September 2013 - Heart of Mary Homeschool Network

Transcription

Heart of Mary
Homeschool Support Group
Our Mission:
Heart of Mary Homeschool is a catholic support
organization serving Steubenville and the
surrounding areas.
Virtue of the Month: Obedience
Magisterial Moment: “To obey God is to listen to
Him, to have an open heart, to go on the road
that God shows us.”
Page 3
The Year of Faith
September 2013
Newsletter
The Next Meeting,
September 24th 2013 at 7
p.m. in St. Peter's
basement.
The focus of the meeting is
Early Education with special
guest speaker Jody
Erickson.
Padre Pio, Saint of Obedience
Padre Pio’s greatest legacy is his obedience to his superior,
and to Rome at a time when many very conservative and
traditional Catholics were attacking the Holy Father for
the changes in the Church.
Falsely accused of disrupting the Mass, Padre Pio was ordered by
the Holy Father to say Mass privately in his room and without a
single objection he did so for six years. His superior trying to hold
down the crowds to his daily Mass ordered them said at 4:00 AM
and Padre Pio never even asked why. At a time when the world
was attacking Pope Paul VI for the changes to the Mass, Padre
supported him with a letter dated 12 September 1968, just 11 days
before Padre Pio died on 23 September.
Continued
on page 4
Service Team:
Amy McManamon
Helen Rogers
Fiona Ruminski
Website: Crystal McCalister
Treasurer: Kathy Schweitzer
Newsletter Input:
Contact the Service Team
hom@heartofmaryhomeschool.org
Flocknote Update Input:
update@heartofmaryhomeschool.org
Notes are Immediate updates
regarding more time sensitive and
urgent information such as prayer
requests, critical need in covering
Adoration hours, births, immediate
needs for meals etc.
Inside this Issue:
Pastor’s Corner P 2
Magisterial Moment P 3
Updates and Announcements Pp 6-7
From a Mother's Heart P 8
Books in Review Pp 9-10
Grandiloquence P 10
Let the Children Come to Me P 17
newsletter@heartofmaryhomeschool.org
If you would like something published
in the next newsletter, please send
information to the above email.
Heart of Mary – www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org
September Newsletter
Pastor’s Corner
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John XXIII Stressed Obedience as the Path to
Peace, Pope Emeritus said on the 50th
anniversary of the death of Pope John, Francis
spoke about his predecessor’s ‘gradual
purification of the heart.’
By Edward Pentin 06/11/13 excerpt from The National Catholic
Register
Magisterial Moment
Continued from pg 1. Obedience is the
path to freedom, Francis said in his
homily at this morning's Mass. In the
customary early morning Mass
celebrated at his residence, Domus
Sanctae Marthae, Francis today spoke
of obeying God and
discerning his will, Vatican Radio
reported. "To obey God,” said Pope
Francis, “is to
listen to Him, to have an open heart, to
go
on the road that God shows us.” "This is
what makes us free," he added. Francis
also spoke of the difficulties that often
accompany our efforts to discern the
true voice of God speaking to us. He
said, “In our lives we hear things that do
not come from Jesus,” adding, “our
weaknesses at times lead us on [the
wrong] road.”
Nevertheless, God does not leave us to
our devices. He does not abandon us to
our weakness and sinfulness. “It is
precisely the Holy Spirit,” he said, “who
gives us the strength to go forward.”
"He sends His spirit without measure,
[in order that we might] hear Jesus,”
and walk in His way," Francis
reflected.
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis said peace was the outward hallmark of
Blessed Pope John XXIII, whose death 50 years ago this month provoked
an outpouring of tributes from leading Catholic figures. Others
remembered him as a man of prayer, a great historian and a pope with the
common touch who liked to be with people.
The Holy Father commemorated the golden anniversary with a Mass in St.
Peter’s Basilica June 3, during which he called on the faithful to imitate
Blessed Pope John by growing in obedience to God and self-mastery to
achieve peace. “If peace was the outward hallmark [of Pope John],
obedience constituted his inner disposition,” he told pilgrims from the
Diocese of Bergamo in northern Italy, where Pope John XXIII was born
and given the name Angelo Roncalli. “Obedience, in fact, was the
instrument with which to achieve peace,” he added, explaining how he
accomplished it through “long and challenging work on himself” as he
pursued a path of “gradual purification of the heart.” “We see him, day by
day, careful to recognize and mortify the desires that come from his own
selfishness, careful to discern the inspirations of the Lord,” he said.
Francis stressed that John XXIII’s obedience led him to live “a more
profound faithfulness, which could be called, as he would say,
abandonment to divine Providence.”
In Speech to Cardinals, Pope Benedict Promises
Obedience to His Successor
VATICAN CITY • Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI promised his
“unconditional reverence and obedience” to his successor in his final
words to cardinals in February, a poignant and powerful farewell
delivered hours before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign.
“Among you is also the future pope, whom I today promise my
unconditional reverence and obedience,” Benedict said in his final
audience…Read more at http://stlouiscatholic.blogspot.com
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Pio Cont: This is that letter by Padre Pio to
Pope Paul VI:
"I well understand what profound afflictions
you carry in your heart these days for the lot
of the Church, for world peace, for the many
necessities of the people, but above all for
the lack of spirit of obedience of a certain
number of Catholics as to the enlightened
teachings that you, assisted by the Holy
Spirit, and in the name of God, have given
us.
Permit me, as your humble spiritual son, to
offer you my daily prayer and suffering,
imploring God to comfort you with His grace
in order that you may go forward, in your
straight and arduous path, in the defense of
those eternal truths that remain unaltered
with the changing times.
