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Jesus Asks for Some Small Effort
Persuading Our Families to Love God
Turning Mother's Work into Holy Work
A Dictatorship of Relativism - Affecting Mothers?
Ask Whatever You Will, and It Shall be Done...
Children Belong to Themselves...and to God
Children Are Terribly Intuitive
Trained in the Way They Should Go...
Holiness Thru the Very Performance of Our Tasks......
Suffering and Sanctity
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Welcome to "Thoughts for Moms"
Dear Friends,
"Thoughts for Mom" is a special place to receive spiritual
sustenance related to the vocation of motherhood. Here I will post
various reflections — from popes, saints, and Catholic writers,
to my thoughts and yours — to help us better live our mission
as Moms, and to help us give our vocation the depth of meaning God
intended it to have.
Once
more, you and I both have something to share, so please join me
in adding meditations and personal insights in the comments section
under each post, or contacting me at holly@mothersruleoflife.com
with your own reflection to add.
God Bless,
Holly Pierlot
Renewing Our Commitment
"When you turn back to Him with all your heart, to do what is right before Him,
Then He will turn back to you, and no longer hide His face from you..."
Tobit 13:6
posted by Holly at 12:53 PM
1 comments
The Need of a Mother's Rule
"Do not say that a rule of life is possible for a religious, but impossible for the mother of a family. This is an error! Every woman, whatever her lot in life, and whatever her obligations, ought to have a rule of life. Of course, the rule of a religious will be less open to modification.... Nevertheless, you must have a rule, otherwise your life will be squandered in a thousand follies and futilities."
Rev. P Lejeune, "Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers" (reprint) Colorado, Roman Catholic Books, (1913) p 36
posted by Holly at 1:09 PM
1 comments
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
"We should not want to practice many [spiritual] exercises at the same time or all of a sudden. The enemy often tries to make us attempt and start many projects so that we will be overwhelmed with too many tasks, and therefore achieve nothing and leave everything unfinished. Sometimes he even suggests the wish to undertake some excellent work that he foresees we will never accomplish. This is to distract us from the prosecution of some less excellent work that we would have easily completed. He does not care how many plans and beginnings we make, provided nothing is finished... St Jerome says "Among Christians it is not so much the beginning as the end that counts." "
St. Francis de Sales, "Finding God's Will for You", New Hampshire, Sophia Institute Press, 1998, p52-53
posted by Holly at 1:03 PM
2 comments
Avoiding Laxity
"Neither let there be laxity [when following the rule]. A lack of mortification, the mere desire to prolong conversations without necessity, curiosity, etc, are not adequate reasons for deferring the performance of a given exercise, at the risk of omitting it altogether. Likewise, if the accomplishment of certain duties in the usual manner becomes impossible, we must strive to comply therewith in another way."
Fr Adolph Tanquerey, "The Spiritual Life", Belgium, Desclee & C0, 1930, p275
posted by Holly at 8:03 AM
1 comments
Avoiding Scrupulosity
"Let there be no scruples. As long as there is serious reason to dispense with a given point of the rule, to postpone it or to substitute an equivalent for it, let it be done without misgivings."
Fr Adolphe Tanquerey, "The Spiritual Life", Belgium, Desclee & CO, 1930, p275
posted by Holly at 8:04 AM
1 comments
The Manner of Keeping a Mother's Rule
"[A rule] must be observed in its entirety, that is to say, fully, in all its parts and with punctuality. If we pick and choose among the various points of our rule, and this without reasonable cause, we shall carry out those that cost us less and omit those that are more difficult. We should thus lose the chief advantages to be derived from the exact observance of a rule, for even in the points we should observe, we would be in danger of acting from caprice or self-will. The rule, then, must be kept in its totality and to the letter, as far as possible. If for some grave reason this cannot be done, we must abide by the spirit of the rule and do all, that is, morally speaking, within our power."
Fr Adolphe Tanquerey, "The Spiritual Life: A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology", Belgium, Desclee & Co, 1930, p274-275.
posted by Holly at 9:00 AM
1 comments
The Basis of An Interior Life
"Base your interior life on its absolutely necessary element: morning mental prayer. St. Theresa said that, "The person who is fully determined to make a half hour's mental prayer every morning, cost what it may, has already traveled half his journey." Without mental prayer, the day will almost unavoidably be a tepid one.... No results may be expected from a vague desire for the interior life, conceived after the hurried reading of some book."
