taken from: Goffine's Devout Instruction,
                             Imprimatur 1874           

November 1st
Why has the Church instituted this festival?
1. To give praise to God in His saints, (Ps. cl.) and to pay to the saints themselves the honor which they merit for having made it the work of their earthly life to promote the honor of God.
2. To impress vividly upon our minds that we are members of that holy Catholic Church which believes in the communion of saints, that is, in the communion of all true Christians, who belong to the Church triumphant in heaven, to the Church suffering in purgatory, or to the Church militant upon earth; but, more particularly, to cause us earnestly to consider the communion of the saints in heaven with us, who are yet battling on earth.
3. To exhort us to raise our eyes and hearts, especially on this day, to heaven, where before the throne of God is gathered the innumerable multitude of saints of all countries, times, nationalities and ranks of life, who have faithfully followed Christ and left us glorious examples of virtues, which we ought to imitate. This we can do, for the saints, too, were weak men, who fought and conquered only by the grace of God, which will not be denied to us.
4. To honor those saints, for whom during the year there is no special festival appointed by the Church. Finally, that in consideration of so many intercessors God may grant us perfect reconciliation, may permit us to share in their merits, and may grant us the grace to enjoy with them, one day, the bliss of heaven.
 
Who first instituted this festival?
    Pope Boniface IV. first suggested the celebration of this festival, when in 610 he ordered that the Pantheon, a pagan temple at Rome, dedicated to all the gods, should be converted into a Christian church, and the relics of the saints, dispersed through the different Roman cemeteries, taken up and placed therein. He then dedicated the Church to the honor of the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, and thus for the first time celebrated the Festival of All Saints, directing that it should be observed in Rome every year.
Pope Gregory IV. extended this feast to the whole Catholic Church, and appointed the 1st of November as the day of its celebration.
    At the Introit the Church sings: "Let us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating a festival day in honor of all the saints; at whose solemnity the angels rejoice, and give praise to the Son of God. Rejoice in the Lord, ye just: praise becometh the upright. Glory Be, etc.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. Almighty everlasting God, who givest us to venerate in one solemnity the merits of all Thy saints: we beseech Thee to bestow upon us, through our multiplied intercessors, the fulness of Thy propitiation. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who livest and reignest with Thee in union with the Holy Ghost, now and forever.  Amen.

LESSON. (Apoc. vii. 2 12.) IN THOSE DAYS, behold, I, John, saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying: Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them that were signed, and hundred and forty-four thousand were signed, of every tribe of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Ruben twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Aser twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Nephtali twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Manasses twelve thousand
signed. Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Zabulon twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand signed. After this I saw a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb , clothed with white robes , and palms in their hands: and they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the ancients, and the four living creatures; and they fell down before the throne upon their faces, and adored God, saying: Amen. Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honor, and power, and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.

EXPLANATION:
    The words of this lesson relate immediately to the divine punishment on Jerusalem and the Jewish people, as they were revealed in spirit to John; in a higher and particular sense they refer to the general judgment. At this judgment there will be chosen ones, from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. But that it might not be thought that the elect are principally Christian converts from Judaism, St. John was shown a countless multitude of Christians from heathen lands, by which it is seen, that it is the pagans who will principally fill the Church of Christ and heaven. This multitude clothed in white and carrying palms in their hands, stand before the throne of God and before the Lamb, that is, Christ. The white robes are tokens of their innocence; the palm is the emblem of their glory and of their victory over the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil. They shall adore God, and forever sing to Him, in communion with all the heavenly spirits, a canticle of praise for the power and glory which He has bestowed upon them.
    Let us strive so to live, that we may one day be among these chosen ones.
GOSPEL. (Matt. v. i 12.)
    AT THAT TIME, Jesus seeing the multitudes, went up into a mountain. And when he was sat down, his disciples came unto him. And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land. Blessed' are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you untruly, for my sake: be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven.

Why is the Gospel of the Eight Beatitudes read on this day?
    Because they form, so to speak, the steps on which the saints courageously ascended to heaven. If you desire to be with the saints in heaven, you must also mount patiently and perseveringly these steps, then God's hand will assuredly aid you.

