Novena for Homeschooling Moms

This very lovely novena can be found HERE

H/T to Anne

Homeschoolers - Call for Catholic Children's Poetry

I received the following email:

Good afternoon,

...Based on a workshop I put together for Milwaukee area homeschoolers last summer, I recently launched Signs & Wonders: A Young Catholics' Poetry Journal as a non-profit way to give children from 5 -18 an outlet to publish and read poetry by others who share our faith. My team and I have gotten a great response from the first issue, and we want to keep that momentum going. Please take a look at the attached flyer with more details, and post/pass this information along to parents, teachers, or students who might be interested.

The next deadline for poetry submissions is January 30.

Also, if you have additional ideas for helping us get the word out about the journal, we'd love to hear them!


Blessings and peace,

Erik Richardson, Editor
(and former homeschooling dad)

Announcing the call for submissions for the next issue of . . .

Signs & Wonders
A YOUNG CATHOLICS’
POETRY JOURNAL

Mission:
Launched by a Milwaukee Catholic school teacher and poet, Signs & Wonders gives young people of different ages a chance to read the work of other young people who share their same values and an opportunity to have their own work published.

As Gerard Manley Hopkins expressed it, "The world is charged with the grandeur of God." That idea captures the spirit behind the poetry journal and is reflected in the journal's name. Our talented young writers should be looking for the many ways—large and small—that the world around us gives glimpses of grace.

Structure:
The poetry will be selected for publication according to age categories to provide for differences in experience and ability.

Submission Deadline:
In order to be eligible for the next issue, poems must be received by January 30, 2009.

Submission Guidelines:
• Poetry should be free verse form (not rhymed, not formally metered, etc.).
• There is a limit of 20 lines per poem, and you may submit from 1 to 3 poems.
• The author's name and age should be included on each page.
• We accept both e-mail and snail mail submissions. For snail mail, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope to receive a reply.
• The poems should fit in with the spirit of the journal mentioned above.
• The author will retain copyrights to his/her work, while Signs & Wonders will have first publication rights as well as use of the poems for promoting the journal (and possible posting to the journal's future website).
• Send submissions to:
E. Richardson, Editor
3225 N. 91st Street
Milwaukee, WI 53222
erichardson@wi.rr.com

Catholics Called to Abandon Public Schools

Still more reasons why it is better to homeschool your child.

Catholic Knight covered it here

Fr. John Hardon on Catholic Homeschooling

Shared by Susan.

Christ Speaks to Us

I would like to address the subject of Catholic home schooling in the tradition of the Catholic Church, and my plan is to cover three areas of a large subject.

What has the Catholic Church considered as home schooling in the Church's history? Secondly, why is home schooling necessary? And thirdly, how should home schooling be done most effectively?

The focus I would like to take is of home schooling as authentically Catholic. I would like to begin first with a general definition of Catholic home schooling, and then distinguish various kinds of home schooling in the Church's history...

Online Homeschool Conference

From Maureen Wittmann

There is still time to register for tomorrow's session featuring Dr. Mary Kay Clark of Seton Home Study.

Homeschool Connections

Back to (Home)School With Jesus

Thanks to Micki of Holy Cards for Your Inspiration for the lovely picture and following prayer.

"...Jesus our only teacher...thank you for bringing me this far...."
Nicholas of Cusa

Our family officially began the new school year with the recitation of the Holy Rosary, daily Mass and a lovely breakfast. Hope all your families have a wonderful and blessed school year.

The Preventative System of Education As Implemented by St. John Bosco

Fr. Bing Arellano of the Alliance of the Holy Family talked about education of our children during St. John Bosco's time and in the present time. His show is aired on EWTN in the afternoons here in Hawaii.

Don Bosco's method of the Preventative System of Education according to the Blessed Virgin Mary produced in his boys, holiness, purity and saints. The education system forced on our society today which includes emphasis on sex education produces as its fruits homosexuality and child molestation.

Fr. Bing says we have to counter the harmful education system we have today. One way of doing so is through homeschooling.

This Preventative System of Education comes from the Four Pillars of Salesian Spirituality.

First pillar: devotion to Mary Help of Christians

For Don Bosco, the Immaculate Virgin, Mary Help of Christians, was the ever-present Mother who helps her children daily, going to their rescue and leading them to Jesus. "Be devoted to Mary Help of Christians", he would habitually say, "and you will see what miracles are!".

Second pillar: devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist

The second pillar of Don Bosco's spirituality was devotion to Jesus in the
Eucharist, which he saw as the heart of every Salesian house. He used to remind young people: "If you want many graces, pay many visits to Jesus in the Sacrament; if you want few graces, pay him few".

Don Bosco was a "vir eucharisticus", that is, a saint formed through and through by the Eucharist. He was so passionate about the Eucharist that he communicated his passion to the young people he carefully prepared for communion with the Lord through the sacrament of Reconciliation. For Don Bosco, Confession and the Eucharist were the two sacraments that inculcated in young people the Christian virtues and holiness.
On this topic he wrote in 1877:

"Frequent Confession, frequent Communion and daily Mass are the pillars that must support an educational building that we desire to protect from threats and scourges. Never force youngsters to receive the holy sacraments, but only encourage them and make it easy for them to do so" (John Bosco, Il sistema preventivo nella educazione della gioventù [1877], n. 4).

