First Week of Lent - Thursday

Day Nine
Part 1 Chapter 9
"Impediments to Spiritual Progress"

Because Monsignor Lejeune connected knowledge that advances spiritual progress and meditation, it would be worthwhile to discuss what meditation is and is not.  Several religions use this same word to describe very different activities.  For some of them it is connected with emptying one's mind of thought.  Individuals who regard themselves as "spiritual" but not religious use the word to describe a quieting of the mind, a relaxing technique, or a way to focus inward on their own "spirit".  Still others attach the word "guided" to meditation when someone, in person or through a book or audio, inserts himself into another's imagination for the purpose of exploring thoughts or emotions, sometimes on a religious theme and sometimes not.  Holy Mother Church means something quite specific when she uses the word "meditation."

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"2705 Meditation is above all a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking. The required attentiveness is difficult to sustain. We are usually helped by books, and Christians do not want for them: the Sacred Scriptures, particularly the Gospels, holy icons, liturgical texts of the day or season, writings of the spiritual fathers, works of spirituality, the great book of creation, and that of history--the page on which the "today" of God is written.

2706 To meditate on what we read helps us to make it our own by confronting it with ourselves. Here, another book is opened: the book of life. We pass from thoughts to reality. To the extent that we are humble and faithful, we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them. It is a question of acting truthfully in order to come into the light: "Lord, what do you want me to do?"

2707 There are as many and varied methods of meditation as there are spiritual masters. Christians owe it to themselves to develop the desire to meditate regularly, lest they come to resemble the three first kinds of soil in the parable of the sower.⁵ But a method is only a guide; the important thing is to advance, with the Holy Spirit, along the one way of prayer: Christ Jesus.

2708 Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.

2723 Meditation is a prayerful quest engaging thought, imagination, emotion, and desire.  Its goal is to make our own in faith the subject considered, by confronting it with the reality of our own life."
 

 In effect, meditation is not vague or abstract.  It has a deliberate subject.  "I am meditating on Mary's humility in the Magnificat."  "While my mouth prays these ten Hail Mary's, I am meditating on the third sorrowful mystery of the rosary."  Also, because meditation is a type of prayer, we must seek the aid of the Holy Spirit in order for it to bear fruit.  Although I am employing my human faculties, "thought, imagination, emotion and desire", Catholic meditation is not supposed to be about me.  

With this understanding, we can see clearly how a laborer in the field, a poor servant girl, or a person working at a convenience store is capable of spiritual progress through this type of knowledge.  It is equally possible for someone with factual knowledge of his religion to be stunted in his spiritual growth because he lacks this type of knowledge, which penetrates the mind and infuses the heart.

Perhaps today, there are five or ten minutes available for you to contemplate one of the beautiful truths of our faith.  Monsignor Lejeune outlined a few examples.

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Additional notes:

"Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds Him." Padre Pio

First Week of Lent-Wednesday

Day 8
Part 1 Chapter 8
"Venial Sins-Its Effects"

Perhaps the best post on this chapter would be to include a few references from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and then reprint the ending of the chapter.

1862 One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent.

1863 Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God; it does not break the covenant with God. With God's grace it is humanly reparable. "Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness."^{134 (John Paul II Reconciliation et paenitentia)}

While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not despise these sins which we call "light": if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession.^{135 (St. Augustine)}

"Under the eye of Jesus, examine your conscience to see what your attitude is towards venial sin (I think that this should just read sin here), and especially towards venial sin, and especially towards a habit of venial sin. Are you not still tolerating yourselves a habit of this sin? Do not excuse yourselves a habit of this. Do not excuse your indolence by saying: "My temperament is the cause of it. After all I do not sin mortally, and therefore I am always in the friendship of God."
Determine clearly the method you will adopt in your struggle against a certain habit of venial sin, and
tell Jesus of your weakness. Tell Him the principal evil from which you suffer, and of which you desire to cure yourselves, with the help of His grace."

I believe that St. Ignatius, in particular, would counsel a person to choose one habit of sin to methodically address at a time. 

First Tuesday of Lent

Day Seven
Part 1 Chapter 7
"Venial Sin-Its Ugliness"

(Before beginning this post, I want to tell you that the "clock" recording the times of my postings is inaccurate.  There is no way that anyone who knows me would believe that I posted this morning at 5-anything AM.)

It was very helpful that Monsignor reiterated toward the end of this chapter that he was writing about committing venial sins intentionally.  Still, I must admit that too many times I have put off going to confession a day or two because they were "only venial sins" I had committed.  Perhaps it is the mindset of rule-breaking that leads to such a way of thinking.  "Oh,  this sin is the equivalent of driving 5 miles over the speed limit." 

