Leane VanderPutten, mother of eleven, grandmother of twenty-seven, shares with you tidbits that she has learned from….Morsels that will help you and your loved ones keep on that path that is grounded in that Sense of the Sacred, in every walk of your journey. In many ways, Our Catholic Church, our society and our families have lost this sense, this reverence. We need to get back to where our families are once again venerating Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, where the liturgy is lived inside the home, where couples are reverencing each other, children are respecting their parents…and women are cherishing and realizing their incredible role in bringing this “Sense of the Sacred” back to our homes!
Catholic Mother Goose ~ Jack and Jill, Sing a Song of Sixpence, The Rats are in the Monastery, etc.
Join me as we read some delightful poems from Catholic Mother Goose….highlighting the beautiful traditions of our Faith. The Children will be reminded of such things as the sacramentals, the timeless truths of the Catholic Religion, the Works of Mercy, etc.
What a fun and easy way to turn those little minds to what is most important in their lives….their Catholic Faith!
Today, I’d like to offer you a Spring Giveaway!!
The winner will receive this lovely, fully lined Apron made by Gin!
Aprons tell a beautiful story…..a story of love and sacrifice….of baking bread and mopping floors, of planting seeds and household chores. Sadly, many women have tossed the aprons aside and donned their business attire. Wear your apron with joy….it is a symbol of Femininity….”Finer” Femininity! 🌺 💗
Just leave a comment here, and your name will be added! It is always so great to hear from you. 🙂
I will announce the winner next Thursday, June 26th!
To see more of Gin’s aprons for sale visit our Etsy Shop here.
“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.” Divine Intimacy
Beautiful Our Lady Wire Wrapped Rosaries! Lovely, Durable. Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality. 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.
Without condescension, Fr. Garesché shows how to maintain a healthy mind, resist temptations, grow temperate, practice fortitude, think kindly of others, and choose worthwhile amusements. He even explains how to accept criticism graciously and how to develop the kind of confidence that is not rooted in pride, but is the necessary foundation for any life that will be productive and holy. Once you assimilate the wisdom here, you’ll know how to find genuine success the success that transcends money, fame, and pleasure.
Fr. Garesché shows you how to become an apostle for Christ in myriad ways, not only at home among your family and friends, but even at work. Youll learn how to talk about religion with your friends as naturally as you discuss sports or current events. He even gives you tips on how you can bear witness to your faith in Jesus Christ not just in what you say, but in what you do.
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
We must realize that building back to traditional values starts, first, in ourselves and in our homes. Which, in turn, will affect our communities and society in general. And our dress is a powerful means to do just that! It IS like a billboard saying, “There is still something beautiful, noble and good in this world, and it is worth living for…
“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
Every minute counts! Let Saint Joseph remind you of the time with this beautiful Saint Joseph pocket watch. Available here.
Here is a marriage blueprint that every woman can follow. Happy marriages do not just happen, they are made. It takes three parties to make a good marriage; the husband, the wife, and the Lord. This book is concerned with helping the woman to become the wife desired and therefore loved that every man worth having wishes to find and keep.<P> This book sold over a quarter of a million copies shortly after its publication in 1951, and it was read by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. It is a practical manual. It should be read by every woman considering entering the matrimonial state and also by those women who are already married.
We all have it . . . the desire, the longing for love. God meant for marriage to be beautiful, resilient . . . lovely, but this broken world can make it hard sometimes. 100 Ways to Love is a practical guide to find and live in the rich, fulfilling marriage God intended for husbands and wives. You can get beyond just living in the minimum of your relationship. Ladies, we have one shot at loving our man. We all have the capacity and capability to love him and to do it well. It’s time for our marriages to start thriving in love.
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
Now if you will face honestly the facts about your own destiny, then almost automatically you will rear your children to face honestly and bravely the facts about theirs. And if you do that, you will have prepared your children properly for life – for this life and life everlasting…. An article from The Family and the Cross by Joseph Breig, 1959
St. Francis de Sales on the company we keep: “Be very careful, therefore, dear reader, not to have any evil love, because you will in turn quickly become evil yourself.
Friendship is the most dangerous of all love. Why? Because other loves can exist without communication, exchange, closeness. But friendship is completely founded upon communication and exchange and cannot exist in practice without sharing in the qualities and defects of the friend loved.”
by Cardinal Mercier:
I am going to show you a secret to holiness and happiness. For five minutes every day let your imagination be quiet, close your eyes to everything they see, and shut your ears to of all the world’s noise so that you can withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, the temple of the Holy Ghost.
And speak to that Holy Spirit and say to Him:
“Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore Thee. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen and comfort me. Tell me what I ought to do and order me to do it. I promise to submit to anything that Thou requirest from me, and to accept everything that Thou allowest to happen to me. Just show me what Thy will is.”
If you do this your life will be quiet and peaceful, and comfort will abound even in the middle of troubles. For grace will be given to match any stress together with strength to bear it, grace that will take you to the gates of Paradise, full of merit. Such submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret of holiness.