EXPLANATION OF THE EIGHT BEATITUDES.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
    THEY are poor in spirit who, like the apostles, leave all temporal things for Christ's sake and become poor; they who have lost their property by misfortune or injustice, and bear this loss with patience and resignation to the will of God; they who are contented with their poor and lowly station in life, do not strive for greater fortune or a higher position, and would rather suffer want than make themselves rich by unlawful means; they who though rich do not love wealth, nor set their hearts upon it, but use their riches to aid the poor; and especially they who are humble, that is, who have no exalted opinion of themselves, but are convinced of their weakness and inward poverty, have a low estimate of themselves, therefore, feel always their need, and like poor mendicants, continually implore God's grace and assistance.

2. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land. He is meek who represses every rising impulse of anger, impatience and desire of revenge, and willingly puts up with every thing that God, td prove him, decrees or permits to happen to him, or men inflict upon him. He who thus controls himself, is like a calm and tranquil sea, in which the image of the divine Sun is ever reflected, clear and unruffled. He who thus conquers himself is mightier than
if he besieged and conquered strongly fortified cities, (Prov. xvi. 32.) and will without doubt receive this earth, as well as heaven, as an inheritance, enjoying eternally there the peace (Ps. xxxvi. n.) which is already his on earth.

3. Blessed are they that mourn , for they shall be comforted. The mourners here mentioned are not those who weep and lament over the death of relatives and friends, or over misfortune or loss of temporal riches, but those who mourn that God is so often offended, so little loved and honored by men, that so many souls, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, are lost. Among these mourners are also those who lead a strict and penitential life, and patiently endure distress; for sin is the only evil, the only thing to be lamented, and those tears only, which are shed on account of sin, are useful tears, and are recompensed by everlasting joy and eternal consolation.

4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill. Hunger and thirst denote the ardent longing for those virtues which constitute Christian perfection. He who seeks such perfection with ardent desire and earnest striving, will be filled, that is, will be adorned by God with the most beautiful virtues, and will be abundantly rewarded in heaven.

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. They are merciful who assist the poor according to their means, who practice every possible spiritual and corporal work of mercy, who as far as they can, patiently endure the faults of others, strive always to excuse them, and willingly forgive the injuries they have received. They especially are truly merciful, who are merciful to their enemies, and do good to them, as written: Love your enemies, and do good to them that hate you. (Matt. v. 44.) Well is it for him who is merciful, the greatest rewards are promised him, but a judgment without mercy shall be passed on the unmerciful.

6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. They are clean of heart, who carefully preserve the innocence which they received in baptism, and keep their heart and conscience free not only from all sinful words and deeds, but from all sinful thoughts and desires, and in all their omissions and commissions think and desire only good. These while yet on earth see God in all His works and creatures, because their thoughts are directed always to the Highest Good, and in the other world they will see Him face to face, enjoying in this contemplation a peculiar pleasure which is reserved for pure souls only; for as the eye that would see well, must be clear, so must those souls be immaculate who are to see God.

7. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. Those are peace-makers who guard their improper desires who are careful to have peace in their conscience and regulated tranquility in all their actions, who do not
quarrel with their neighbors, and are submissive to the will of God. These are called children of God, because they follow God who is a God of peace, (Rom. xv. 33.) and who even gave His only Son to reconcile the world, and bring upon earth that peace which the world does not know and cannot give.(Luke ii. 14.; John xiv. 27.)

8.  Blessed are they that suffer perseciition for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Those suffer persecution for justice' sake who by their words, writings, or by their life defend the truth, the faith and Christian virtues; who cling firmly to God, and permit nothing to turn them from the duties of the Christian profession, from the practice of their holy religion, but on its account suffer hatred, contempt, disgrace, injury and injustice from the world. If they endure all this with patience and perseverance, even, like the saints, with joy, then they will become like the saints and like them receive the heavenly crown. If we wish to be crowned with them, we must suffer with them: And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution, (ii. Tim. v 111, 12.)