I thank you also, in the name of my spiritual
children and 'Prayer Groups' for the clear and
decided words you have given us in
Humanae Vitae and I reaffirm my faith, my
unconditional obedience to your illuminated
instructions.
May Our Lord concede the triumph of the
truth, peace to His Church, tranquility of
heart to all the people, health and prosperity
to Your Holiness, in order that with the
passing of these clouds the Kingdom of God
may triumph in all hearts through your
apostolic work as Supreme Pastor of all
Christianity."
This was the last letter Padre Pio ever
wrote. 
“He who is not with the Pope is not
with God.” Sister Lucia of Fatima
“The devil can imitate humility but he
cannot imitate obedience.”-St Faustina
Between Friends: A Book Review
By Elizabeth McManamon
Courtney Filomena Lee, as well as being an amazing young
authoress, is also one of my very dearest friends. Her story, “St.
Philomena: The Story of a Stubborn Princess”, touches the reader in
a way both unique and intimate. The manner in which she brings to
life the story of such a determined young lady that lived more than
1700 years ago, with such detail and life, is a powerful witness that
with God all things are possible.
Through the book, the reader can easily recognize the
devotion and love the young author has for her patroness,
and through her writings, the reader is also brought closer to
the Saint. With its compelling twists and turns leading up to
the ultimate sacrifice offered by the thirteen-year-old virgin,
this story teaches readers that even through pain and sorrow,
there is always hope in the Lord. Written about a lovely,
reverent, and God-seeking thirteen-year-old, by a lovely,
reverent, and God-seeking thirteen-year-old (Courtney was
thirteen at the time she wrote the book about two years ago),
the book sincerely captures the feelings, hopes, and fears, of
a young person willing to offer her life to God. “St.
Philomena: The Story of a Stubborn Princess” truly
illuminates John Paul the Great’s message to the youth at
World Youth Day 1989 in Spain: “Do not be afraid to be
saints.” Though not all of us are called to go through the
physical pain and abandonment, which St. Philomena
experienced, we are all called to be saints. Courtney’s book
not only tells the story of one amazing Saint, it also issues a
challenge to each and every one of us. We can offer all of
our actions to Our Heavenly Father. We can make a
difference by bringing people closer to God. We are all
called to be saints. Pope Francis has said, “Young people
are just as attracted to the truth as they are convenience and
expediency.” In Courtney’s book, I find much to which the
youth of today will be attracted: the beauty and simplicity of
Philomena and her trust in God, the colorful imagery the
authoress has woven, and especially, the overall message
that I personally gained from reading my friend’s bookGod will always protect and preserve us unto the end of
time. 
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Educational Internet Resources by Cheryl McGuire
I was asked to revive the “Educational Internet
Resources”, a column on websites that may be of
interest to you. I immediately agreed! I LOVE
exploring for new resources! Last November, my
daughter introduced me to the world of Pinterest, so
I’ve found an incredible plethora of educational
resources, especially from other teachers &
homeschool moms. The websites listed are
hyperlinked for easy access.
If there’s anything that you would like me to find &
post for everyone’s benefit, please let me know.
Also, if you have any websites that you think would
benefit others, please e-mail me
(mcguire812@gmail.com) so I can publish them in a
future newsletter which will also be available for
future use & easy retrieval on the Heart of Mary
Homeschool website.
One word of caution: although I have looked at the
websites I’m recommending, I have not necessarily
scrutinized them for moral content, so please
proceed with caution and use your own discretion to
determine what’s appropriate for your children,
especially before having them use any of the sites.
All of the sites are FREE unless specified. Blessings
& happy browsing, Cheryl McGuire
http://www.gutenberg.org – This website offers over
42,000 free ebooks with various formats. You can
either download them or read them online. There are
many classics available here.
http://creeksidelearning.com/2012/09/25/ha
nds-on-math-learning-for-kindergartenand-firstgrade - This is a very creative site with a lot of
inexpensive suggestions for hands-on math learning
for kindergarten & 1st grade, but can certainly be
adapted for older grade levels as well.
http://mathvids.com – This site offers over 1,500
FREE math videos for Middle school, High school
& College students. In reading their “About Us”
page, I was impressed by their expertise, philosophy
& scrutiny regarding quality in what they will allow
to be published on their site from teachers’
submitted lectures. It’s an easy site to navigate & has
a search function.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cathswap This site is
“Catholic Curriculum Swap” & is “The Largest &
Oldest Curriculum Swap Resource for Roman
Catholics on the Net Since 1999” There are over
7,000 members, so there’s plenty of opportunity to
find what you need or sell what you need. If you
choose to join, which is FREE, be sure to read the
guidelines for what you are allowed to post. There
are some companies for which they do not allow
materials to be posted.
http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/ This is
everything homeschool: curriculum swaps,
homeschool links, discussion boards galore –
including the following boards: Charlotte Mason,
Special Needs, Classical Education & Unschooling.
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Updates and Announcements
Dear Homeschooling Parents and Families,
My name is Olivia Meldrum, and I'm a young
Catholic who is seeking to serve the Church to
the best of the abilities and talents that God
has given me. As a 2013 FUS graduate with
degrees in Theology and Sacred Music
(voice), I have a particular interest in and love
for the Tridentine Mass, Sacred Music,
Gregorian Chant, Classical Music and Music
in general. Currently, I'm working with both
children and adults in private voice
instruction.
To get an idea of my musical background,
here’s a recording from St. Hildegard of
Bingen’s Orde Virtutum, performed at FUS in
Oct. 2012 during my Senior year. I’m
performing the part of the Soul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac4jpPZ
Knk
I was homeschooled my entire life until FUS.
My education involved lots of exposure to the
visual arts, dance, poetry, writing, and
performance in the arts. As a homeschooled
teen I was involved in a variety of arts and
humanities activities – that have prepared me
for some of the teaching and tutoring positions
I currently hold!