This is a unique book of Catholic devotions for young children. There is nothing routine and formal about these stories. They are interesting, full of warmth and dipped right out of life. These anecdotes will help children know about God, as each one unfolds a truth about the saints, the Church, the virtues, etc. These are short faith-filled stories, with a few questions and a prayer following each one, enabling the moral of each story to sink into the minds of your little ones. The stories are only a page long so tired mothers, who still want to give that “tucking in” time a special touch, or pause a brief moment during their busy day to gather her children around her, can feel good about bringing the realities of our faith to the minds of her children in a childlike, (though not childish), way. There is a small poem and a picture at the end of each story. Your children will be straining their necks to see the sweet pictures! Through these small stories, parents will sow seeds of our Holy Catholic Faith that will enrich their families all the years to come!
This revised 1922 classic offers gentle guidance for preteen and teenage girls on how to become a godly woman. Full of charm and sentiment, it will help mother and daughter establish a comfortable rapport for discussions about building character, friendships, obedience, high ideals, a cheerful spirit, modest dress, a pure heart, and a consecrated life.
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
I think it would be a great idea to have a Tea Party for one of the Twelve Days of Christmas! Girls and Boys alike enjoy tea parties…and older folks, too! And it would be a good opportunity to pull out the nice china and set a real spread! We love tea and tea parties over here! We don’t take time to have them too often but it is always a good time! (Scroll down for the recipe links!)
You can plan a tea party of your own…..simple or a little more extravagant, with a little help from Emilie Barnes.
Christmas is a special time for friends and family to gather together, and a Christmas tea offers a wonderful chance to celebrate your relationships and the season itself. Let your Christmas tea be your special gift to friends, family, and yourself.
Tea parties are more personal than a general party. There is something about a tea party that brings out the best in people – the best behavior, the best intentions, the best attitudes. We expect a little more of each other when we come to tea, and we tend to live up to those expectations. We give a little more. That in itself is cause to celebrate!
I begin planning my holiday tea party in October, because it takes time to get the details just right. Keep your eyes out for pretty Christmas-themed notecards with no message inside to use for invitation. Send them out by the end of November.
There are no limits on the decor for a tea party. Take advantage of the wonderful decorating materials that are available – sparkling red and green fabrics, lush and fragrant greens, and all kinds of candles. Fragrant pine garlands, red berries, shiny red apples, pretty ornaments, poinsettias and anything Christmassy are great for an arrangement or special centerpiece.
The table can be as decorative as you like. I usually pull out all the stops and use my best china and fancy white linens for this celebration. I love to decorate each guest’s plate with a little candle held in a special clip – the same kind used many years ago in Europe to secure little candles on the Christmas tree. There are no rules to decorating. It’s whatever sets a tone and mood for your party. Play Christmas music to add to the merriment!
And load the table with a variety of sweet and savory foods. I usually have a special tea, some tea sandwiches, a fancy cake, fruits and a special cheese like mascarpone, and decorated Christmas cookies. Everything is presented on doily-lined trays…it’s almost too pretty to eat!
The most special part of this holiday tea is when we share our favorite memories and Christmas blessings together. I light the candle of the person nearest to me and ask her to share a Christmas thought or Christmas blessing. After she speaks. she lights the candle of the person next to her, who then shares her Christmas thoughts. Around the room we go with each person sharing a bit of her heart.
Spiced Russian Tea
6 teaspoons Russian blend or any good black tea
1 pinch cloves
1 1/2 pints freshly boiled water
Place tea and cloves in pot, add water, and brew for five minutes before pouring. Add sugar and lemon to taste.
Almond Chicken Tea Sandwiches
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped coarsely
1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds
1/2 cup mayonaise
White or wheat bread
Butter each slice of bread well. On half the slices, spoon about 3 tablespoons of almond chicken mixture. Top with remaining slices.
Wrap in wax paper and again in a slightly dampened kitchen towel. Let filling set for at least an hour before serving. Cut off crusts and trim into pretty shapes.
The following are links for some Festive Food Ideas! Christmas season is not over…let us continue to celebrate!
Peanut Butter Cups:
“The secret to a good peanut butter cup isn’t the chocolate. What really makes them shine is finding the right peanut butter center. We couldn’t use just peanut butter because that would leave the wrong texture, and would probably effect the shape of the cups we’ve come to hold dear. The trick, we found, was to mix the peanut butter in with some confectioners’ sugar and graham cracker crumbs. It provided just the right amount of sweetness with some firmness to it as well to make the peanut butter cups a perfect no-bake treat.”
This classic Christmas dessert is too delicious to have just once a year. So our family serves it for birthdays…and whatever other occasion we can think of! —Cynthia Butt, Winnipeg, Manitoba
“I adapted a Bundt cake recipe to create this layer cake. Cranberries, walnuts and homemade frosting make it taste so delicious that you’d never guess it starts with a convenient cake mix.” —Sandy Burkett, Galena, Ohio
“Many years ago, while taking my nieces on a little nature walk, I remember watching as my youngest niece picked up a pinecone and tried to eat it. I can only imagine how prickly the scales were on her tiny tongue! Here’s an idea for a pinecone snack that’s sure to make curious tastebuds happy.”
