertaining to that, lest we recoil from the conflict….

From J.R. Miller written in the early 1900’s

“The daily temptations which make every true life such a painful conflict from beginning to end — bring us constant opportunities for growth of character. To struggle — is to grow strong. The soldier’s art can be learned, and the soldier’s honors can be won — only on the field of battle.

“If you would grow into the beauty of the Master, you must accept the conflicts, and fight the battles. You can live easy if you will, by declining every struggle — but you will then get little out of life which is truly noble and worthy. The best things all come after the battle — you must fight your way across the field to get them.. No one gets the crown — without the conflict!

Here is a quote from Brian Holdsworth, a Catholic husband and father, with a renowned Youtube channel “Women are by nature captivating and beautiful and there’s something in the essence of femininity that would be lost if they dressed like men.”

I started dressing modestly at the Catholic Shrine where modesty was the norm. I only brought along with me conforming attire. I didn’t have to agonize about my favorite articles of clothing going in the giveaway pile. That didn’t mean my struggle with that kind of thing was over. And I think my girls will attest to this. We have certain favorite pieces of clothing that are hard to move on from.

I will tell you this…each time I got rid of that certain piece of beloved clothing….and when I say get rid of…I mean to give it away, throw it away, get it out of reach so it doesn’t sit there to tempt me into finding excuses to dumb down my resolutions…. I was rewarded with a greater resolve and a deepening of the certainty that what I was doing was good.

I find that this part of my life, when looking on it in hindsight, has been one big reward. We’ve had our struggles, our bumps…but it has so much paid off. Each of my girls, and I have seven daughters, strive for modesty. They are firmly grounded on the road of Femininity.

And they are not a condemning, self-righteous, modest bunch. They love to dress lovely. It is a positive modesty. We dress for the seasons. We make accessories that look pretty. We invest in pretty scarves, in lacy overlays.

Truly, dressing modestly can be fun…if we are not focusing on the “cant’s” but on the “cans!” Imagine the legacy of that?? I have 41 grandchildren and counting…. And those little girls will grow up spreading the beauty of femininity throughout our broken world. God is good.

Not everyone will have this experience and have found the beauty of modesty later on in their journey. All I can say is…God supplies and goes more than halfway. My mom was much older when she began to dress modestly. And it still had its profound effect on me.

I thought she was crazy, sure! I was her biggest opposition…I’ll repeat that…I was her biggest opposition when it came to the modesty thing.

She preached at times. I disliked it and argued with her. But deep inside something was stirring….

And guess what?! God blessed her and helped her persevere and I grabbed on to the torch and am working on finishing her modesty journey.

We must never get discouraged. Our changes, no matter what season of life, affect everyone around us! They may berate us, but never mind. We are doing this for a beautiful and holy purpose and Our Lady will help us! And Our Lord will bless us! And maybe even bring those other people in our lives around….like my mom did with me.

🌸“Boys and girls must be taught as tiny tots to love modesty. Even though they are too young to sin, they can and ought to be impressed with the beauty of modesty. Training in modesty is pre-eminently the function of the home, to be begun from earliest childhood.” -Archbishop Meyer of Milwaukee

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A New Podcast ~ Our Daily Duties / A Book & Surrender Prayer Giveaway!

16 Sunday Apr 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Give-Aways, Podcasts - Finer Femininity

≈ 42 Comments

New Podcast! Our Daily Duties

Running a house, while schooling, making meals, etc. is no little task. So…we roll up our sleeves and dig in each day. THIS is what we are called to. Let us not get distracted thinking we should be doing great things, learning about great matters of the world. NO. St. Therese calls us the do the “little things” each day. And really, it is a great thing to accomplish all the “so-called” little tasks…. If you enjoy this video , please Like and Subscribe.

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SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF GOD ~ “Jesus, You take over!”

Prayer by Father Dolindo Ruotolo 1882-1970 – Servant of God, Man Who Padre Pio Called a Saint!

Great prayer against worry, fear, anxiety, depression and stress!

Many miracles have been obtained through this novena.

AND

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺You will also receive:🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart

We live in an age characterized by agitation and lack of peace. This tendency manifests itself in our spiritual as well as our secular life. In our search for God and holiness, in our service to our neighbor, a kind of restlessness and anxiety take the place of the confidence and peace which ought to be ours. What must we do to overcome the moments of fear and distress which assail us? How can we learn to place all our confidence in God and abandon ourselves into his loving care? This is what is taught in this simple, yet profound little treatise on peace of head. Taking concrete examples from our everyday life, the author invites us to respond in a Gospel fashion to the upsetting situations we must all confront. Since peace of heart is a pure gift of God, it is something we should seek, pursue and ask him for without cease. This book is here to help us in that pursuit.

The best part of your life is spent in the little nameless acts of kindness and love you have performed in your home. Faithful, self-forgetting service – love that spends itself – is the secret of family borrowed, or stolen, for it is something thing that is of no earthly good to anyone until it is given away. ~Fr. Lawrence Lovasik

The Resurrection

“He descended into Limbo.”