SUPPLICATION.
    How lovely, O Lord, are Thy tabernacles! My soul longeth for Thy courts. My body and soul rejoice in Thee, most loving God, Thou crown and reward of all the saints, whose temporal pains and sufferings Thou dost reward with eternal joy, filling them with good! How blessed are they who have faithfully served Thee, for they carry Thy name on their forehead, and reign with Thee for all eternity.
    Grant us, we beseech Thee, O God, by their intercession, Thy grace that we, after their example, may serve Thee in sanctity and justice, in poverty and humility, in meekness and repentance, in the ardent desire for all virtues, by mercy, perfect purity of heart, in peacefulness and patience, following them, and taking part, one day, with them in heavenly joy and happiness. Amen.

I've added the Agnus Dei (both Latin and English), Apostles Creed, Divine Praises, Memorare, Pater Noster and Sanctus and Benedictus (also in Latin and English).  I hope that you can find them useful in your homeschooling.  If anyone has a request for something special they would like as a printing/handwriting printable please don't hesitate to ask.  We would be more than happy to make it. 

Our gazette for November will be out later this week.

I was just wondering if anyone out there would be interested in a printing/handwriting book of the Baltimore First Communion Catechism?  If you would just leave me your comment below and let me know.  God bless all of you!

O FATHER, guide these faltering steps to-day,
    Lest I should fall!
Tomorrow? Ah, tomorrow's far away,
    Today is all.
If I but keep my feet till evening time,
    Night will bring me rest.
Then stronger grown, tomorrow I shall
    climb,
With newer zest.

Oh, may I stoop to no unworthiness
    In pain or sorrow,
Nor bear from yesterday one bitterness
    On to tomorrow!
Then, Father, help these searching eyes
    today
    The path to see,
Be patient with my feebleness - the way
    Is steep to Thee!
~ Prayers of an Irish Mother, Imprimatur 1934 ~

"Isaac, you do not bear the wood alone, For on your father's heart it weighs like a stone."  
                                            ~ Charles L. O'Donnell, CSC ~

 Below is a lovely article, where I acquired it I don't actually know. May God give us all the grace and wisdom to raise our children to be Saints! 
                           PRAYER TO THE HOLY GHOST

           Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty.  Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth.  Help me to attain them and possess them forever.  Amen.

  More than a century ago, on April 9th, 1888, Thérèse Martin entered the Carmel of Lisieux where she was to die 9 years later in the odor of sanctity. But we should make no mistake: St. Thérèse did not become a Saint in 9 years. The young girl of 15 who crossed the threshold of Carmel that day had already advanced quite far on the "straight way that leads to Heaven". Her parents were her first "Novice Masters" and their own holiness strongly influenced the future Saint. It is certainly worth noting that both Mr. and Mrs. Martin are candidates for beatification. They have already passed the first step towards canonization by being declared Venerable. Many of the letters written by St. Thérèse's mother are still extant and, besides giving us many details about the Martin family, they form almost a treatise on Catholic education.

Mrs. Martin understood very well that Catholic education means much more than morning and evening prayer, attendance at Mass and sending the children to a good Catholic school. After bestowing natural life, parents must see to it that their children receive also supernatural life through Baptism. And then, they have to foster the development both of the body and of the soul. Mrs. Martin, as a truly Catholic mother, always gave priority to the soul. She considered her children as a sacred trust received from God and never lost sight of this important truth: a child is not a plaything.