Happy 5th Day of Christmas! “The childlike faith and hope of simple peasants found fulfillment in a Child. Christmas came rushing into their uneventful lives on the wings of an Infant’s smile, and the low-voiced gratitude of a mother welcoming these first Christmas guests who, in a beautiful single gesture, adored her Son and filled her day with the sweet fragrance of their Christmas greeting.” -Fr. Daniel A. Lord, Art by Donna Gelsinger, https://www.donagelsinger.com/
New Podcast!
Join siblings Gemma (15 years old) and Angelo (14 years old) as they discuss the efficacy of Journaling and of using their Traditional 30 Day Journals….
Just in time for those New Year’s Resolutions!… The Catholic Boy’s and Girl’s Traditional 30-Day Journals! Let’s keep our youth engaged in the Faith! Let’s teach them how to be organized, how to prioritize, how to keep on top of, first, the Spiritual things in their lives, and then the other daily duties that God requires of them… Available here.
NEW!
Traditional Catholic Tabletop 2022 Calendar Coil Binder Book!
Do you have a hard time writing appointments in the calendar as it sits on the wall? Are you tired of taking down your calendar to flip the pages and see when your appointment is?
Here is a 2022 simple calendar that is made to sit on your table top or desk top in order to write in the spaces when your appointments are, etc. All the feast days of the traditional Calendar of the Catholic Church are included each day!
It is coil binded to make flipping the pages easy. The first page is a plastic covering and the last page is a heavier colored cardstock.
This will be a tremendous help in keeping things organized as each busy month goes by!
In With God in Russia, Ciszek reflects on his daily life as a prisoner, the labor he endured while working in the mines and on construction gangs, his unwavering faith in God, and his firm devotion to his vows and vocation. Enduring brutal conditions, Ciszek risked his life to offer spiritual guidance to fellow prisoners who could easily have exposed him for their own gains. He chronicles these experiences with grace, humility, and candor, from his secret work leading mass and hearing confessions within the prison grounds, to his participation in a major gulag uprising, to his own “resurrection”—his eventual release in a prisoner exchange in October 1963 which astonished all who had feared he was dead.
Powerful and inspirational, With God in Russia captures the heroic patience, endurance, and religious conviction of a man whose life embodied the Christian ideals that sustained him…..
Captured by a Russian army during World War II and convicted of being a “Vatican spy,” Jesuit Father Walter J. Ciszek spent 23 agonizing years in Soviet prisons and the labor camps of Siberia. Only through an utter reliance on God’s will did he manage to endure the extreme hardship. He tells of the courage he found in prayer–a courage that eased the loneliness, the pain, the frustration, the anguish, the fears, the despair. For, as Ciszek relates, the solace of spiritual contemplation gave him an inner serenity upon which he was able to draw amidst the “arrogance of evil” that surrounded him. Ciszek learns to accept the inhuman work in the infamous Siberian salt mines as a labor pleasing to God. And through that experience, he was able to turn the adverse forces of circumstance into a source of positive value and a means of drawing closer to the compassionate and never-forsaking Divine Spirit.
He Leadeth Me is a book to inspire all Christians to greater faith and trust in God–even in their darkest hour. As the author asks, “What can ultimately trouble the soul that accepts every moment of every day as a gift from the hands of God and strives always to do his will?” This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
A Favorite Christmas Novena ~
The St Andrew Novena
The Christmas Novena, the St Andrew Novena (November 30th – December 24th), is I believe, one of the most popular Catholic Advent prayers.
My family and I love to say this novena each year in preparation for Advent. We offer the intention as a family intention, one we wish to gain for the family as a whole, and also a private intention, one that each one of us would like to gain like a particular virtue or help in fighting against a vice.
Because the prayer is longer than nine (9) days, and not quite 27, it’s technically not a novena or a set of novenas, but, because it is prayed ‘novena style’, that is, repeatedly for a set amount of days, it is referred to as a novena.
In my family, we have found that we remember to say the novena best when we attach it to our daily Rosary. We set the slips of paper that we have written or printed the prayer out on next to our Rosary bowl. I do know other families say this novena with their grace before dinner while they light the candles as part of their Advent wreath prayers.
The prayer can be said at anytime during the day, but if you have a regular time the whole family is together like for the Rosary, morning/night prayers, or at meals, it might be a good idea to say the novena at a set, regular time.
Imagine a child who loves you…he is willing to do just about anything in his power to please you.
NOW imagine the Christ-Child. He too is willing to do just about anything for you. Everything is in His power to do and to give, as long as the petitioned favor isn’t contrary to what Our Lord deems necessary for your eternal salvation. This is an important caveat that I have trouble remembering! 😉
In this Advent season of preparing for Christ’s coming, the St Andrew Christmas Novena is a loving way to prepare ourselves and our families.