There were many holy men before the time of Christ, but no Saints. That is, none of them had yet entered heaven. Sin had locked the gates of their Father’s House, and until Jesus inserted the key of His cross, they were detained in Limbo.

Between His death and resurrection, Jesus visited these souls, some already purified, others still suffering, to proclaim their redemption.

Adam and Eve were there; Abraham, Issac and Jacob; all, Jew and Gentile, who had died in God’s friendship.

There, in the dwelling of the dead, Jesus preached the dawning of eternal life.

Like Limbo, Purgatory is a reality. “Nothing defiled shall enter into heaven.”

If burying the dead is a work of mercy, praying for the dead is more merciful still.

ST. BENEDICT BRACELETS! Spiritual Protection

Available here.

One of the powerful weapons in spiritual combat is the St. Benedict medal. Used for centuries, this medal has been associated with many miracles, as well as with powers of exorcism.

St. Benedict medals are used in many ways, but always as a protection against evil. Some people bury them in the foundations of new buildings to keep them free from evil influences, while others attach them to rosaries or hang them on the wall in their homes. But the most common way to use the St. Benedict medal is to wear it. The medal can be worn by itself or embedded in a crucifix.

Regardless of how it is used, the medal should always be blessed with the special St. Benedict blessing. While, in former times, only Benedictines could bless the medal, now any priest can.

Here, Baroness Maria Augusta Trapp tells in her own beautiful, simple words the extraordinary story of her romance with the baron, their escape from Nazi-occupied Austria, and their life in America.

Now with photographs from the original edition.

Most people only know the young Maria from The Sound of Music; few realize that in subsequent years, as a pious wife and a seasoned Catholic mother, Maria gave herself unreservedly to keeping her family Catholic by observing in her home the many feasts of the Church’s liturgical year, with poems and prayers, food and fun, and so much more!

With the help of Maria Von Trapp, you, too, can provide Christian structure and vibrancy to your home. Soon your home will be a warm and loving place, an earthly reflection of our eternal home.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

 

A Sense of Urgency ~ Passing Our Catholic Faith on to Our Family / New Podcast! ~ Seeing Christ in Our Spouse & Children

13 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Family Life, Parenting, Podcasts - Finer Femininity, Sacramentals

≈ 2 Comments

by Leane VanderPutten

I don’t know about you, but oftentimes I can feel a sense of urgency in myself. Maybe one of the reasons is that I am not getting any younger and there is much to accomplish in a short amount of time.

But lately it has been more focused, this sense of importance as time keeps ticking on…

I know all of us have seen the ravages around us of lukewarm Catholicism.

I just listened to a Eucharistic conference and the statistics are grim of the belief in our Lord in the Holy Eucharist…very grim. A staggering 75-80% of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence. We see casualness and indifference in the receiving of Him Who made us. And this is very widespread.

Were we to talk to an average Catholic, would they know how to say the rosary? Do they know about the importance of holy water, the scapular, St. Benedict medal and all the other treasures of our Faith?

Would they even believe in Purgatory??

It is a tragedy! They are not being taught!

That being so, it can be rather depressing to think of….and so, oftentimes, we don’t. After all, it is out of our hands.

Or is it?

Each day we have a priceless opportunity to pass on our Catholic Heritage to our family. Each day we wake to a brand new prospect of adding another stone to the foundation of the Faith in the little (and not so little) people in our lives. What are we doing about it?

I thought of this the other day as I filled up the Holy Water Fonts with Epiphany water. We aren’t always on top of this but lately it has been only me that remembers. I have older kids at home (the youngest is 17) and they are busy with many (good) things.

But it came home to me in rather a pressing way that I should be reminding them to bless themselves with Epiphany water on their way out the door. If I don’t impress on them the importance of this IMPORTANT tradition, they will not do it within their own homes…and the custom will die…with me.

Do we realize that, even though our own hearts may know these things, if we become lukewarm in passing this knowledge and these customs to our children, this radiant living of the Faith will die with us?

How unfortunate that would be!

So many opportunities will be lost.

Our children will lose out on gaining indulgences because they don’t know about them, of lighting blessed candles when there is a storm because they never thought of it, of celebrating Feast Days because it wasn’t done in their home, of offering Masses for our beloved dead because that wasn’t talked about.

They may not put on the Armor of God each day by saying their Morning Offering, using Holy water, wearing the scapular, the Miraculous and St. Benedict Medals…because they didn’t know.

The list goes on….

So, if we are going to get consumed with something, let it be the living of our Faith in our home. And let us pass this on to our families.

How? By living it in the home. It should be as natural as eating each day….talking about and living the faith.

Sure, there is only so much we can do. We don’t need to incorporate everything that is presented to us. That may make us crazy…which is not the goal.

But I do think we need to stand back and see if we have our priorities straight. Let us especially keep in the forefront of our life the learning, loving and living of our faith and this will, in turn, overflow into the lives of our families.

Maybe we should all be feeling that sense of urgency? Our family grows up quickly and will soon be forging their way into the world, hopefully following God’s will for them.