During high school, I also danced in a pre-professional dance
company with a focus in classical ballet. While there
I helped teach a special needs class to children with various mental
disabilities. Modern, tap, and character dancing were also part of
my training. I would love to work with any children that could
benefit from exposure to dance in a patient, loving environment.
Currently I am tutoring online and working as a TA for my sister's
online AP English Language and AP English Literature courses.
If you have a student that could use help with either subject at any
level I can help them get more excited about English, the
humanities, the arts, or get ready for an AP exam. I took 7 AP
exams and earned full credit when applying to FUS.
If you're thinking I may be able to add some fun and enrichment to
your homeschooled child's learning experiences please contact me
and we'll talk!
In Christ,
Olivia Meldrum
Directions for registering for flocknote
In high school, I participated in both the
Scholastic Writing Competitions and the
National Poetry Out Loud Competition. In
2007, I won the Poetry Out Loud state
championship and went to DC for the national
competition that year.
I also write, and am in the midst of various
projects in both poetry and prose.
Dramatic Poetry recitation is something I can
help a student prepare for as a way to develop
both poise, and appreciation for the art.
1) Go to www.flocknote.com
2) Go to Register
3) Register your name and email with new password
4) Go to your email and confirm your email
5) This will take you back to flocknote, click on find
network
6) Search for Heart of Mary Newsletter and Updates
7) Click Subscribe
This will subscribe you to all the information from our Heart
of Mary Homeschool Group including the monthly
newsletter.
Please feel free to search other interests you may find on
flocknote!
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Updates and Announcements Continued
Pre-Reading, Reading Classes &
Private Tutoring for the 20132014 School Year:
-Simple eye exercises to build
-Reading periphery &
reading speed
I am offering a few levels of reading
classes and one pre-reading class for the
upcoming school year. Class sizes are
limited, in order to allow for
individualized attention.
All classes & private tutoring will
include worksheets requiring
students to apply their knowledge
& understanding of the spelling
rules or word usage. I have
developed these worksheets over
the past 15 years to better facilitate
learning as well as utilize higher
level thinking skills & to better
determine each student’s needs for
further instruction.
READING/SPELLING CLASSES &
PRIVATE
TUTORING for the 2013-14 school
year: I will teach the students to utilize
sequential, multisensory* (left & right
brain) thinking and will train them in
analytical & higher level thinking skills.
(This method is not memorization
based.) Studies have proven that these
analytical, higher level thinking skills,
easily transfer to other academic
subjects & problem solving situations.
The high frequency word list is based on
85% of the common written English
language. (see below for an explanation
of the benefits of multisensory learning)
Text used: The Writing Road to
Reading
The following areas of language arts
will be covered during the school
year:
-70 Phonogram
-High frequency word list
-5 rules for the “silent final e”
-Capitalization & punctuation
-Reading practice
-Homonyms, homophones,
homographs
-Reading comprehension
-Vowel & consonant usage
-Application of 29 spelling rules
-Compound words
-Contractions
-Penmanship
-Dictation for the younger classes
-Word-building: prefixes, suffixes&
spelling rules
Monthly diagnostic tests
are given to determine both
student progress & areas of
weakness, which will be given
additional attention. A
successful motivational reward
system is also used to
encourage progress.
Class options: Three-day-aweek
classes: Beginners
(minimum age 6 by Nov.1),
Advanced Beginners,
Intermediate; Twice-a-week
classes: Advanced
Intermediate; Once-a-week
class: Advanced Readers. A
diagnostic test will be given to
determine placement. Formation of
the class levels will depend on
signup.
PRE-READING CLASS: This is a
one-day-per-week class is for 5-6
year old children. (one hour per
class) This allows the opportunity
for children to be introduced to the
basic concepts of the sound/symbol
relationship by utilizing their
multisensory* skills (see below for
an explanation of the benefits of
multisensory learning). In this class
I will help the children begin to
develop the skills necessary for
decoding & encoding which are
required for reading & spelling. I
will introduce 1 & 2-letter
phonogram sounds. Additionally, I
will guide the students as they
practice putting the phonogram
sounds together to create words.
Since fine motor skills are still
being developed at this age, I will
utilize sand writing and
whiteboards instead of pencils and
paper. I will also focus on correct
formation of the alphabet letters to
prevent letter reversals. We will
engage in fun hand activities &
crafts to aid in preparation for
writing with pencils and paper.
There are minimal homework
requirements.
Class size is limited to 4
students.
Call Cheryl McGuire at
740-284-8588 to sign up
or, for more
information.
7
Continued from previous column: I
wear a
rather large crucifix that a friend brought back
from Rome. It serves not only to identify me as
a member of the Catholic Church, but also to
remind me of the price that was paid for that
membership. It encourages me to live up to that
symbol that identifies me as a disciple. I think
of it as my eternal I.D. tag.
From a Mother’s Heart:
By Judy Bratten
With permission, the following is a reprint from the April 2003
Heart of Mary Homeschool Newsletter.
My Jewish grandfather was a religious man. Not that
he did any preaching…he could barely speak
English! But he was in the synagogue every morning
for prayers, he observed all the dietary and rabbinical
injunctions of his religion, and he lived a saintly and a
holy life (putting up with my cantankerous grandmother
was an example of it). He didn’t need to speak about his
convictions, he lived them.
My father-a believer but not so tied to tradition-once
asked my grandfather to identify himself in three words
or phrases. He answered “I am a child of God, a father,
and a husband.” My dad was impressed. “Your
grandfather didn’t mention that he was a good tailor or
that he was an American citizen.” He commented,
“Although he was proud of both. And notice which he
put first.”