Dom J.B. Chautard, "The Soul of the Apostolate", Kentucky, Abbey of Gethsemani, 1946, p195, 196
posted by Holly at 9:43 AM
2 comments
Reducing Pressure - Coming to Peace
"God does not expect you to be anxious or over-cautious about your daily activities and occupations. You do not have to think constantly about your every feeling, thought, desire, word or action, to determine whether your behavior is correct or pleasing to God. You simply need to adopt an attitude of good will and a general intention to live your daily life as intelligently and reasonably as you can, with God's help."
Anthony J. Paone, S.J. , 'My Daily Life', NY , Confraternity of the Precious Blood, 1970, p13
posted by Holly at 9:51 AM
3 comments
Can't Seem to Make or Follow a Mother's Rule
"I cannot understand my own behavior. I fail to carry out the things I want to do, and I find myself doing the very thing I hate..."
Romans 7: 15
posted by Holly at 11:40 AM
1 comments
Counteracting Clutter
OK, I got an inspiration! I was pondering the problem of clutter during my prayer time - that nagging reality of 'too much stuff'. Hhmmm -- what to do? Well, I figure our faith gives us a number of little guidelines which point toward the need of a de-cluttered life.
First, the virtue of poverty - in our case as moms, the willing reduction of 'stuff' , for there are dangers associated with too many possessions -- greed and 'excessive solicitude' - how many times do we find ourselves worrying about our possessions, our home, our stuff? We know our goods are meant to meet our human needs and the needs of those around us. So while stuff can be good, we need to guard against affluence and luxury. Even if we think our possessions aren't very high quality, the quantity alone can be 'rich'.
Secondly, in Catholic thought, we need to do all in moderation, including what we own -- too much or too little is never good. Thirdly, simplicity -- in order to reduce our own mental distraction and spiritual dissipation, we need to simplify life and stuff in order to clear our minds and focus on what is truly important, like our relationships with God, family, friends and community.
Lastly , there is a need for order in our lives - the more things we possess, the harder it is to manage them all. Spiritual growth always accompanies order - external and internal. And in fact, our homes are often a reflection of our interior state.
These virtues are what I think we need to focus on in order to counteract clutter!
posted by Holly at 11:52 AM
0 comments
The Secret of Sanctity
"The most important part of each action is the love that animates it... The action should be done for God rather than for oneself...[as] the fundamental motive."
Eugene Boylan, O Cist. R., "This Tremendous Lover" Maryland, The Newmann Press, 1961, p208
posted by Holly at 8:55 AM
1 comments
Controlling Wants and Don't Wants
"So long as our desires are not guided by enlightened reason, we are blocked.... It is only reason, which patiently explains to the will that there are other and more lasting satisfactions waiting for it in the next life, that can ensure any sort of true happiness.... the only means of happiness lay in the control of desire."
Dom Hubert van Zeller, "How to Find God", New Hampshire, Sophia Institute Press, 1998, p29
posted by Holly at 9:18 AM
1 comments
When We Need Healing
"We can learn to recognize the signs of needing God's direct healing.... if certain memories of events from even twenty years ago could still make my stomach turn or cause tears to flood my eyes... pains that didn't go away, no matter how much I wanted them to, or how much I analyzed or understood them or sought counsel.... For really, these weren't just scars; memories of experiences that are still fresh with emotion are in reality open wounds..."
Holly Pierlot, "A Mother's Rule of Life", New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press, 2004, p62
"The Lord says: my plans for you are peace and not disaster; when you call to me, I will listen to you, and I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you." (Jeremiah 29:11, 12, 14)
posted by Holly at 3:06 PM
1 comments
Does Just Being 'Good' Cut It?
"It is certain that one must die in the state of grace in order to be saved... However, the question is precisely whether [the faithful] can preserve the state of grace for a long time without striving to grow in holiness..."
Adolphe Tanquerey, The Spiritual Life, Tournai: Desclee & Co, 1930, p 176.
posted by Holly at 10:12 AM
2 comments
Reliance on God
"Precisely in my present position, my strength is far from equal to what I am really supposed to do. And the older one gets, the more one suffers from the fact that one simply doesn't have sufficient strength to do what one is supposed to do; that one is too weak and helpless, or not up to situations. And then one says to God - "Now you must help, I can't go on."