The 15-year-old St Dominic Savio is a shining example of this sacramental pedagogy which strengthened his virtuous habits and his union with Jesus, witnessed by his Eucharistic ecstasies during Holy Communion.

Third pillar: educational system based on joy, hope

The third pillar of Don Bosco's spirituality was his educational system of joy and hope. Dominic Savio, who once said to Don Bosco: "I am the fabric, you are the tailor; make me into a beautiful suit for the Lord!", had fully grasped this when he suggested to his young companions: "Let's make holiness consist in being very cheerful!"...

..."Run, jump, amuse yourselves as much as you like, but for pity's sake, don't sin!"...

Fourth pillar: devotion to Church and Vicar of Christ

Don Bosco's fourth and last pillar is his devotion to the Church, to her Pastors and especially to the Holy Father. His love for the Pope was extraordinary and is an integral part of the Salesian formation and apostolate.

To read the above text in its entirety please visit EWTN's Library: The Four Pillars of Salesian Spirituality.

Feast Day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Picture has been changed because an observant reader questioned whether the previous picture was indeed Mother Seton or Mother Cabrini. After closely looking at it, I think she was right...it was Mother Cabrini. Mahalo Patm!

Fr. Paul gave a wonderful little homily on Mother Seton today at Mass. He talked about how she was an Episcopalian who converted to Catholicism mostly due to the good influence of her Italian friends in Italy...her love of the Eucharist...that she was a wife...mother of 5 children...then widow....how she started an order, the Sisters of Charity...and how she is also known as an educator because she started the parochial Catholic school system in the United States, and how she is the first American born saint.

But what captured my attention most of all is when he told us that she was at George Washington's Inauguration and how she even danced with President Washington at the Inaugural ball!

Fr. Paul is also from New Jersey which explains his admiration for this particular saint, who is very big on the East Coast... She hails from New York after all. He mentioned that Seton Hall University in South Orange is named for her. He also mentioned that the Sisters of Charity are still in New Jersey. In fact, the mother house is in Convent Station. A very beautiful place to visit if you have a chance. Our dear friend and my sisters' 6th grade teacher Sr. Lucy Mary Sullivan resides there.

And to all you families with children in parochial schools or who use the Seton Home Study Curriculum for homeschooling...HAPPY FEAST DAY!

Recommended Viewing and Reading for Children - St. Francis Xavier

For viewing: Francis Xavier and the Samurai's Lost Treasure. A video by CCC and one in a series of videos of saints for younger children. All ages will enjoy it though. Joey and I did at lunch time today.

For reading: Saint Francis of the Seven Seas by Albert J. Nevins. M.M., a Visions Book.

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus That Children May Have the Grace of a Catholic Education

The following is from Seton Home Study

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, parenthood is, I realize, a sacred trust. Let me not be neglectful of my duty. I know that proper religious education is all important and that without it, all other learning is of little worth. I appreciate, too, that it is a serious and grave obligation for Catholic parents to strive generously and perseveringly to obtain a good Catholic education for their children. Let me generously and bravely strive to obtain for them the religious education which You desire. May I remember that I shall have to give an account to You for every soul entrusted to me. Remembering this, may I generously fulfill that most important duty of any parent, to provide the proper spiritual instruction for their children. Heart of Jesus, Fountain of all knowledge, have mercy on us.

[Mother's Manual, Queen's Work, 1957]

The Successful Homeschool: Some Key Ingredients

H/T to Sue

"A couple years back I attended the wedding reception of a childhood friend, a devout secularist. Although I preferred to banquet alongside old Uncle Hermie I was thoughtfully placed next to my chum’s pagan college roommate – an avowed Womyn, Hear Me Roar. (Something about being the same age; either that or her mother had finally devised a way to get me back for trying to convert her daughter.) We quickly found that we had nothing in common except being opinionated in English. As the conversation proceeded it came out that my husband (who was dutifully propping up his napkin) and I not only had four whole children but we were also homeschooling them. Gads! The womyn volunteered that some relative of hers was also doing that but that she and the family were decidedly against it for social reasons – visions of Boo Radley pacing behind boarded up windows and what not. She wanted to know what compelled people like us to do it. There were so many, I told her. “Top reason,” she commanded. After meditating for a minute I said, “I guess I just like the people.” She was dumbfounded. She expected me to say, “I don't like the schools; I wish to hide my kids from the world; I am a certified genius and so are my kids,” or words to that effect. “In fact,” said I, as she retracted her canines, “the social issue is what led me to homeschool in the first place.”

Click title above for the entire article.

Also, click HEREfor more articles relating to Catholic homeschooling.

Back to School Prayer

Mahalo to my friend Easter for sharing this with us.







Back to School

Praise you, Lord, for the blessing of learning.

—Catholic Prayers for Every Day and All Day

Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do—work, study, play.

-St. John Bosco

PRAYER

We pray for all students

That they may learn and study

With Christ’s wisdom and understanding

And use all knowlege to make this world

A better place to live.

We pray for all parents and teachers

That they may bring to the children

The love of God first

Then love for God next.

With Christ as the anchor of learning

We shall prevail

And achieve that which Christ

Has planned for each child He brings

To this world.

We pray with Mary,

In her Son’s name, Jesus,

Amen!

-Easter A.