The examples Monsignor provided of the thorn or the act of spitting in a father's face need to remain in the forefront of my mind to counter such thinking.  These are hard truths, indeed. 

Thank you, Lord for the gift of a Lenten season to turn my ear toward the call to conversion.

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Additional notes:

Monsignor referenced "Pergmayr" in this chapter.  I believe that is Joseph Pergmayr, who wrote "The Truths of Salvation" in the late nineteenth century.

First Monday of Lent

Day Six

Part 1 Chapter 6 

“Promptness in Rising”

 

"I'm not a morning person."  I don't know when this concept first entered our culture, but it has been my 'go to' excuse for neglecting a number of solid spiritual practices over the years.  Early rising, charitable speech, a healthy breakfast (more as a child and teenager), morning devotions before the duties of the day, morning Mass, were all casualties of my natural preference toward a late bedtime and grudging rising.  

 

Last year when one of my daughters was preparing to make her First Holy Communion, we bought "The King of the Golden City" and read it together daily.  In one of the chapters (I just lent out my copy, so I can't tell you which chapter.) the guardian angel tells his charge about the necessity to take charge of "Self" as soon as "Self" awakens.  He explained how skillful "Self" is at argumentation and persuasion at that moment and how ill-equipped we are; that is why it is better not to listen to a single pleading it offers.  The description of how the rest of the character's day went when the angel's advice went unheeded was an uncanny description of some of my days when I indulge in extra sleep.

 

Saint Josemaria Escriva wrote in "The Way" about rising promptly.  He called it "the heroic minute" (I've also heard it as "moment").  "It is the time fixed for getting up.  Without hesitation: a supernatural reflection and ... up!  The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body."  The saints quoted in our chapter today are even more revealing of the necessity of having an early rising time and firmly adhering to it as a spiritual practice.  If you are naturally disposed to rise early, this practice may not challenge you as much as others discussed in this book.  If, however, you are also not a "morning person" then this is an area of true sacrifice.

Perhaps rather than setting a rising time "before the rays of the sun", simply set a reasonable rising time at first and work to stick to it.  If you set a time (preferably before your children wake) and still find yourself "unable" to be faithful to it, then praise God that your underlying issues have been revealed and can be confronted. 

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Notes
"Give the enemy no quarter!" references the military practice of giving lodging to soldiers, which is called quartering.
Monsignor quoted a verse from the book of Proverbs--"love not sleep"; it is Proverbs 20:13.

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Additional resources: 

This is the edition I would recommend for "The King of the Golden City": http://www.amazon.com/King-Golden-City-Allegory-Children/dp/1934185035

First Sunday of Lent

First Sunday of Lent
Part 1 Chapter 5
"The Need of a Rule of Life"

"A few simple resolutions, clearly stated, will be entirely sufficient. You need not overburden yourselves in the beginning. Go forward step by step. A rule is not immutable; we can always add to it according as divine grace directs us. Indeed, it is better to add to a rule than to subtract from it. It is better to begin at a moderate pace, than to be obliged to slacken our speed, and perhaps lose heart."

There is little doubt in my mind that there is great merit in having a written rule of life.  Years ago I learned of a book entitled, "A Mother's Rule of Life" by Holly Pierlot.  That was my first introduction to the idea of a lay married person having or needing such a thing.  There are particulars in her book that are surely open to discussion, but the premise is sound.  Later, I learned that Kimberly Hahn had done a Bible Study on the same topic (using the Pierlot book as a source).  She had the lessons put on audio tapes, and I bought them.  I used to listen to them while doing housework ( I need all the motivation during my housework that I can get.)  When my, then young, teenage daughter began floundering under the increased freedom and responsibility of high school life we turned to a rule of life to help her stay focused and faithful to the most important aspects of her expanding life.

For those naturally organized and self-disciplined, a rule of life may seem unnecessary; for those of us who are naturally active but more scattered and "spontaneous" with our time, it may seem constraining, burdensome, or even impossible.  The answer to those objections is found in the intention behind the rule of life.  The time we have is not ours to do with as we please, even if we would naturally use it productively or even wisely.  The time we have belongs to its creator, and we are but stewards of it for a short time.  At the end of our earthly lives, we will be called to give an accounting for each moment of it.  Living by a written rule is a constant reminder of this truth.  