The greatest inheritance we can give them is the inheritance of a rich and positive experience of living our Catholic Faith in the home. Our Faith makes living worthwhile. And passing that on to our family is the very best gift we can give them.

And the greatest gift we can give our Holy Mother Church is faithful Catholics who continue to pass on the riches of our faith for generations to come.

There will be some things, of course, that very soon they will not want to do for her..dull, dreary things, fetching, cleaning, carrying. But these also they must be trained to do. The mother will often want to save time and trouble by doing them for herself, but if she does she will hurt her children’s character. She must train them young to work for others, to be unselfish, to give. -Dominican Nun, Australia, 1950’s

“Then, returning home, a husband can look upon his wife and children, or a wife upon her husband and children, and see Christ in them, and grasp something of the nobility and the deep goodness of Christian marriage and family life…”

“I am absolutely in awe with the beauty of this rosary. Aiding to the beauty is the true craftsmanship that is evident throughout. Having chosen this purchase to replace my rosary that was in need of constant repair, I am very satisfied with the structural integrity of this one”

“This is my fifth or sixth rosary I’ve purchased from Meadows of Grace. Every single one is so beautiful that it takes my breath away. Absolutely exquisite work! I also love how sturdy they are made…I’ve purchased other ones from Etsy previously that break constantly. I’ve never had that issue with a rosary from this store. Highly recommend!”

“Another custom rosary for me and exactly what I wanted! Leane’s work is impeccable quality and the finished rosary is beautiful!”

Beautiful, Durable Wire Wrapped Rosaries! Lovely, Durable. Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality. Available here.

Read these pages, and you’ll embark on the ultimate journey of discovery into what happens to the soul after death. You’ll read true stories of the dead who have communicated to loved ones from the great beyond; you’ll learn how the saints described their mystical experiences, and you’ll investigate stunning supernatural phenomena that remain unexplained by science.

Notably, Don Dolindo provides proof for the existence of Purgatory and explains what it’s like for the souls suffering there. Moreover, he describes the consequences of sin and how the souls in Purgatory are awaiting our sacrificial suffering to be released into Paradise.

Best of all, Don Dolindo offers spiritual wisdom that you can apply to your daily life and shows you how to prepare for a holy death and the glory of the world to come. He describes the remarkable mystical experience of the soul’s awe-inspiring entrance into Heaven and explains the unique power of Our Blessed Mother to help us get there.

You’ll also learn:

  • The most important prayers that help free the Holy Souls in Purgatory
  • Why even venial sin impairs our relationship with God
  • Why good works, almsgiving, and penances are powerful atonements for sin
  • Why we need Our Lady’s maternity, humility, and love for souls
  • Why the saints delight in interceding for us
  • The sublime ecstasy and complete fulfillment that await us when we behold the Holy Trinity in Heaven

The rosary, scapulars, formal prayers and blessings, holy water, incense, altar candles. . . . The sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church express the supreme beauty and goodness of Almighty God. The words and language of the blessings are beautiful; the form and art of statues and pictures inspire the best in us. The sacramentals of themselves do not save souls, but they are the means for securing heavenly help for those who use them properly. A sacramental is anything set apart or blessed by the Church to excite good thoughts and to help devotion, and thus secure grace and take away venial sin or the temporal punishment due to sin. This beautiful compendium of Catholic sacramentals contains more than 60,000 words and over 50 full color illustrations that make the time-tested sacramental traditions of the Church – many of which have been forgotten since Vatican II – readily available to every believer.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

2023 ~ A Fresh Start, A New Book

02 Monday Jan 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp

≈ 4 Comments

As we begin our journey through January, the New Year is like a fresh book with 365 blank sheets of paper. A beautiful volume….a book just waiting to have its lines filled.

These sheets have possibilities…incredible possibilities that, when filled with worthy and noble, sincere and optimistic ideals, can result in a growing of character, an increasing of knowledge and a deepening of faith.

What will we write on each of our pages this year?

What are the things that will help us to grow in our vocation this year? What decisions do we have to make in order to become a better woman, wife and mother? These are the things we want to write in our 2023 manuscript. They don’t have to be big changes….not at all. In fact, it is those small things, repeated every day that will make the difference at the end of the year.

Aristotle says, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

3 Suggestions to Help us Inscribe Worthily in Our Books This Year:

Number 1:

Out with the bad and in with the good…

We have had so much sickness within the family these past two months. The grandchildren have really struggled.

So…with the weather being quite mild the last couple of days, a lot of us have opened up our windows to let the germs and bad air OUT…and the good air IN!

Why not, for this year, then, let us open up the windows of our minds to let IN the fresh air of good reading, good sermons, uplifting websites, etc.

Let the germs and stench OUT by refraining from filling our minds with an overdose of politics, in the church and outside of it. Or whatever else that brings us down in spirit and is not necessary for our daily life.

Then, come December 2023, we can look back and see that we have grown in our character and in our faith! It’s the little decisions each day that will make this change come about.

Number 2:

Can we  go to daily Mass more? There is nothing more powerful, more healing, more problem-solving than attending Mass and receiving Our Lord. He IS the problem-solver!

