Ash Wednesday
Part 1
Chapter1
“True and False Devotion”
We are reading "Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers." Whenever the words "perfection" and "mothers" appear together, most women's hearts will begin racing. Depending on her temperament, she may hang her head in defeat and drop the book before even opening it or believe that in 64 short pages she will have the tools to be the perfect Christian mother she always knew that she was destined to be. We will avoid these two extremes together, ladies--yes, we will.
More than simply a manual on how to do everything 'right' as a mother, this work is aimed at orienting us in such a way that God's will may be accomplished with the greatest glory given to Him. There is no ego in this type of perfection; there is no personal glory in the running nor shame in the stumbling. When Jesus commands us to be perfect (Matthew 5:48) it is, I believe, more an invitation than a challenge. He calls us to draw near--near to Him and near to the Father. In this Lenten season, He invites you to submit yourself and your motherhood to the Holy Spirit--to accept Him as your guide and draw nearer to the perfection of your Father Who loves you.
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Please don't be offended if I include a few definitions.
affectation: the act of taking on or displaying an attitude or mode of behavior not natural to oneself or not genuinely felt It is akin to pretension.
macerations: excessive fastings to the point that one appears drawn
detraction and calumny: each sins against the Eighth Commandment; the former involves sharing someone's true faults, weaknesses, or misdeeds while the latter involves harm to someone's reputation with accusations that are not true. CCC 2477 and 2479
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FOCUS of the chapter:
Perfection
consists in accomplishing the will of God in a constant and generous fashion.
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Additional resources:
CCC 2659 and 2660 on seeking and doing God's will in the present moment
Mother Angelica also has a video on YouTube talking about living in the present moment. I couldn't get the link to work here, but it is easy to locate on the site.
To learn more about temperaments:
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