Where does one begin?  Monsignor will explain more about the importance of having a set time at which you will rise, in the next chapter.  Until you are able to read that chapter, perhaps these statements from the last chapter: "I shall never put off what I can do now." and "I shall never remain idle, nor lose one single instant of my time." could serve to guide your beginning.  If you are not accustomed to some prayer, however brief, when you first wake up I would also strongly recommend adding that to your rule.  That morning prayer serves to remind the will that it is because of your love for God that you are living this way.  

 

Additional Resources:
One may find Holly Pierlot's book and Kimberly Hahn's study based on the book at the Catholic Company. http://search.catholiccompany.com/search?w=a+mother%27s+rule+of+life 

From the Rule of St. Benedict (Although we are not living the monastic life, it is beneficial for us to consider the diligence with which the Benedictines approached the manual work of each day):
Chapter 48: On the Daily Manual Labor

From Mar. 28 - July 28 - Nov. 27

Idleness is the enemy of the soul.
Therefore the sisters should be occupied
at certain times in manual labor,
and again at fixed hours in sacred reading.
To that end
we think that the times for each may be prescribed as follows.
From Easter until the Calends of October,
when they come out from Prime in the morning
let them labor at whatever is necessary
until about the fourth hour,
and from the fourth hour until about the sixth
let them apply themselves to reading.
After the sixth hour,
having left the table,
let them rest on their beds in perfect silence;
or if anyone may perhaps want to read,
let her read to herself
in such a way as not to disturb anyone else.
Let None be said rather early,
at the middle of the eighth hour,
and let them again do what work has to be done until Vespers.
And if the circumstances of the place or their poverty
should require that they themselves
do the work of gathering the harvest,
let them not be discontented;
for then are they truly monastics
when they live by the labor of their hands,
as did our Fathers and the Apostles.
Let all things be done with moderation, however,
for the sake of the faint-hearted.

From Mar. 29 - July 29 - Nov. 28

From the Calends of October until the beginning of Lent,
let them apply themselves to reading
up to the end of the second hour.
At the second hour let Terce be said,
and then let all labor at the work assigned them until None.
At the first signal for the Hour of None
let everyone break off from her work,
and hold herself ready for the sounding of the second signal.
After the meal
let them apply themselves to their reading or to the Psalms.
On the days of Lent,
from morning until the end of the third hour
let them apply themselves to their reading,
and from then until the end of the tenth hour
let them do the work assigned them.
And in these days of Lent
they shall each receive a book from the library,
which they shall read straight through from the beginning.
These books are to be given out at the beginning of Lent.
But certainly one or two of the seniors should be deputed
to go about the monastery
at the hours when the sisters are occupied in reading
and see that there be no lazy sister
who spends her time in idleness or gossip
and does not apply herself to the reading,
so that she is not only unprofitable to herself
but also distracts others.
If such a one be found (which God forbid),
let her be corrected once and a second time;
if she does not amend,
let her undergo the punishment of the Rule
in such a way that the rest may take warning.
Moreover, one sister shall not associate with another
at inappropriate times.

From Mar. 30 - July 30 - Nov. 29

On Sundays, let all occupy themselves in reading,
except those who have been appointed to various duties.
But if anyone should be so negligent and shiftless
that she will not or cannot study or read,
let her be given some work to do
so that she will not be idle.
Weak or sickly sisters should be assigned a task or craft
of such a nature as to keep them from idleness
and at the same time not to overburden them or drive them away
with excessive toil.
Their weakness must be taken into consideration by the Abbess.

Saturday after Ashes

Saturday
Part 1 Chapter 4
"The Value of Time"

It never ceases to amaze me how instinctively it seems that my husband can remain productive from rising until closing his eyes at the end of the day.  You can probably guess from my admiration that I do not possess this natural quality.  Perhaps it is the Sanguine in me, but I routinely seek some little amusement at the end of a busy day even if I am dog-tired just so that my entire day wasn't just work, work, work. 

Thankfully, Monsignor is not suggesting that holiness and busy-ness are synonymous; he is not advocating becoming a workaholic as the path to perfection.  Idleness is to be avoided because it is a break, not from work but from accomplishing the will of God in a constant and generous fashion (remember that is our definition of perfection in this reading).  There is time when God wills our rest and our leisure.  There is time when it is right for a mother to go outside and frolic in the sun with her children.  The beauty of the "rule of life" referenced in the chapter, and expanded upon in the next chapter, is that those things can happen without sacrificing dinner on the table or clean clothes in the drawers--there is time for everything necessary. 