St Andrew holds the honor of being the first apostle to be called by Christ to follow Him.
This novena is a bit different in that it does not invoke the intervention or aid of the saint himself, but is adoring, glorifying the hour of Christ’s birth and seeking aid from God Himself!
The novena is begun on the Feast of Saint Andrew, November 30th, and is said thru Christmas Eve, December 24th.
**(If you start late, or if you miss a day do not be discouraged! Catch up by saying the extra prayers you missed along the way….Jesus will bless every effort!)
St Andrew Christmas Novena
Hail and Blessed be the hour and the moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
Recite 15 times per day. It is permitted to break it up and pray 5x’s in the morning, afternoon and evening, but for the sake of missing one of the times and forgetting, I prefer to say them all at once.
Prepare for Miracles!
This Advent Chaplet is to keep track of your 15 Christmas Novena prayers. It has a lovely brass crucifix, is durable and wire-wrapped to last for many Advents to come! Limited quantity. 🙂 Included is a laminated prayer card with the novena prayer on it. If you are interested click here.
Review: “Quality materials and workmanship. There will be no losing beads because the wire is beautifully woven in and around each bead itself. The box it came in had a handmade flower glued on it, inside a little ribboned gift bag with the prayer card. It could have been gifted as is. Shipped quickly.
An aside: This chaplet was quickly and accidentally adopted by my four year old because “It’s pretty so its prayers will be pretty.” Well, that isn’t quite the point but I love how little kids’ minds make connections. We prayed 15 Glory Be prayers that day, and the next day 15 little Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity.”
NEW! December Planner Printable! Print & Use each year!
Review: “I have been looking for a couple of years at getting a pretty pricey Catholic planner. I had a very hard time justifying the cost because, “what if it wasn’t actually useful?” When I saw this I was super excited. I have a printer and the price point was perfect. Even going and buying a fancy binder and pretty paper doesn’t have me close to the other price. Some days I use every aspect and every blank and other days I’m lucky to get one line filled out. Because it is so beautiful and yet so price friendly I do not even have to feel guilty about those days I mostly miss! This has been a Godsend and I am eagerly awaiting the December download! Thank you Leane for another wonderful product!”
For those who have the Advent Journal, this is your November 30th page that has the heart that can be checked when you have said your novena for that day. Don’t forget! Printable Journal Available Here.
“Children must be taught constantly from their tenderest years to have a real love and friendship for their Angels, to have boundless confidence in them. They must be accustomed to feel and realize the personal presence of their Angels, to call on them in all their fears and troubles.” -Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, All about the Angels
Leane and Theresa from Finer Femininity discuss the lovely Catholic customs and traditions in the home during the Advent and Christmas season…
A unique gift! Make a statement with these lovely and graceful handcrafted aprons….fully lined….made with care. Aprons tell a beautiful story…..a story of love and sacrifice….of baking bread and mopping floors, of planting seeds and household chores. Sadly, many women have tossed the aprons aside and donned their business attire. Wear your apron with joy….it is a symbol of Femininity….”Finer” Femininity! Available here.
24 Windows to Open
Find a Picture & Corresponding Bible Text Behind Each Window
Glitter on the Front
A Great Family Tradition
11″x14″
24 Windows to Open
Find a Picture & Corresponding Bible Text Behind Each Window
Glitter on the Front
Sits Easily on a Tabletop or any Flat Surface
Folds Out to Over 18″x9″
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
Join me as I read to you this lovely article by Joseph Breig, husband and father, who wrote his thoughts about the great influence the rosary has had on his life and his family….”When I get to heaven – as I trust I shall – something very embarrassing is bound to happen. As sure as shooting; somebody who has known me rather too well for comfort on this earth is going to come up to me and say, in a loud voice enough for everybody to hear, ‘How in the world did you get in here?'”
And now, a gallery of our last two events and some tidbits in-between! Click on the first picture to see the gallery…
Toby & Ely watches as Mom makes homemade marshmallows.
Very interesting…
This will be cut and marshmallows ready to roast over the fire later in the evening.
Rosie is busy making grain-free bagels
Looking yummy
Egg brush makes them look shiny!
Yum
Double yum!
Our booth at the Shakespeare Festival is set up!
My rosaries and religious jewelry…
Theresa’s soaps…
Gin’s crocheted hats and her and Jeanette’s lovely Kanzashi ribbon flowers!
Mom has a good talk with Tonio in the booth….heh heh
So he gets back to work making more wire rings that were a hit!
From the vantage point of the booth….
Dominic says hi as he passes by…
Helpers Gemma, Madeline and Hannah
This is the back of the booth where the family can sit and chat…along with visitors.
Gin and Mom
Mom and Hannah
Vincent sold soap this year as Theresa was too sick with morning sickness
Gemma is sales lady this night
Hubbub….
At night…
The very popular ax and knife-throwing booth beside us.
A boys’ school came to visit the festival and took the stage for awhile…
The girls and Ernie took the stage, too.
Newly ordained priest, Fr. Eichman visits the booth…
And just enjoys the atmosphere.