Do we want more peace, more joy, more love in our hearts? Let’s go to Mass, there to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

Do we want our  longings to be fulfilled? Let’s make our way to Mass! Remember when you do, you may not see the results right away, and certainly you may not feel them, but they will be there….and you will notice.

We may not be able to make it to Mass. I know what it was like raising a large family. Then let’s  take the time to make a Spiritual Communion, more than once a day! It is very efficacious and gives much grace! You can read this post here on the efficacy of a Spiritual Communion.

St. Thomas Aquinas once defined a Spiritual Communion as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and in lovingly embracing Him as if we had actually received Him.”

You can “turn toward the Holy Tabernacle” and receive Jesus in your heart from anywhere you might happen to be, at any time, day or night!

Here is a Spiritual Communion:

My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.  I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.  Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

And let’s remember to call on the name of Jesus throughout each day as discussed in the last post.

Number 3:

We don’t need to add prayers if we already have a spiritual schedule set in place, but we can always work on being more diligent in saying the prayers we already say. Let’s eliminate distractions, if we can….and then patiently embrace those distractions that we can’t eliminate. We must just keep trying to authentically lift our hearts to God as we say our prayers. God sees our efforts!

Will there be  things this year that we find bigger than we can control? Will we have problems that are too much for us?

These will be the very opportunities to rely on Him who will come and more than meet us half-way. A faith of a mustard seed….that is all we need. Let us ask God for it…every day this year! Do we realize the peace we would have if we truly believed!? Well, then let’s ask for it!

We can only live our life one day at a time. Things may happen to us this year that are so painful or confusing that we need to just live one hour at a time, maybe one minute, reminding ourselves that God sees everything, that He loves us and that He is the answer. And as my mom has reminded me, “All things are passing….”

Let us lean on Him this year more than ever, bringing every problem  to Him for He will show us the way to go.

And let us remember this powerful Serenity Prayer:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference” Amen!

By the end of the year, when we pick up our 2023 volume which will be filled, will we shudder with regrets…..or sigh with humble satisfaction? It’s up to us.

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winter-finerfem-quote-for-the-day

“Out of these many traits let us together choose the ideal woman. First of all, she should be earnest and sincere. Our truly ideal woman will not be silly or frivolous, nor will she be guilty of actions that appear vulgar or unwomanly. She must always have a kind word for others—not a person who will unjustly criticize behind your back. Her clothes are womanly and becoming. She will be known for the beauty of her character rather than the richness of her clothing or ornaments.” – Mabel Hale, Beautiful Girlhood, 1922

Penal Rosaries! Penal rosaries and crucifixes have a wonderful story behind them. They were used during the times when religious objects were forbidden and it was illegal to be Catholic. Being caught with a rosary could mean imprisonment or worse. A penal rosary is a single decade with the crucifix on one end and, oftentimes, a ring on the other. When praying the penal rosary you would start with the ring on your thumb and the beads and crucifix of the rosary in your sleeve, as you moved on to the next decade you moved the ring to your next finger and so on and so forth. This allowed people to pray the rosary without the fear of being detected. Available here.

The book is filled with wonderful advice on how to live a happy life… Available here.

Here is a complete guide to mature, responsible, even noble behavior in our complex modern society. Written in the 1930s by a wise Jesuit priest and steeped in the wisdom of the ages, these pages teach the timeless principles that have led countless souls to true success and lasting happiness…. Available here.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Living Advent and Christmas With Intention

01 Thursday Dec 2022

Posted by in Advent/Christmas, by Leane Vdp, FF Tidbits

≈ 2 Comments

A throwback and a reminder….

Here we are, with Christmas around the corner. Busy times are ahead!

This is our reminder to stop and smell …. the evergreens and the cinnamon along the way!

Our traditions and customs are important. My daughter, Theresa and I made a video last year about all the Advent Customs we do in our homes. They keep us busy! And, in the last couple of weeks things will ramp up with baking, wrapping gifts, decorating our home and tree, etc. These things ARE important…after all, Jesus, Our Lord, is coming! Oh yes!

In this hubbub, I want to remind you (and me) of something my mom drove home to me over the years….that “people are more important than things”…and schedules…and work, etc.

One time my mom was in the attic with her mom, my Grandma. Grandma was going through an old trunk that had some special “treasures” kept through the years. Grandma’s family was poor; they had nine children and lived in an old farmhouse. Grandma’s eyes began to fill with tears as she stroked a piece of pretty material found in the timeworn chest.

She said, “I wish I had given this material to your sister when she asked for it years ago. I thought I would use it some day…it was too pretty to hand over to her. She wanted so bad to practice her sewing. And now she is married and moved out…and I missed that opportunity.”

It was just a little thing…but a great lesson to remember….

Don’t lose sight of the people you love. Don’t put them on the back burner.

In the past year I have been very much reminded of this. Last year, close to this time, my brother, Steve, was found in his trailer, passed away. That was very hard….and my other brothers and I regretted the words unsaid and the phone calls that should have been made in spite of Steve’s past mistakes.

A year later my mom, as you know, left us. Another blow. One that has left a great hole in our lives.