My grandfather knew his identity…knew who he was
in the larger scheme of things…and wasn’t selfconscious about it.
As parents, one of our greatest responsibilities is to
give our children a strong sense of identity with
Christ and His Church. One reason most of us
homeschool is to make that bond as strong as possible.
We use medals, scapulars, rosaries, and other
sacramentals to help us and our children maintain that
identity. Continued In Next Column
Among our local group, I am impressed by
the number of young men and women who
wear their scapulars and medals or t-shirts
proclaiming their faith, but even more, by the
way they interact with one another, their
parents, and their siblings. They are
proclaiming, along with St. Paul, “I am not
ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the
power of God unto salvation,” (Romans 1:16)
In his recent Easter message, Bishop Conlon
writes about the great gift of salvation we have
in Christ and of the responsibility we have as
believers to “be instruments who help lead
others” to Christ. By affirming our identity as
children of God, we can be living examples of
the good news of Christ. As St. Francis said,
“Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary,
use words.” St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin
Mary are our models, our grandparents in faith
that is more precious than gold.
Taken from the April 2003 Heart of Mary Newsletter
Classified
Used Selmer Clarinet in Case for sale.
$175. ginnad@sbcglobal.net
8
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1
Heavenly Father, let us rejoice in the precious gift of our children. In a world where
children are seen as disposable, a burden and an inconvenience, give us the grace to
joyfully embrace each minute we are gifted to spend with our children. Give us the grace
to direct, discipline, and inspire, by our words and actions, and never be a hindrance to
the salvation of others, especially our own children. Fill our homes with Your peace and
joy, and model them after the happy home of the Holy Family. We thank you for the gift
of children and ask Your protection of their tender souls.
Amen.
Books in Review
Beth Dougherty
With permission, the following is a reprint from a
past Heart of Mary Homeschool Newsletter.
BEOWULF AND OF CLASSIFYING
LITERATURE
Sharing my thoughts with this readership offers
boundless opportunities to expose myself as equally
opinionated and ignorant. When enthusiasm inflames
a neophyte like me, a lot of tilting at windmills is
bound to ensue. I’m especially aware of that this
month because my topic is so far beyond my scope.
There are works I read – or was supposed to read – in
high school or college, the very titles of which caused
my brain to glaze over and a rigidity to enter my neck
muscles and finger joints. It was not that I was sure
they would bore me – although I was sure – but I
believed they belonged to a class of literature
inaccessible to my popular-novel-saturated mind. This
conviction, more than my undoubted over-exposure to
third-rate (or worse) fiction, did actually cause me
some difficulty in reading many classical works.
In my ignorance, I thought I must plod through them,
scanning each sentence with unalleviated seriousness,
certain all the while that, howsoever I tried, I wouldn’t
“get” them.
Blessed be the day when it dawned on me (God bless
the angelic patience of my U. of Dallas literature
professors!) that these were, first of all, stories. That
they might be silly, funny, exaggerated, tender, just
like any other story. What had been tedious became
amusing, interesting, or at the very least,
comprehensible. I’d like to encourage any
homeschooling mom who might, like me, have
shied away from reading, and assigning, works like
the following. They may be (they are) classics, but,
for you and me, they can be rollicking good
stories. I’ll start with:
Beowulf
I’ll spare you all the erudite information about its
English composer who probably lived in the eighth
century, because, although it is interesting, you’ll
find it in your Norton Anthology. It does help to
know a little bit of background when you read it,
so you understand the relationship between the
Scyldings and the Geats. Even without it, though,
the story plunges right along, electric with interest.
Beowulf is a prince and a hero, a guy who can
swim the ocean waves seven nights and days, in
full armor, fighting enormous sea monsters and
leaving the beaches strewn with corpses, and come
out of the water fresh as a daisy. Naturally, when a
monster starts visiting his neighbor Hrothgar’s
mead hall and gobbling up his best knights,
everyone shouts, ”Send for Beowulf!” So Beowulf
gets a bunch of his friends together and goes to the
rescue. Of course, all Hrothgar’s own knights (they
call them “thanes”), although anxious to have these
late-night gorgings stopped, feel like they have to
brag a little, and slang Beowulf, to save face; so
then, naturally, Beowulf tells some of his great
adventures, just to show the kind of guy they’re
dealing with. It begins to look like the two sides
might fight one another, instead of the monster, but
Beowulf promises Hrothgar he won’t leave until he
has dealt with the nuisance, and all the Scyldings –
Hrothgar’s men – leave him to it.
The monster’s name is Grendel. He’s terrifically
ugly, and splashes blood everywhere when he eats
thanes, but he’s really no match for Beowulf, who
rips Grendel’s arm off first time in the ring.
Continued on pg 10
9
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1
Grandiloquence
Homemade Manipulatives to Make and Share
A cool breeze with a warm sun and a few random weed leaves changing colors
remind us that a new school year is about to begin. School supplies beckon from
Kroger, Walmart, K-Mart, Ollies, and Aldis-even if we don’t have any littles to
teach this fall, we feel like we should stock up.
As grandparents, we find ourselves in a very different situation that our married
children who are preparing for the school year. We have time! The day-to-day
demands on our time and energy are far less than we were juggling babies,
toddlers, and middle-schoolers. What can we do with this time, especially in
preparation for the school years, to assist our adult children? We can gather
materials to enrich their homeschool environment.
Jody Erickson, one of our local homeschooling mothers, has written a wonderful book called Montessori on a
Shoestring. Available from Catholic Heritage Curricula as an e-book, Erickson has more than 100 hands-on
activities that utilize common household items in teaching concepts to young children. Many Montessori materials
are quite expensive and challenging to acquire; these materials are inexpensive and accessible.