Dr. Joseph Pearce came to visit the booth…
Vincent had Legion of Mary with the grandchildren at Gin’s. It’s set up and ready to go!
Vincent’s mason skills at work
Vin and Gin are putting in a wood stove.
Beautiful!
My cabochons are piddly work but I enjoy it!
Especially when I have a homemade latte and no-grain cookie close by!
Well, good morning, Sean!
Lots of company during the festival…
Peg-Leg Ely has a purpose very early in the morning!
I take a walk each day in our yard and had Angelo build this little grotto for me on the far end of it.
Harvest of apples!
Angelo is busy processing and dehydrating the apples.
Harvest of spaghetti squash!
Our annual Bow shoot took place this last Sunday!
The weather was perfect!
Rosie and others are practicing…
Son, Sep and Son-in-law, Devin.
Trophies are ready. Sep is getting ready…haha
Madeline is tallying scores…
Little Johnny is ready…
Ely…carrot top!
Jeanette, Rosie, Margy
Colin and crew
Grandsons….Sep and Molly’s boys, Gracian, Fabian and Sebastian
Two daughters-in-law, Molly and Z (Elizabeth)
Vin helps Colin get sights set on his bow, Gemma photo-bombs.
Practicing up!
Agnes gets in there.
Lots of food is sold. This event is a fundraiser for the needy at Christmas. Raised close to $5,000!
Friend, Julianna and children
Good times
Margy is tallying scores.
Ben setting his sights.
Grace, Emma, Agnes.
Devin shoots.
He helps Adrian.
Adrian’s turn…
Friends…
Margy, Dave, Dom, Sarah. Sarah is expecting and struggling with morning sickness, too.
Father and little people haggling over scores.
Paul, who detests getting his photo taken. I am very obliging. 😉
Hello!
Vincent runs the food…
Vin says, “Is it over yet?”
Mom and Theresa say the same….
Trophy time!! Mike runs the event..
And passes out trophies!
Rosie wins third place in women’s category. Jeanette won second place!
Thank you so much for all of your lovely comments on the Giveaway Post! May God bless you…you are in my prayers, please pray for us!
And now…the soap Giveaway!
Congratulations Angela! I have sent you an email!
A new Podcast to listen to!
“Sooner or later a man’s habitual thoughts come out in his life and character….” by Father Lasance, 1934, Holiness & Happiness
At any rate, she has by nature the power, the art, and the disposition to please, to soothe, to charm, and to captivate. It is a wonderful power; and we see daily women exerting it in a wonderful way. Why will not women who are truly good, or who sincerely strive to be so, not make it the chief study of their lives to find out and acquire the sovereign art of making their influence as healthful, as cheering, as blissful as the sunlight and the warmth are to their homes? – Rev Bernard O’Reilly, True Womanhood, 1894 http://amzn.to/2mPm81e (afflink)
The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.~Pope Pius XI
Every minute counts! Let Saint Joseph remind you of the time with this beautiful Saint Joseph pocket watch. Available here.
Losing your peace of soul over the state of the world and the Church? Don’t! Consider the following books…..
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 heart. 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.
Reverend Irala here addresses ways to promote mental and emotional well-being to help increase one’s health, efficiency and happiness. He speaks on topics such as how to rest, think, use the will, control feelings, train the sexual instinct, be happy, and choose an ideal. Included are also many practical instructions on dealing with mental struggles of all kinds. This book is most useful in our present times of worldly confusion.
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
Lord Bacon, one of the great English philosophers and essayists, tells us: “He was reputed one of the wise men that made answer to the question–when a man should fall in love and marry–‘a young man not yet, and an older man not at all.'”
I, for one, cannot dismiss the feeling that the formulator of that answer was either once in love and was jilted, or he was married and his wife beat him.
Love is the wine of existence and marriage is an honorable estate, or, should I say, for some it is an imperative one, and go along with Saint Paul, who fiercely puts it:
“For it is better to marry than to be burnt.”? (I Cor. 7:9.)
In the second chapter of the Book of Genesis we are told that when the world was in its freshness of new beauty and Adam was master of it all, God saw the need of making a companion for him. One thing was lacking: “for Adam there was not found a helper like himself” and “it was not good for man to be alone”; and so God made Eve.
Strange as it may seem, falling in love means searching and finding in another, the partner who will make it easier for you to fulfill your destiny and realize God’s plan for yourself. At least, that is one conception of love.
A clear-cut definition of love is not as easy to find as one might imagine. Few encyclopedias even carry the word. They devote pages to economics, art, and music, but ignore love.
The writers of books on marriage either avoid giving a definition of it or frankly admit that it is indefinable.
Cole Porter went so far as to set the question “What Is This Thing Called Love?” to music, yet he gave no satisfying answer. The inimitable George Bernard Shaw, when invited to contribute to a book on marriage replied: “No man dare write the truth about marriage while his wife lives.”
Perhaps that answer may supply a key to the problem of why so few have dared to define love. There may be as much “dare not” as “cannot” involved in this complex matter.