Several years ago, my friend and I gathered our older daughters and some other middle and high school girls into a van and drove to Nashville, Tennessee.  Grand Ole Opry?  No, (not that we didn't try to fit that in during the planning) the motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia was our destination.  We spent a beautiful day meeting the vocations director and touring the motherhouse, and while my friend and I were gifted with a couple of quiet hours in the chapel, the girls enjoyed Recreation Time with the sisters.  It continues to be a source of inspiration that the sisters accomplish so much prayer time, study time, teaching time and time for household duties during the day and still manage a couple of hours during which they play board games, play volleyball or some other sport, or go for a good stretch of the legs.

Perhaps I can't "do everything", but I can do everything that God has called me to do.
(Tomorrow I will include a few resources on the rule of life, since it is the chapter's focus.)

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Perfection is accomplishing the will of God in a constant and generous fashion.

 

Friday after Ashes

Day Three
Part 1 Chapter 3
"Naturalism"

To what extent does supernatural reality shape my life?

In the midst of a discussion about parish high school youth ministry, a father leaned in and said to me, "All this is well and good, but how is this going to prepare these kids for the real world?". 

As a mother who educates her children at home, I frequently encounter well-intentioned adults who express concern for how my children will fare in "the real world." 

In conversations with young adults I knew as teenagers, too often I hear "the real world" used to describe a place where there are persons who must go un-named for propriety's sake--Divine Persons, and things like grace that should not be discussed even when speaking about one's own life.  There is a level of charity that is demanded by my Lord, but that I must deny while at work in the name of business savvy, they tell me.

The "real world" is what I believe the author would call the natural world.  It's the part of reality that any sane person can recognize.  With the gift of faith, however, human persons are made aware of the fullness of reality--of a Trinitarian God Who made all things "visible and invisible". Through the Holy Spirit, Our Lord has revealed things to humanity which are intimate details of the love of the Father for His creation and the love within the Persons of God.  No longer may we behave as if we do not know what the Father is doing. (John 15:15)

Let us allow the Good News of the supernatural reality to strengthen our resolve to grow in holiness, to "accomplish the will of God in a constant and generous fashion", and to rest in the peace that the Lord gives to us in this very moment.

Thursday after Ashes

Day Two

Part 1 Chapter 2 

“A Catalogue of Souls”

How reasonable, and yet challenging, it is to assess the state of our soul at the beginning of this Lenten journey.  We see the perfection that is Christ and know for certain that we lack, but along the many steps from our current state to Him it is helpful to know which step is next.

I also found it quite helpful to be reminded that an accurate assessment of the soul can only be made by examining the will.  First, what is my intention regarding my life?  Am I living with the deliberate intention of doing God's will and avoiding that which is not His will, most especially what is contrary to His will?  Then, am I actively submitting my own will so that His will becomes preferable to mine?

Please feel encouraged to comment on the chapters and/or what I write.  You all have such wonderful insights and perspectives!

(In order to guard us from false humility or pride, let us refrain from referencing in our comments on this chapter the current state of our soul.)

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Definitions (and other word notes)

ferent is a typo and should be fervent   

buren is also a typo and should be burden

cavilling: raising trivial or frivolous objections

self-abnegation: synonymous with self-denial

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Additional resources: 

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1849-1864 for a treatment of mortal and venial sins.

 

Ash Wednesday

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

http://catholicexchange.com/living-the-present-moment-the-wisdom-of-archbishop-fulton-sheen/

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:

http://angelicum.net/newsroom/the-four-temperaments-by-rev-conrad-hock/

Reading Plan for Lent 2012

Welcome!

If you're reading this post, then you are probably a Catholic homeschooling mother whom I have invited to read "Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers" by Monsignor Lejeune during Lent of 2012.  (It is also possible, however, that you came across this blog with no prior connection to me at all.  As you read this, it may not even be 2012 anymore.  Oh well!)  Through the use of comment posting, this blog may prove to be a useful tool for sharing our reflections on the book's content; that's my intention.

Although there are 43 days of Lent before the Triduum, there are only 28 chapters to Monsignor's book.  We will read one chapter each day.  Don't worry, the chapters are very brief; after all, the book is written for mothers ("busy mother" would be a redundancy).  Using only the first 28 days of Lent for the reading will allow us to use the remaining days to put into practice any resolutions or do follow-up reading.  To that end, I will keep the blog active throughout Lent so that continued encouragement and/or questions may be posted. 

On Ash Wednesday, read Part One, Chapter One: "True and False Devotion".

"Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers" may be accessed online for free at http://ihsacademy.com/books/CounselsofPerfection.pdf