I know you all have felt different tragedies in your own lives.

We never know the time nor the hour when one of our family or friends will be called. Not that we are to live in fear…but this is a reminder…let’s live with intention….and don’t take your loved ones for granted among the busy-ness of the season!

Enjoy the little things in life because one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.

You will never have this day again. You will never cross this moment of time again. Use it wisely.

What are some little ways you can make this a reality?

Stop what you are doing and greet your husband when he comes home, listen to him even if you’re busy with holiday preparations.

Have dinner ready, if you can. Let him know he is special.

Look and listen, really listen, when your child is talking to you.

Read them a Christmas bedtime story…make this a habit.

Let them bake cookies with you…in spite of the mess and the fact that it would be easier to do it on your own. What child doesn’t like to sit on the counter, legs dangling, while holding the mixer or cracking the eggs!? (Be ready to fish out the eggshells!)

Train yourself to see the positive in those you rub shoulders with each day. It will have its effiects, I guarantee!

Do you have an elderly parent you need to spend time with? Do it! Do you have a difficult sibling that you find it hard to be kind to? Be kind!

Yes, we will do our baking, our wrapping, our tree….but let’s not get too wound up! Let’s not take on so much that we are totally stressed out. Not worth it.

Fr. Jacque Philippe:

“I often say jokingly that the ladder of perfection has only one step: the step we take today.

Without concerning ourselves about the past or the future, we can decide to believe today, place all our trust in God today, love God and neighbor today.

Whether our good resolutions produce success or failure, next day we can begin again, not relying on our strength but only on God’s faithfulness.”

Life happens in the moments. If we take on way too much we get frustrated. Then the daily things…reading a story, wiping a nose, listening to others, is done begrudgingly.

Remember these little things are the ones that make memories, create atmosphere and build relationships.

One last thing from St. Francis de Sales (who doesn’t love this quote?!)

“Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself…do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage.”

Advent is a new season of the Church. Every time we pick ourselves up, it is a new season. Don’t ever get discouraged.

So…this Advent and Christmas live with intention. And remember, Ladies, that your life as a homemaker is very important. And your joyful presence in the home is more important than any of the presents under the tree!

Each day is a chance to grow in virtue and it begins with the little things. Show your husband you care…listen to him, smile at him, give him a hug when he doesn’t expect it. Your children are watching and courtesy and love are contagious! This Advent can be special…. it starts with you! -Finer Femininity

        Little Lady’s Charming Crocheted Party/Church-Going Hats!

Your little special lady will look charming in this beautiful handcrafted Crocheted Hat! Every flower, petal and bow is hand made with care. The unique combination of colors will add the final touch of elegance to your little girls outfit! Available here.

Our attitude changes our life…it’s that simple. Our good attitude greatly affects those that we love, making our homes a more cheerier and peaceful dwelling! To have this control…to be able to turn around our attitude is a tremendous thing to think about!
This Gratitude Journal is here to help you focus on the good, the beautiful, the praiseworthy. “For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 – Douay Rheims).
Yes, we need to be thinking of these things throughout the day!
You will be disciplined, the next 30 days, to write positive, thankful thoughts down in this journal. You will be thinking about good memories, special moments, things and people you are grateful for, lovely and thought-provoking Catholic quotes, thoughts before bedtime, etc. Saying it, reading it, writing it, all helps to ingrain thankfulness into our hearts…and Our Lord so loves gratefulness! It makes us happier, too!
Available here.

Women historically have been denigrated as lower than men or viewed as privileged. Dr. Alice von Hildebrand characterizes the difference between such views as based on whether man’s vision is secularistic or steeped in the supernatural. She shows that feminism’s attempts to gain equality with men by imitation of men is unnatural, foolish, destructive, and self-defeating. The Blessed Mother’s role in the Incarnation points to the true privilege of being a woman. Both virginity and maternity meet in Mary who exhibits the feminine gifts of purity, receptivity to God’s word, and life-giving nurturance at their highest.

You’ll learn how to grow in wisdom and in love as you encounter the unglamorous, everyday problems that threaten all marriages. As the author says: If someone were to give me many short bits of wool, most likely I would throw them away. A carpet weaver thinks differently. He knows the marvels we can achieve by using small things artfully and lovingly. Like the carpet weaver, the good wife must be an artist of love. She must remember her mission and never waste the little deeds that fill her day the precious bits of wool she s been given to weave the majestic tapestry of married love.

This remarkable book will show you how to start weaving love into the tapestry of your marriage today, as it leads you more deeply into the joys of love.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

My Little Story About the Rosary/Esther Update/And the Winner Is….

07 Friday Oct 2022

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Spiritual Tidbits, The Rosary

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

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What a beautiful feast day…..The Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary!

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I thought I would repost this today:

Here is my little story of the Rosary…..

I’m a slow learner.

Sometimes it just takes me a long time to “get” some things.

At the tender age of twenty, the Rosary and the Consecration to Our Lady (St. Louis de Montfort style) was what set my feet on solid ground in a world that spun around me with all sorts of “answers” to life’s problems. And I wanted answers.