The gifted St. Thomas Aquinas had no inhibitions on the subject and boldly declared that “to love a person is to wish him well.” .
Sir Walter Scott says:
True love’s the gift which God has given
To man alone beneath the heaven.
It is not fantasy’s hot fire
Whose wishes, soon as granted, fly;
It liveth not in fierce desire–
With dead desire, it doth not die.
It is the secret sympathy,
The silver link, the silken tie
Which heart to heart and mind to mind
In body and in soul can find.
To Scott, then, love is a composite thing which, laying hold upon one’s nature, binds it with another in secret sympathy. Like grace, the effects of love are easier to treat than its nature.
Love, like death, is the universal leveler of mankind. It is nature’s motive and reward. “We are all born of love,” said Disraeli, “and it is the principle of existence and its only end.”
It is only natural that since love was to be the mainspring of man’s existence it would be the very thing Satan would endeavor to counterfeit.
Thus true love, like every genuine thing of value, has numerous imitations. The cruel task for many is to sift the wheat from the chaff, to distinguish the true from the false, the precious metal from the slag.
There is but one thing against which genuine love is helpless and that is time. Love is like wine in that age improves the good and sours the bad.
If we are to accept modern songs, novels, the radio, and movies as our criteria, we shall believe that love comes at first sight and with such a crushing force that one is powerless to resist.
Such, however, is not the case. If love were always to strike like lightning, then no one would be safe. Your mother might be smitten by the paper boy and your father by John’s Other Wife.
Momentary attraction must not be confused with love, for love needs time.
Love at first is fancy, then there follows admiration, joined with respect and devotion. In this mélange of emotions there occurs, sometimes, violent agitation, but more often there is a gentle simmering, a confused but agreeable mingling, until gradually all becomes transfused into a vital feeling called love.
“The introduction to this felicity,” says Emerson, “is a private and tender relation of one to one, which is the enchantment of human life; which, like a certain divine rage and enthusiasm, seizes a man at one period and works a revolution in his mind and body; unites him to his race, pledges him to the domestic and civic relations, carries him with new sympathy into nature, enhances the power of his senses, opens the imagination, adds to his character heroic and sacred attributes, establishes marriage and gives permanence to human society.”
“You will keep a watchful eye on their steps; you will not suffer the whiteness of their souls to be stained and contaminated by corrupt and corrupting company; you will inspire them with a high esteem and jealous love for purity, advising them to commend themselves to the motherly protection of the Immaculate Virgin. Finally, with the discretion of a mother and a teacher and thanks to the open-hearted confidence with which you have been able to inspire your children, you will not fail to watch for and to discern the moment in which certain unspoken questions have occurred to their minds and are troubling their senses. It will then be your duty to your daughters.” -Pope Pius XII
NEW! CHEERFUL CHATS FOR CATHOLIC CHILDREN PODCAST ~ Catholic Mother Goose…Jack Be Nimble, Etc.
Join me as we read some delightful poems from Catholic Mother Goose….highlighting the beautiful traditions of our Faith. The Children will be reminded of such things as the sacramentals, the timeless truths of the Catholic Religion, the Works of Mercy, etc. What a fun and easy way to turn those little minds to what is most important in their lives….their Catholic Faith!
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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.
October & November 2021! Printable Traditional Catholic Planner~Meal Menu/Homeschool Page~Daily Gratitude/Spiritual Checklist/Daily Goals
This book describes the great spiritual power of the Mass, how it holds back the wrath of God, its wonderful eternal and temporal benefits, and several excellent ways to pray at Mass. Hidden Treasure is the prototype book on the Mass for all other books on the same subject; others basically repeat what this small book contains.
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The resolution being now well formulated, the task of making it begins. Merely to say it over or to promise it in a feeble way is absolutely useless. The whole will, with the whole force and energy of the will, must be brought into it.
Not only that, but the whole living strengths of the will must be literally hurled into it, not once or twice, but again and again each day, right up to the very last day of the month. The resolution must be meant.
We must be able to say, “Yes! before God, I mean that! I mean it as intensely and really as I can ever mean anything! I will keep that resolution. I know I can and will keep it because I mean it. Further, I will take every precaution to keep it alive and vigorous within me by re-making it again and again.”
Needless to say such resolutions should not be lightly made, nor should they be trifled with. In them the credit of the will is at stake. It is a serious thing to make a serious resolution, and it is a bad thing to break one, bad for the will and bad for self-respect.
Now, Catholic writers suggest many means whereby we may render our resolutions more secure. One practical method is to make the “Particular Examen,” which consists in a half-daily examination of our failures or success in our resolution.
We must pray for the grace to keep our resolutions. Supernatural aid will then be ours; but prayer will also aid us naturally.
We must meditate on the advantages of keeping it and on the disadvantages of breaking it, on the beauty of patience and on the pettiness and shame of irritability. Our mind will be convinced by this means, and our emotions will be aroused in favor of the resolution.