You may want to get this book for your adult children. Or, you may want to purchase the download, print a copy
for your child and yourself, and then begin collecting and creating the items that will make these activities
possible. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow, and your grandchildren will know how much you
thought about them as your prepared materials for them to use. (Who knows, this may even help you declutter a
bit of your home!) Let’s help them stretch their dollars for quality materials while sharing in the homeschool
adventure this fall. 
Book in Review Continued from pg 9: Grendel runs
away, dripping gore, and everyone is very happy, and
there’s a big party in the mead hall that night. But the
joke's on them, because after they all drop off to sleep
(in the mead hall – it’s the dormitory as well as the
dining hall) who should show up but Grendel’s old
mother, whom everyone had forgotten, come to get the
arm back, and kill a noble or two, for revenge. Imagine
how everyone carries on – here they thought they
could get a
good night’s sleep, no worry about being eaten, and
then, just when they’ve dropped off nicely, bang! –
here’s another monster. I won’t tell you how it ends. In
the first place, there isn’t space on this page – in the
second place,
if I don’t tell you, you’ll have to read it to find out.
Then you can give it to your junior high or other child
(sons love this) with complete confidence that he not
only can read it, but can find it interesting. I have some
other epic poems to deal with in future excesses, but
first I’d like to deal with a little issue. I’m anxious to
get away from labeling books by their accessibility to a
certain age group. Who better than homeschoolers
know that reading ability is too loosely connected with
age for the phrase “4th grade level” to be meaningful? I
want instead to rate books by similitude as
birdwatcher’s guides relates the size of a bird to a
commonly known bird, a robin, for instance. I’d like to
have four levels, each designated by a book of known
qualities. How’s this: the number 1 will designate
books on a level with The Tale of Peter Rabbit; the
number 2, books comparable in language to The House
at Pooh Corner; and 4, to Moby Dick. Level 3 will
have two books Tom Sawyer and A Tale of Two Cities,
the latter for books where not only reading ability but
some historical (or other) background is desirable for a
clear understanding of the work. So I might label a
book a “2-Pooh” or a “3-Tom S.” or a “3-Two Cities.”
There is another level-5 “War and Peace”-but if I ever
forget myself so far as to attempt to comment on one
of these, some one should really do something about
it.
10
The Good News About Teenage
Disobedience by Jeanette Roberts A reprint with
permission from the April 2003 Heart of Mary
Newsletter
Our family chores are the usual dishwashing,
garbage removal, and caring for the livestock. Some
of my children enjoy the work and others do not, but
they all have to take part regardless. It works well
while the children are young. They view me as an
authority on
just about every aspect of life. They still
unquestioningly believe Mom’s way is the right way.
Life hums along; the dishwasher is arrange just so;
animals receive the right amount of feed; trash is
double-bagged before barreled.
But when my children reach age thirteen or fourteen,
a new chapter opens. Everything becomes an issue.
My authority is no longer assumed. A pattern of
daily dialect sets in. Why should dishes face left in
the dishwasher? Why scour animal troughs? Why
separate recyclable garbage, and so on? Commonsense answers do not suffice. The teen knows better
or faster ways to do things. The teen refutes and
replies. We engage in long-winded arguments and
justification about domestic standards and practices.
Even worse, the teenager will perform jobs
haphazardly or
blatantly against the family standard, purposely
testing the elasticity of parental patience. It comes
down to a problem of authority and obedience.
Visceral impulses are to roll newspapers and swat
young insubordinates, to fall into a towering rage
over acts of teenage defiance and back-talk, to deny
all privileges for the
rest of the child’s life, or at least to bark so loudly
that the neighbors call the dog officer. Of course,
these natural reactions are ineffectual and often
exacerbate the situation.
They only reinforce in the teenage mind that the
parental rules are ultimately irrational and not worth
conforming to.
So how do you get teens to obey? I have no answer. I
can only offer a few insights offered to me by others.
I try to remember one of these five thoughts when I
1. Children, including teenagers want you to like
them. In this respect, they are similar to adults. We
all want to be esteemed, especially by family. Even
when we fall grossly short in virtue, including the
virtue of disobedience, we still want to be liked.
We feel badly, and even disgraced, when we have
inconvenienced or hurt others through human
weakness.
Though we may hotly defend our negligent or
hurtful actions, we usually recognize them for what
they are. We may justify a wrong act because we
hate being corrected. A defensive attitude is often
an attempt to salvage pride when we find ourselves
in the wrong. When chastising or correcting teens,
imagine how you would respond in their position.
Sometimes it is best to simply drop the discussion
rather than to try to get the last word
2. We correct our children to teach them to do
things right, and to grow in virtue, hoping that as
adults, they do not perform duties in the same
slovenly and negligent manner. We think of their
welfare, not our own. However, when we are
retrieving scattered garbage because our teen
neglected (for the hundredth time) to secure the
barrels, it is hard to resist anger. At these moments
ask, “Will I correct this child with a spirit of love or
will the spirit of wrathfulness?”
3. Obedience is not innate. It is a habit that takes
time to develop. Like all habits, obedience requires
daily practice. So why be shocked or discourage by
acts of disobedience? Our role is to help the
children in the daily challenge to grow obedient.
We don’t expect them to play piano fluently after a
few years of lessons; nor should we expect perfect
obedience without years of practice.
Continued on page 12
11
The Good News about Teenage Disobedience Cont.