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, "Salt of the Earth", San Francisco, Ignatius Press,1997, p13
posted by Holly at 9:53 AM
2 comments
Faithful in Large and Small Things
"Bear patiently the slight injuries, the little inconveniences, the inconsequential losses that daily come to you.... These little daily acts of charity, this headache, toothache, or cold, this bad humor in a husband, this broken glass, this contempt or that scorn, this loss of a pair of gloves, ring or handkerchief, the little inconveniences incurred by going to bed early and getting up early to pray or receive Holy Communion... - in short, all such little trials when accepted and embraced with love are highly pleasing to God's mercy. Since such opportunities present themselves from moment to moment it will be a great means of storing up vast spiritual riches if only you use them well."
St. Francis de Sales, 'Introduction to the Devout Life', NY: Image Books, 1989, p213-214
posted by Holly at 9:14 AM
2 comments
Appreciating Our Vocation as Mothers
"God does not issue two lists of professions: on the one side, those that are conducive to holiness; on the other, those that are not. Unless the work attempts to oppose faith or morals, it may be assumed to be a work that is capable of promoting sanctity.... The first necessity is to find in your soul a respect for your vocation. Once you have this sense of mission, this sense of dedication to a cause more worthwhile than any purely personal claim, the rest can follow."
Dom Hubert Van Zellar, 'Holiness for Housewives (and other working women)', NH: Sophia Institute Press, 1997, pp 15, 19.
posted by Holly at 9:30 AM
1 comments
A "Constant Danger" for Moms
"A constant danger for apostolic workers is to become so involved in their activity for the Lord that they forget that the Lord is in every activity.
They must be aware, therefore, of the ever-increasing importance of prayer in their lives and must learn to devote themselves to it generously. To accomplish that, they need silence in their entire being, which requires regular periods of silence and personal discipline to encourage contact with God."
Pope John Paul II, 'The Private Prayers of Pope John Paul II' , NY : Pocket Books, 2001, p151
posted by Holly at 9:05 AM
1 comments
The Dignity of Housework
"There are those arts necessary for survival: these are the arts concerned with growing crops, making clothes, and building houses. Without food, clothing and shelter we should die; so the arts associated with producing these things are noble and fine."
St. John Chrysostom, 'On Living Simply', Missouri: Liguori/Triumph, 1996, p36
posted by Holly at 11:28 AM
3 comments
The Magnitude of Motherhood
"To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors, and holidays; to be Whitely within a certain area, providing toys, books, cakes, and boots; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene - I can understand how this can exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it.... No, a woman's function is laborious; but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness..."
G.K. Chesterton, 'What's Wrong With the World, NY: Dodd, Mead and Co, 1927, p165
posted by Holly at 2:38 PM
1 comments
The Duty of the Moment
"God speaks today as He spoke to our fathers, when directors were not so numerous, nor methods of direction so well defined... Each moment brought a duty to be faithfully fulfilled; this was sufficient for interior souls of that day... Then, as now, it was all reduced to the simplest and most absolute abandonment of the soul to the will of God under whatever form it manifested itself."
Rev J.P. de Caussade, SJ , 'Abandonment or Absolute Surrender to Divine Providence', Benzinger Brothers, NY, 1945, p31-32.
posted by Holly at 9:19 AM
1 comments
Busy Moms Praying Always
"Who is able to repeat the praises of God all day long? Who can persevere in praising God all day long? I suggest to you a means with which you can praise God all day, if you want. All you do, do well, and you have given praise to God."
St Augustine, as quoted in "Testimony of Hope" by Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, Pauline Books & Media, Boston, 2000, p120
posted by Holly at 9:39 AM
1 comments
Wanting What God Wants
"The person that loves God with his whole heart asks sincerely with the apostle: "Lord, what do you want me to do?"(Acts 9:6) Lord, tell me all that you want me to do, for I am determined to do it! Let us understand well that when we want what God wants, we want what is best for ourselves; for God certainly wants nothing but what is for our good."
St. Alphonsus Liguori, 'Love God and Do What YouPlease', Liguori Publications, 1970, p84
posted by Holly at 1:26 PM
1 comments
Living Each Moment Well for God
"I will no longer look back, but do willingly, simply, humbly, and bravely the duties that come from the circumstances in which I find myself, as your will. To do quickly. To do everything. To do it well. To do it joyfully -- whatever you want of me right now, even if it is beyond my strength, even if it asks my life..."
Pope Paul VI, Pensiero alla Morte, L'Osservatore Romano, August 5, 1979, p5.
posted by Holly at 1:20 PM
1 comments
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