Next, we are advised to intensify our resolution not merely by direct will-acts, but by indirect will-acts derived from self-inflicted penance. For pain and hunger will make us more in earnest and will make our “meaning” more sincere.
Such, in general, is the method which Catholics are taught to employ in the matter of resolutions. Needless to say, if this method is faithfully employed the will grows strong and energetic—its good qualities are developed and its faults are corrected.
Of course, it must not be thought that religion in itself wholly consists in making and keeping good resolutions. This is not so. Nevertheless, to a great extent, religion depends on the making and keeping of good resolutions, as on its method.
It may perhaps be well to take a type of will-hero, whose strength of will was the outcome of religion.
Such a one was John Berchmans, a young Flemish Jesuit of the early seventeenth century. His name is unknown to the literary and political world, but none the less he was possessed of remarkable gifts of mind.
The chief note of his character was moderation and good-sense, combined with an extraordinary tenacity of purpose. If he put before himself some end to be gained, he devoted his whole strength towards achieving it, and he regarded every tiny detail involved in this pursuit of his end as of the most serious consequence–maximi minima habuit.
He combined the qualities of miser and spendthrift in such matters, being most miserly about allowing himself the slightest deviation from his purpose or the slightest delay in winning it, whereas he was most lavish and generous in giving himself and all he had to the working out of his aim.
In him the maxim was verified to the fullest: “Suae quisque vitae victor est; artifex hujus operis est voluntas.” Each one is the conqueror of his life;the artist is the will of this work.
He set himself to become a saint in a new way, by doing ordinary things extremely well, and thanks to his lifelong pertinacity of purpose he gained his end.
That be sought in religion strength and inspiration is of course indisputable. To fulfil perfectly all his religions duties was the main object of his life, and it was in fulfilling them that the promptness, consistency and persevering regularity of his will were manifested.
It would not be difficult to find among the annals of the Saints many other examples of will-heroes: some were men of extraordinary energy, like Francis Xavier, some of extreme gentleness, like Francis de Sales, some of cold intellectual intensity, like Ignatius, some of child-like sweetness, like Antony of Padua.
In each case great will-strength followed in the wake of religious perfection. In each case converse with God raised and developed the will-faculty, just as it improved every other faculty of the mind.
We have seen at some length that the practice of religion implies will-training, but nevertheless it must be remembered that it is not the special aim of religion to train the will. It does so only indirectly, and it does not always do so as perfectly and as surely as we might wish.
It seems necessary to have some specific training. To train the will, as it were, for the sake of the will itself, for the sake of the perfection of the will, and not for the sake of other thing.
The will must be taught, to some extent, to will for the sake of willing. The will builds up will by willing. As we shall see later, it builds up will best by willing will.
The will must, as it were, turn back on itself in willing, and will will. Exercises calculated to provoke willing for the sake of willing are necessary.
We must feel the pure glow of pleasure involved in willing for the sake of the will. Just as the intellect or memory must be trained, apart from the training they receive in the practice of religion, so must the will be trained apart from the training it receives in this manner.
It must not, however, be overlooked that will-training of itself, without relation to religion and morality, is in great part meaningless. For, as Professor Forster writes, “All our efforts are lacking in deeper meaning if they are not correlated to a great spiritual view of life as a whole. Even the most perfect development of willpower tends to degenerate into a mere athletic exercise without enduring significance.”
NEW CHILDREN’S PODCAST! GROWING IN GRACE
There is one way that Ernie will never stop growing. Do you know what that is? He should never stop growing in grace. Ernie, and all of us, always need to work on filling ourselves up with grace…
“Blessed is the home where unkind speech does not enter, nor cursing, nor bad literature, nor intemperance, for on that home will be heaped the blessings of peace.” – Fr. Lawrence Lovasik
Painting by James Hayllar (1829 – 1920, English)
Beautiful Blessed Mother Wire Wrapped Rosaries! Lovely, Durable! Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality. Available here.
Here is a marriage blueprint that every woman can follow. Happy marriages do not just happen, they are made. It takes three parties to make a good marriage; the husband, the wife, and the Lord. This book is concerned with helping the woman to become the wife desired and therefore loved that every man worth having wishes to find and keep.<P> This book sold over a quarter of a million copies shortly after its publication in 1951, and it was read by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. It is a practical manual. It should be read by every woman considering entering the matrimonial state and also by those women who are already married. It can also be read by men who may wish to see what a real challenge it is for a woman to live up to their expectations and how grateful they should be if they are blessed to find the woman of their desires…
Armed with Barbeau s wisdom, you’ll grow closer to your wife and to your children, while deepening your love for God. You’ll be able to lead your family to holiness amidst the troubles and temptations that threaten even the best of families today: infidelity, divorce, materialism, loneliness, and despair.
The Father of the Family makes good fathers and good fathers are the secret to happy homes….
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This is a Traditional Catholic printable planner for the month! Set your days in motion having a plan that will help to keep your focus on your daily duties! Featuring the Old Liturgical Catholic Calendar for the year, you will also be able to keep track of the feast days throughout the year so you can plan accordingly!