4. Why should we be outraged and intolerant about acts
of disobedience yet expect God to tolerate and be
merciful when it comes to our own insubordination to
his commandments? We need to remember our own
failings before God as we correct the failings in
our children. This is not to say we should overlook the
children’s failings, as it is written somewhere in Sacred
Scripture “The Lord chastises those whom he loves,”
but we must try to exercise a God-like patience in
correcting children; that is to say, tolerate our children
as God tolerates us
A child’s mind must broaden to see the other points
of view, to present arguments pro and con, to
recognize fallacies. The arguing, challenging
disobeying teenager (we call him “the young
dialectician”) is actually practicing the skills of
discursive thought that he or she will need in adult
life.
I try to remember this when the last thread of
5. Finally, when all else fails, realize that the teen who
patience is about to snap. I try to remember to say
challenges and disagrees with you is actually showing
inwardly, “Thank you, Jesus! Praise the Lord, my
signs of appropriate mental growth. Little children
child if finally learning to think for himself! 
build up a great arsenal of ideas and thoughts learned
from observation, experience and from the
teachings of others. They unquestioningly and quickly
absorb many facts and ideas. Teachers of third
through sixth grade children often remark that preteen
children are a joy to teach. They learn and remember an
amazing amount of material with great docility.
However, a sea-change occurs by seventh or eighth
grade. The formerly compliant child, who eagerly
accepted everything teacher said, now questions,
refutes, challenges, ignores and even disrupts. He or
she lets everyone know that he is his own man
(or woman) now, he or she questions authority and
begins to develop his/her own (usually shocking)
opinions. The teen turns into an independent thinker.
We use the expression “she has an attitude” to signify
this stage.
Cicero once described this phase by saying “the young
like to be shocking.” It can be an annoying stage for the
teacher and parents, but it is actually an important stage
of mental growth for the child. In a few years he or she
will need to make life-changing decisions and to strike
out independently. Powers of discursive thought must
be developed.
12
Divine Obedience
ELIZABETH FOSS
So much of child-rearing is character training and
little children need to learn to obey. They need to be
trained to answer affirmatively to authority. So how
do we go about helping a child learn to obey?
"Patrick, pick up your socks and put them in the
hamper." "Why?" questions my seven–year-old as he
kicks the socks across the room. "Because I’m the
Mommy and I asked you to," I reply firmly. "O-B-E-Y!
Obey your mom and dad! O-B-E-Y it makes ‘em very
glad. Listen to the words they say. Obey your parents
everyday!" My five-year-old daughter is singing
exuberantly, glad to help my cause.
There was a time when I would have explained that the
socks need to be in the hamper in order for them to get
to the washer and dryer so that they would get clean
and he could wear them again. But I am quite certain
Patrick knows and understands the laundry system in
our house. So, I get to the heart of the matter. His heart.
So much of child-rearing is character training and little
children need to learn to obey. They need to be trained
to answer affirmatively to authority. __
We require obedience. We insist on obedience and we
work day after day, every single day, to ensure
obedience. When we ask a child to do something, we
are polite. But we are firm. We embrace the fact that we
are in authority over our children. God put us there and
our children need us there. We teach them truth. We
teach them that God’s laws are absolute and we require
them to obey those absolute laws. For a child, the first
law is "Children, obey your parents in the Lord." The
only reason we need to give our children is: For this is
right. God says so. We don’t shrink from our
authoritative role. Rather we see it as a gift.
One of my favorite educators, Charlotte Mason, writes
"Authority is not only a gift but a grace … Authority is
that aspect of love which parents present to their
children; parents know it is love, because to them it
means continual self-denial, self-repression, self
sacrifice: children recognize it as love, because to them
it means quiet rest and gaiety of heart.
One of my favorite educators, Charlotte Mason,
writes "Authority is not only a gift but a grace
….Authority is that aspect of love which parents
present to their children; parents know it is love,
because to them it means continual self-denial, selfrepression, self-sacrifice: children recognize it as love,
because to them it means quiet rest and gaiety of heart.
Perhaps the best aid to the maintenance of authority in
the home is for those in authority to ask themselves
daily that question which was presumptuously put to
our Lord —‘Who gave thee this authority?’"
Of course, God did. And by golly, we better be grateful
good stewards of that gift. Let’s unpack the quote a
little. To train our children, we must deny ourselves.
We can’t administer occasional bursts of punishment
and expect a good result. We must instead be
incessantly watchful, patiently forming and preserving
good habits. This means we are attentive and active.
Those are habits to cultivate in ourselves. __To rid
ourselves of bad habits, Mason suggests we replace
them with virtuous ones. I know that in my house, my
children misbehave a good deal when I have been on
the phone or in front of the computer too much. They
misbehave when routines slack off and meals are not
given enough thought. They misbehave when bedtime
isn’t observed or they are over programmed and
too busy. They misbehave when I am inattentive or lazy
or tired or inconsistent. Those are bad habits. I must
consciously replace them with attention and diligence
and action and consistent sleep.
Children recognize the Biblical living of our authority
as love because it is love. Children who consistently
misbehave are begging for moral guidance and a strong
anchor. They are crying (or whining as the case may be)
for someone to be in authority. As they grow, the real
tangible relationship with the authority that is the parent
flowers into full-blown relationship with God and an
eager willingness to obey Him as an adult. The life of
an adult Christian is not easy. You can expect that as
you train your children for that life, there will be some
unhappiness. But that unhappiness is nothing compared
to the quiet rest and joyful peace that comes with being
right with God.
13
Since the first publication of these thoughts of
mine on obedience, several parents have asked
how to make a child obey. First, we don’t want
blind obedience; we want the child to be
inspired to obey because he believes it is right.
We want virtuous obedience. We want to train
the habit of control, doing what is right because
it is right.