My friends were leaving the Catholic Church that was rocked by liberalism and they were going to greener pastures. It was all beckoning to me. The Catholic Church I attended didn’t seem to hold out any answers. I had attended a Catholic School and went to Mass every Sunday all my growing up years. I was involved in youth groups and church choirs. And yet I didn’t know about the True Presence until I was almost 20 years old! There was an emptiness…. but I didn’t know what the problem was.

Then something happened. I went to a few classes on St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary. I didn’t like them but I stepped out in faith and began by saying a decade of the rosary each day (while my thoughts traveled to those naysayers saying  “repetition of words are useless…dumb”….they also said…”IDOLATRY…you can’t pray to Mary”) but I persevered…..And then I consecrated myself to Our Lady…(once again, the horrible doubts and misgivings…) I did it anyway. It was not very comfortable.

I met hubby. We began our courtship and our marriage with the rosary…daily. It was a commitment. It wasn’t wonderful…or beautiful…. It was a commitment.

We had children. Many children. We said the rosary. So often, it seemed fruitless. Life was so distracted, so wrought with the everyday little crosses and duties…but it was a commitment and we stuck to it.

I knew it was a good thing. I knew Our Lady asked for the Family Rosary at Fatima:“I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue to always pray the Rosary every day.” I believed. I was committed. Hubby was always committed. 🙂

I see now the fruits. I look around at a very crazy world and thank God through tears for what He has given to us…through no merit of our own.

I know that we could have really messed up. We were two people coming from very different backgrounds….both very strong-willed. We made our mistakes…..but we had the Rosary. And we stuck with it, day in and day out, year after year.

A family that prays together, stays together. I know that is not everything. If we have an open heart, the Rosary gives us the graces to make the necessary changes as we need them.The Daily Family Rosary. Steady, Constant. Amid the crosses of daily life with many children, the misunderstandings between husband and wife, the financial burdens…we had the rosary.

When the kids got hurt or sick, when I was very ill, when hubby was in the hospital and we had no money to pay, through tragedies, accidents and fires, when I didn’t understand why God was letting things happen to us…. we were saying the Rosary.

Steady and constant, we prayed it every day, amid slouching kids, tired husband, cranky, pregnant wife.

Thank God for that Rosary. I know my life is not done yet. We still have children at home, children who can….and will….make a lot of mistakes. But for the record, they all (married ones, too) put their Faith first, amid their own struggles. They say the daily Rosary and it will be what holds them together through thick and thin.

If you have troubles, say the Rosary. If, amid your noisy and boisterous family, you are suffering loneliness, say the Rosary. Do you have fears and worries? Say the Rosary. Are your rosaries dry and distracted?…Keep saying it.

Truly, who knows better than Our Lady, Our Mother, our humanness, our failings, how small we are, how distracted we are. She will help. Persevere. Don’t give up.

It is just now that I am beginning more to understand the beauty, the mystery, the  deep, interior, spiritual growth that can take place through the Rosary. Like I said, I am a slow learner.

I am glad that God is very, very patient.

He has given us a very special gift. Don’t take it for granted and don’t go a day without saying it!

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The Annunciation “Hail, Full of Grace”

Another day had begun in the little home of Nazareth – a quiet, cool March day. Mary would spend it as she had spent countless others, quietly working about the house.

An ordinary girl, Mary, as the world judges; ordinary like the rest of the villagers, like Joseph…

Suddenly an angel was by her side: “Hail, full of grace!“

An ordinary person would be rather disturbed by such a visitor, and by such a greeting. And Mary was! “She was troubled at his word.“

The angel had implied that Mary loved God with all her heart, soul, mind, strength; that she loved God enough to become His Mother.
Loving God wholeheartedly – like Mary, I was created to do just that – and being “ordinary“ puts no barriers in my way!

🌻🌻🌻  WINNER!  🌻🌻🌻

And now…

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Congratulations Ashley! I have sent you an email!

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“It is difficult for a child to be better than his home environment or for a nation to be superior to the level of its home life. In fulfilling its double purpose – the generation and formation of children – the home becomes a little world in itself, self-sufficient even in its youngest years. It is vital that you, as a mother or father, make of your home a training ground in character-building for your children, who will inherit the world’s problems. Home is a place in which the young grow in harmony with all that is good and noble, where hardship, happiness, and work are shared.” – Father Lawrence G. Lovasik

Esther Update:

Esther is at home. She continues to have breathing difficulties and Jeanette puts her on some oxygen at night, depending on how low it dips. She has taken her to some specialists and so far they have no answers.
💛💛💛💚💚💚 Mike and Jeanette are deeply grateful for your prayers.
We all are! 💛💛💛💚💚💚
Below is a photo of Esther covered with a lovely blessed baby blanket that a dear lady from the blog sent to Jeanette. 

Rosie is Esther’s Godmother

Christmas St. Andrew Novena, Wire-Wrapped Chaplet With Prayer Card. Available here.

Advent Package Special! The Catholic Mother’s Traditional Advent Journal & Celine’s Advent

 Available here.
Available individually here.