A little video (with some jaunty music 😉 )explaining the planner. The script is included below for those who would rather read about it….
We would like our days to run smoother…to focus on our daily duties so that when that time comes for some relaxation and recreation, we know that we have put our best foot forward in sticking to and focusing on running our home with as much precision as possible in the life of a busy wife/mother.
That is what this printable planner is here to help with….
Let me run through it with you.
This is your daily page. On the top of this page is the day and the date. Underneath the date, the feast day will be noted. This planner follows the old liturgical calendar so the feast days will be according to the traditional calendar.
Also, the familiar fish will be added under the date on the days of abstinence.
You will no longer have to run to your calendar on the wall to see what special saint to pray to that day or to make note of an important feast day of the church!
On this daily page is the hourly time slots so you can map out your day. It’s important to be flexible but it is also important to have order. This area is for more scheduled things throughout the day that you want to put a time on…
…like getting up in the morning, starting school, lunch, rosary, appointments, or just anything else you want to accomplish at a particular time.
If you like the time slots, use them. If you prefer not to use timeslots and just have your duties written down in order then you can use it that way, too.
On the right of these day-to-day pages you will see a space for your daily goals. Here you can write such things that you would like to get to that day but not necessarily a specific time. as spend 15 minutes cleaning fridge, write a note of thanks to someone,
Everyone will have their own daily goals that can vary greatly. But you get the picture.
If you need to use the spot for something different, then do it!
Next is our spiritual goals. The foundation of our day. As you can see I put important things on this checklist. If you have others, you could include that in your daily goals space above also.
And of course, the space for gratefulness. Each day we need to work on having an attitude of gratitude. It really will change our life for the better. And actually writing them down helps, too!
There is a quote included on each page. These quotes are from solid Catholic authors. They reflect knowledge, common sense and timeless wisdom.
All of this is included on each of your daily pages throughout the month.
There are three other pages along with your daily pages..
The first page of each month, what I call the title page has a space for your spiritual intentions for the month. We all have big things that we want to pray for. We can include these things here and offer up all of our prayers works joys and sufferings of the month for these intentions.
We also have a space here for the monthly goals. Bigger things… Like paint the bathroom, say a novena, get to daily mass four times a week, things like that.
This is a great page to kind a wrap our head around the bigger picture for the whole month. Having them there in front of you, writing them down is Definitely an incentive to get them done!
Another page included is a menu plan for the month. I have the dates written in there and just enough space to include dinner which I thought was probably the meal that needs to be planned out the most.
What a difference a meal planner makes! I didn’t include a grocery list because thats something you have to take to the store with you anyway. So you can do that on your own separate piece of paper or on a grocery list app on your phone.
The third page is the homeschooling page for the month with a blank for the students name in the top right hand corner.
There is a space on the left-hand side for your subjects and then across is for each day of the week. You can print out multiples of these papers depending on how many students you have for the year.
Get yourself a pretty three ring binder and a three hole punch and you have yourself a lovely monthly planner! The links for those are in the description below. They are affiliate links, so thank you for your support!
Also, you have the option to print these out in color is you so wish as I did the pages in color. B & W looks great, too!
A gentle reminder as we go forward planning our month, that people are more important than things… schedules and accomplishments . We need to remain flexible and not get in a tizzy if we didn’t get things done during the day that we had put on our planner.
That being said, these planners/journals can be very helpful in trying to stay focused during our day. When we put our best foot forward, God meets us more than halfway!
So, I wish you joy in planning out your upcoming weeks using your new traditional Catholic daily planner! God bless you and Our Lady guide you.
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I took mine to the local computer shop and had it spiral bound for less than $3. It lays nice and flat and works perfectly!
We must take great care to be encouragers of our children. They will only be with us for a short time. What kind of legacy do we want to leave for our children? ….One of hope, love and inspiration or one of negativity and criticism? Take those moments today to listen to them, to smile at them and to see the wonderful good inside of them. Let’s start the habit today of seeing the positive in our children!
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Hands Free Mama is the digital society’s answer to finding balance in a media-saturated, perfection-obsessed world. It doesn’t mean giving up all technology forever. It doesn’t mean forgoing our jobs and responsibilities. What it does mean is seizing the little moments that life offers us to engage in real and meaningful interaction. It means looking our loved ones in the eye and giving them the gift of our undivided attention, living a present, authentic, and intentional life despite a world full of distractions.
With his facile pen and from the wealth of his nation-wide experience, the well-known author treats anything and everything that might be included under the heading of home education: the pre-marriage training of prospective parents, the problems of the pre-school days down through the years of adolescence. No topic is neglected. “What is most praiseworthy is Fr. Lord’s insistence throughout that no educational agency can supplant the work that must be done by parents.” – Felix M. Kirsch, O.F.M. https://amzn.to/2T06u28 (afflink)
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The Christmas Novena, the St Andrew Novena (November 30th – December 24th), is I believe, one of the most popular Catholic Advent prayers.