Children need to learn to focus on God’s will,
not their own and on a Spirit-inspired control,
not a self-control. It is easy to be controlled by
oneself. It is hard to die to oneself and live for
God. __The Holy Spirit will inspire, lead and give
strength and wisdom to the child who is taught
to listen to the whispers of his God. This Spirit inspired
control enables children to do work —
to finish their chores, to be diligent in their
learning, to be reliable volunteers, to stick to a
marriage even when it is hard. They can do
their duty. They can answer their call. They can
control their tempers, their anger. They can
work a little harder. "I ought" is enabled by "I
will."
I do not agree with authors who think we need
to spank the will into submission. I do not agree
with those who suggest that every desirable
behavior be correlated to star charts and
complicated reward systems. I’m not a big fan
of "time-out." Usually, a child who is
misbehaving needs more of his parent’s
attention. He doesn’t need to be sent away
unless it’s for very short moment where both
child and parent cool off before meeting to
discuss and remedy the situation. And I do not
agree with the experts who suggest we pinch
our child so hard that the "strong-willed child"
becomes weak.
We want strong-willed children. That’s right: children
who give in to their own whims and desires are actually
weak-willed. They need strength training. __
Training children in right habits strengthens their wills.
Maturity is making right choices. We want our children
to have strong wills for doing what is right — strong
wills for doing God’s will. Crushing the will is not
training the will. Training requires a relationship
between parent and child. It requires patience and
persistence on the part of both parent and child. When
you train a child, you both grow in virtue. __I am not
asserting that corporal punishment is wrong.
Continued on next column
I am asserting that it should not be necessary.
Charlotte Mason writes of this eloquently:
Discipline does not mean a birch-rod, nor a corner,
nor a slipper, nor a bed, nor any such last resort of
the feeble. The sooner we cease to believe in merely
penal suffering as part of the divine plan, the sooner
will a spasmodic resort to the birch-rod die out in
families. We do not say the rod is never useful; we do
say it should never be necessary. …Discipline is not
punishment — What is discipline? Look at the word;
there is no hint of punishment in it. A disciple is a
follower, and discipline is the state of the follower, the
learner, imitator. Mothers and fathers do not well to
forget that their children are by the very order of
Nature, their disciples. … He who would draw
disciples does not trust to force; but to these three
things — to the attraction of his doctrine, to the
persuasion of his presentation, to the enthusiasm of
his disciples; so the parent has teachings of the
perfect life which he knows how to present continually
with winning force until the children are quickened
with such zeal for virtue and holiness as carries them
forward with leaps and bounds
(Parents and Children, pg. 66).
We don’t want self-controlled children. We want children
who are controlled by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit —
children who hear and answer the Lord. We need to give
children choices within limits but we need to teach them
how and why to choose right. We need to train their hearts
and educate their minds. When they are fully informed of
the consequences of their actions, we need to allow free
will, just as our heavenly Father does.
In order to train the child’s will in this manner, parents
must lay down their lives for them. They must be willing to
spend large amounts of time engaged with them. They must
believe that children are educated by their intimacies and
they must ensure that the child is intimate with what is
good and noble and true. And when the child needs
correction, the parent must educate in the truest sense of
the word. She must teach.
14
Obedience Cont. from pg 14
Our children are created in the image and likeness of
God. If she looks at the child, sees Christ in his
eyes and disciplines accordingly, she will train
her children well. 
He holds a juris doctor from the University of Pittsburgh
School of Law and a doctorate in canon law from The Catholic
University of America, where he served as an assistant
professor in the School of Canon Law at The Catholic
University of America. A member of the Franciscan University
Board of Trustees from 2007-2012, he began teaching theology
at the University in 2012.
Father Sheridan sees the inaugural events as a way to “thank
God for the many ways he has blessed Franciscan University”
over its 67-year history.
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Public Relations
Contact: Tom Sofio
740-284-5893, tsofio@franciscan.edu
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Two Days of Celebrations to Mark
the Inauguration of Franciscan
University of Steubenville’s Sixth
President
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio—The inauguration of Father Sean O.
Sheridan, TOR, as the sixth president of Franciscan University
of Steubenville will take place on Thursday, October 10, 2013.
The occasion will be marked by three major events open to
the general public: A Mass at 10:00 a.m. in Finnegan
Fieldhouse, the Inauguration Ceremony at 2:30 p.m., also in the
fieldhouse, and an October 10-11 Inaugural Symposium on
Catholic Higher Education and the New Evangelization.
The Franciscan University Board of Trustees unanimously
elected Father Sheridan as president on April 19, 2013, and he
began his duties as president June 1. As the University’s sixth
president, he continues an unbroken chain of leadership by
Franciscan Third Order Regular priests of the Province of the
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Loretto, Pennsylvania), which
operates Franciscan University.
“When I learned I had been selected as Franciscan University’s
sixth president, I felt a tremendous sense of peace and a
tremendous sense of responsibility to lead this great
University,” said Father Sheridan. “It is inspiring and truly
humbling for me to be here at Franciscan University with the
students who are pouring their hearts into their education and
their prayer life, falling in love with God and the Church, and
striving to become saints.”
A native of Cresson, Pennsylvania, Father Sheridan was
ordained to the priesthood in December 2006.
Father Sheridan sees the inaugural events as a way to “thank
God for the many ways he has blessed Franciscan University”
over its 67-year history.
“This is an opportunity to advance the University’s mission
through thoughtful discussion and prayer on our unique
role in Catholic higher education, especially ways our
students can go forth as Christ’s ambassadors to impact
the Church and the secular world,” said Father Sheridan.
The inauguration ceremonies will be rich with academic
significance and will be witnessed by the University’s
academic, student, and alumni communities, the Board of
Trustees and Board of Advisors, civic leaders, administrators
from other colleges and universities, representatives of the
Franciscan TOR province, and friends of Franciscan University
from near and far.