Details

The Catholic Mother’s Traditional Advent Journal:
Advent is such a special season! And you are about to make it more meaningful than you ever have!
This Advent journal is for busy moms who need a little help making this season special within the home. It will help you stay on track and be consistent with the customs you have decided to incorporate within your four walls.
I have broken it down into bite-sized tidbits that, when laid out for you, will be easy to accomplish. As you check each item off you will get a sense of fulfillment knowing you are getting done what is truly important in this expectant season! The other things will get done….but first things first!
At midnight, on Christmas Eve, when Baby Jesus arrives, you and your family will look back upon your Advent and sigh with satisfaction, knowing you truly have celebrated with the Church, that you have put your best foot forward in making this a spiritual, enchanting, holy time for all!
The first few pages of this book will have a run-down of the special Advent customs and activities that will be on your checklist each day. They are simple, they are doable.
I hope this Advent is more special than ever as we walk hand-in-hand making the Liturgy come alive in our homes!

Celine’s Advent:
Take a walk through Advent as Celine and her family prepare for the coming of the Baby Jesus at Christmas! You will enjoy celebrating the beauty of the season with Celine as she helps her mom with the special traditions and activities that make the liturgy come alive in their home! Her “peanut gallery” consists of a mouse named Percy and some charming and delightful Christmas Angels! They are sure to capture your heart!

Sav

Women historically have been denigrated as lower than men or viewed as privileged. Dr. Alice von Hildebrand characterizes the difference between such views as based on whether man’s vision is secularistic or steeped in the supernatural. She shows that feminism’s attempts to gain equality with men by imitation of men is unnatural, foolish, destructive, and self-defeating. The Blessed Mother’s role in the Incarnation points to the true privilege of being a woman. Both virginity and maternity meet in Mary who exhibits the feminine gifts of purity, receptivity to God’s word, and life-giving nurturance at their highest.

You’ll learn how to grow in wisdom and in love as you encounter the unglamorous, everyday problems that threaten all marriages. As the author says: If someone were to give me many short bits of wool, most likely I would throw them away. A carpet weaver thinks differently. He knows the marvels we can achieve by using small things artfully and lovingly. Like the carpet weaver, the good wife must be an artist of love. She must remember her mission and never waste the little deeds that fill her day the precious bits of wool she s been given to weave the majestic tapestry of married love.

This remarkable book will show you how to start weaving love into the tapestry of your marriage today, as it leads you more deeply into the joys of love.

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The School Bell is Ringing….Are You Ready?

25 Thursday Aug 2022

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Organization Skills

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My “Getting Ready for School” repost….

I love school days. I am teaching a couple of the grandchildren. Here is my little schoolroom and my two little students.

Notice the Pennants hanging that the kids have colored. They have been enjoying those and we will continue to add to the collection and switch them up. You can download the pennants from this post.

Here are Theresa’s pennants that the students have been enjoying….

The school schedule can be a beautiful thing….it’s all in the attitude. So….Let’s Get Ready!

The School Bell is Ringing….Are You Ready?

With school just around the corner and so many responsibilities and things to accomplish, we may get a little nervous on how we are going to pull it all off.

I know, for me, summer time is so full, my days are bursting, that I truly wonder how I am going to “fit” school back in with all its demands.

I find my life goes in spurts. I am organized for a time, then it slips through my fingers for awhile. I have learned not to get discouraged, trusting that, with grace, I will get it together again. So I know what works for me and I know what doesn’t. Floundering does not work. 🙂 It is always good to have a plan.

The following are a few things that help me along the way not to get too stressed. Maybe a point or two might work for you, too.

1. Make your list. If you are feeling overwhelmed you may think that writing it all down will make you feel more burdened. That’s not how it works. When you can get it down on paper, you can sort and prioritize. Those lowest on the “essential” list can be put on the next day so you can slowly work at getting them all done. If you don’t get it done the next day, continue to add it to the next one. Checking each thing off gives you a sense of accomplishment and energizes you!

2. Keep the house picked up. My corners aren’t always great but if you were to walk into my house at a given time, it would be generally clean….unless we decided to go play volleyball instead of doing the dishes right away (priorities, you know. 🙂 )

3. Go to Bed. 🙂 If I can go to bed and get up at consistent hours, it helps a lot. It’s important for the kids to do the same. Summertime is a season of later bedtimes. We loosen up the night time schedule and relax for a spell. It is quite refreshing….for a time.  I notice how much it affects the next day, these inconsistent and later schedules. That’s okay for a while during the summer but you wouldn’t want to do that during school days. So regularity on getting to bed is important.

4. Wake up at a consistent time, earlier than the family, if you can. With the demands of young children, and the lack of sleep that goes with that, this isn’t always possible. At times like those, we need to just offer it up. That being said, nothing helps me more than getting up before everyone else, getting my prayers said, and doing other duties before the family gets up. It gets me started on the right foot.