The evening of Wednesday, October 9, Father Sheridan will
prayerfully prepare for his inauguration by leading Franciscan
University students in a Holy Hour in Christ the King Chapel at
7:30 p.m. The main celebrant for the October 10, 10:00 a.m.
Inauguration Mass will be the Very Reverend Richard Davis,
TOR, minister provincial of the Province of the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus. The homilist will be the Most Reverend
Nicholas Polichnowski, TOR, minister general of the
worldwide Third Order Regular.
Father Sheridan selected the readings for the Mass, which
will be a Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart, the namesake of
the TOR province. He also selected the music, which will be
performed by Franciscan University students and organist
Father Chris Dobson, TOR.The Most Reverend Jeffrey
Monforton, bishop of Steubenville, and the Most Reverend
Gilbert Sheldon, bishop emeritus of Steubenville, will
participate, as will many other priests.
The 2:30 p.m. Inauguration Ceremony begins with a
procession of the Franciscan faculty in academic attire, then
an invocation by Bishop Monforton and words of welcome by
various officials associated with Franciscan University.
Continued on pg 16
15
Inauguration cont: The inauguration itself symbolizes a
transfer of power, as Father Terence Henry, TOR, Franciscan
University president from 2000 to 2013 and now University
chancellor, brings forth the presidential seal of office. The
seal of office is then conferred on Father Sheridan by Father
Davis, chairman of the Franciscan University Board of
Trustees.
Father Sheridan, in which he will present his vision for
leading Franciscan University in the years ahead. The public
is then invited to the President’s Reception in the J.C.
Williams Center.
Father Sheridan served as assistant professor in the School
of Canon Law at The Catholic University of America from
2009 until he joined Franciscan University’s Theology
Department as a professor in fall 2012, teaching graduate
and undergraduate courses. A member of the Board of
Trustees of Saint Francis University in Loretto,
Pennsylvania, since 2010, he also held a position on the
Franciscan University Board of Trustees from
2007-2012, working on the Student Life Committee and
the Academic Affairs Committee, which he chaired from
2011-2012.
Later that evening, the Inaugural Symposium on Catholic
Higher Education and the New Evangelization will begin at
8:00 p.m. with an address by Bishop Monforton, “A
Shepherd's Perspective on Catholic Higher Education and the
New Evangelization.”
On Friday, October 11, at 8:30 a.m. Mr. John Garvey,
president of The Catholic University of America, will speak
on the symposium’s main theme. At 10:15 a.m., Father
Sheridan will give “A Presidential Perspective on Franciscan
University of Steubenville and the New Evangelization.” The
afternoon session will consist of a faculty panel discussion
and remarks by Dr. Daniel Kempton, vice president for
Academic Affairs.
On Friday evening at 7:30 p.m., Dr. Scott Hahn, the Father
Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New
Evangelization at Franciscan University, will speak in
Christ the King Chapel on “The New Evangelization
and Franciscan University.”
For more information on the inaugural events, including how
to register for the free symposium, go to
Franciscan.edu/inauguration.
Biography of Father Sean O. Sheridan, TOR
The Board of Trustees selected Father Sean O. Sheridan,
TOR, as the sixth president of Franciscan University of
Steubenville on April 19, 2013, and he began serving as
president on June 1.
Father Sheridan served as assistant professor in the School of
Canon Law at The Catholic University of America from 2009
until he joined Franciscan University’s Theology Department
as a professor in fall 2012, teaching graduate and
undergraduate courses. A member of the Board of Trustees of
Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, since 2010,
he also held a position on the Franciscan University Board of
Trustees from
2007-2012, working on the Student Life Committee and the
Academic Affairs Committee, which he chaired from 20112012.
Before he entered the Franciscan Third Order Regular, he
graduated in 1985 with a bachelor of science in pharmacy
from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.
In 1990, he earned his juris doctor from the University of
Pittsburgh School of Law and spent the next 10 years as a
practicing attorney in Sacramento and Pittsburgh, focusing
on healthcare litigation, primarily with the representation
of hospitals and physicians.
The Cresson, Pennsylvania, native entered the Franciscan
Third Order Regular in 2000 and made his solemn
profession of vows in 2005. He was ordained to the
priesthood in December 2006. In 2007, Father Sheridan
graduated from Washington Theological Union with his
master of divinity. That same year, he also obtained his
licentiate in canon law from The Catholic University of
America School of Canon
Law. In 2009, he obtained a doctorate in canon law from
The Catholic University of America School of Canon
Law. His dissertation, “Ex corde Ecclesiae: A Canonical
Commentary on Catholic Universities ‘From the Heart of
the Church’ to Catholic Universities,” addresses seven
challenges to the implementation of Pope John Paul II’s
Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities and
suggests solutions to those issues.
16
"Let the children come to me..."
“The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience.”
17
Heart of Mary
Homeschool Support Group
Our Mission:
Heart of Mary Homeschool is a catholic support
organization serving Steubenville and the
surrounding areas.
We are a group of families who have chosen to educate some,
or all, of our children at home. As a Catholic support group,
we are committed to following Jesus Christ as instructed and
led by the Magisterium (teaching authority) of the Roman
Catholic Church. We are diverse in our schooling approaches,
but united in our desire to raise our children to be steadfast
disciples of Jesus, full of wisdom and faith, lacking nothing
(James 1:4).
Monthly Newsletter
September 2013
Home is Where the Heart
is...
“Home is the place where, when you have to go
there, they have to take you in.”- Robert Frost
www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org
“The home is the ultimate career. All other careers
exist for one purpose, and that is to support the
ultimate career.”- C.S. Lewis
“No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of
flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other
country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.”- L.
Frank Baum
“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in
secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”Isaiah 32:18

September 2013 - Heart of Mary Homeschool Network

Transcription

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