5. Plan Your Meals! Okay this one I am not very good at but, Wow! does it take the stress-load off!! I have periods in my life when my girls are taking over the meals so it is hard for me to get back in the swing of things when they are occupied with other life things. But it makes such a huge difference! So if you can get it together once a week to plan those meals, DO SO! It will make a positive impact on your week!

6. Get yourself fully dressed first thing, right down to your shoes. This will help you to get motivated to accomplish things right off in the morning.  I also wash my face with cold water first thing in the morning. I started that 2 years ago when we had the drought. It was a waste of water to leave the tap running until it got warm, so the cold water did the job and now I like the “pick me up” it gives me. Try it! 🙂For Always - 2zxDa-b25d - print

So…what kind of things make me feel more organized and on top of things:

!. Number one for me is sticking to my “Spiritual List”, starting with morning prayers and then the other simple spiritual things on that list throughout the day.   If I can check each of those off then I feel like I have accomplished the most important duty and can have the focus and grace to accomplish the other ones that fill up my day.

2. If I haven’t already got an ongoing chore list for the kids (better if it is made the night before) so they know what they should be doing, I make a quick one in the morning for each child. Then everyone knows what they should be doing and you don’t have to have your mind going in all different directions trying to figure out what needs to be done and who needs to do it! The kids are able to tackle their jobs and have the satisfaction of checking it off each time it is accomplished! (Mom….don’t forget to inspect those chores!)

3. Keep the house picked up. (I know, I talked about this already.) Don’t get obsessive about it, especially if you have young children, but periodically through the day get everyone to help with a “pick-me-up”. When you can look at a clean table and a generally clean house, it invigorates and at the same time relaxes you. It’s easier to focus on the next thing to be done.

4. Delegate. Remember, you are the supervisor. Of course, supervisors get their hands dirty, too, but if there is something that you can delegate, do. It helps the children to grow into responsible adults.

5. Don’t listen to negative self-talk. Don’t analyze it, just don’t listen to it. Period. It will bring you down and make you sluggish in accomplishing what you need to get done. Instead, look at your list and do the next thing, say a prayer, grab a book and read it, spend some time with the kids. It’s not worth listening to the rubbish that goes on inside your head.

6. DON’T feel sorry for yourself!! If you have lots to do, thank God for it. He will help you accomplish it….one step at a time. There are many lonely people in this world, many trapped in their addictions, many sad and discouraged because of broken relationships. Learn to thank God for what you DO HAVE and all the wonderful things you GET TO DO each day. Sometimes it just takes an attitude change. He never gives us more than we can bear. Believe it!

7. One last tip….a little self-care goes a long way. Take a little time for yourself each day. It doesn’t have to be long, but something that will rejuvenate you…Reading a good book with a cup of tea, spending a half hour on your craft, taking a walk outside, hiding in your bedroom and eating the chocolate you have hidden for yourself…I like this one! You get the picture. Everyone’s situation is different and you can figure something out to give you a fresh kickstart during the day. Everything looks a little brighter after some revitalizing!

 
“Hospitality is so much more than entertaining-so much more than menus and decorating and putting on a show. To me, it means organizing my life in such a way that there’s always room for one more, always an extra place at the table or an extra pillow and blanket, always a welcome for those who need a listening ear. It means setting aside time for planned camaraderie and setting aside lesser priorities for impromptu gatherings.” -Emilie Barnes. Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home
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Finer Femininity is a small publication compiled to inspire Catholic women in their vocations. It consists of uplifting articles from authors with traditional values, with many of them from priests, written over 50 years ago. These anecdotes are timeless but, with the fast-paced “progress “of today’s world, the pearls within the articles are rarely meditated upon. This little magazine offers Catholic womankind support and inspiration as they travel that oftentimes lonely trail….the narrow road to heaven. The thoughts within the pages will enlighten us to regard the frequently monotonous path of our “daily duties” as the beautiful road to sanctity. Feminine souls need this kind of information to continue to “fight the good fight” in a world that has opposing values and seldom offers any kind of support to these courageous women. Inside the pages you will find inspiration for your roles as single women, as wives and as mothers. In between the thought-provoking articles, the pages are sprinkled with pictures, quotes and maybe even a recipe or two.
The Mother’s Maglet, Wife’s Maglet, Young Lady’s, Sunshiny Disposition, True Womanhood and The Heart of the Home During Advent and Christmas…..Available here.

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  • Establish simple systems that save time and money and gain peace of mind
  • Organize the home’s problem areas–kitchen cupboards, crowded closets, home offices, and more
  • Reclaim precious time for family and friends

Filled with inspiration, encouragement, and tried-and-true tips, this book is a must-have for every woman!

The good news is that a beautiful home doesn’t require too much money, too much energy, or too much time. Bestselling author and home-management expert Emilie Barnes shows readers how they can easily weave beauty and happiness into the fabric of their daily lives. With just a touch of inspiration, readers can

  • turn their homes into havens of welcome and blessing
  • build a lifestyle that beautifully reflects their unique personalities
  • enrich their spirits with growing things (even if their thumbs are several shades shy of green)
  • make mealtimes feasts of thanksgiving and kitchen duty fun
  • establish traditions of celebration that allow joy to filter through to everyday life

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.