If baptism removes original sin, it nevertheless leaves in the soul the four wounds of malice, infirmity, ignorance and concupiscence. Anyone who has been around little children knows that this is no mere theory. Very soon little ones begin to manifest evil tendencies. Too often, parents smile at these childish outbursts of anger, jealousy, stubbornness, pride, etc... which they even consider "cute". No, a child is NEVER CUTE when he is stubborn, proud, etc... Vices are like weeds. If you uproot them as soon as they show up, you will pull the whole thing out without difficulty. But, do not weed your garden for a few weeks... and you will see the result! If children are corrected from their early childhood, the whole task of education will be much easier. Mrs. Martin never showed any weakness. She never allowed stubbornness or childish whims. Writing to her brother about Pauline (the future Mother Agnes of Jesus), she could say: "I have never spoiled her, and LITTLE THOUGH SHE WAS, I never let anything pass unchecked. Without making a martyr of her, I nevertheless made her obey." Children can easily be "fussy" at table. St. Thérèse's parents never gave way on this point. At table, children had to behave themselves and no grumbles at dishes they did not like much were ever tolerated. This may seem trivial matter, and how often parents take the easy way out by just yielding to their children. No one will deny that it is a trying task to train children to eat everything, but it is of much greater importance than it may seem at first sight. In fact, you do not only train your children's eating habits, you also train their will, and they will need a strong will to remain Catholic in our apostate world. In Lent, Mrs. Martin would subject the menu to some restrictions and all the fasts of the Church were scrupulously observed, which is an example all Catholic families should follow. It proves to be a great means of promoting a true spirit of mortification in the children.

You may raise the objection: "What a dull life for children!" Oh, no! The Martin family was happy and cheerful and the five girls were very lively. Mrs. Martin had a real gift for stimulating the generosity of her children. She always used supernatural motives to persuade them to fulfill their duties: a sinner to convert, to console Our Lord, etc... In a letter, she reports that her eldest daughter, Marie, valiantly faced the dentist – remember, they did not put your mouth to sleep in those days! – to obtain graces for her grandfather who had died recently. Marie was only 9 years old then, and she even felt sorry when the dentist did not pull out her tooth. "It is a pity", she exclaimed, "Grandpa would have left Purgatory!" Later on, when her eldest daughters had reached their teens, Mrs. Martin knew how to let them talk freely with her. She deemed it very important that her girls could express their mind fully so that, with much tact and kindness, she could rectify her daughters' judgment and teach them how to look at everything from the standpoint of Faith. The best praise of her "educational system" was given her by her own daughters at the process of beatification of St. Thérèse: "We were not spoiled. Our mother watched very carefully over her children's souls, and not the smallest fault ever went unreproved. Her training was kind and loving, but attentive and thorough."

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus is probably the only Saint about whose childhood we have so many details. In the first four and a half years of St. Thérèse's life, Mrs. Martin wrote over 120 letters, mainly to her brother and to her daughter Pauline. These letters are an invaluable source of information. They reveal to us the dawn of sanctity in a soul as well as the important part played by the parents in the formation of a Saint. In spite of all her good qualities, St. Thérèse was not born a Saint. Like the rest of us, she had been wounded by original sin and if her defects were small, they were nevertheless real. there is, for instance, the delightful incident of the two sugar rings, a treasure for a little girl. St. Thérèse, who had a heart of gold, resolved to give one of the rings to her sister Celine. Alas, on the way home she lost one of the precious rings. What was she to do? Should she give the only ring left to Celine or keep it for herself? The shrewd little girl soon found the solution to this dilemma and declared that, unfortunately, it was Celine's ring that got lost! And the Saint comments: "See, how from childhood we instinctively safeguard our own interests!" And who will not see the "daughter of Eve" in the little Thérèse who thought she would have looked much nicer with her arms bare when her mother had her wear a pretty dress but with long sleeves?! St. Thérèse had remarkable qualities too, especially her crystal-clear honesty. Mrs. Martin could write, with some legitimate parental pride: "The little one would not tell a lie for all the gold in the world." Little Thérèse would always avow her baby faults to her parents without seeking any excuse and would then ask for forgiveness and await her punishment. There is something very charming in this innocent child and it is best expressed in Mrs. Martin's own words, in a letter to Pauline: "She (Thérèse) had broken a small vase, the size of my thumb, which I had given to her that morning. As usual when she has any accident, she came at once to show it to me. I showed some displeasure. Her little heart swelled...A moment later, she ran to me and said: 'Don't be sad, Mother, when I earn money, I promise you I will buy you another.' As you see it will be a while before I get it!"

St. Thérèse was an oversensitive little girl. Her eyes would easily fill with tears. One day Celine accused her of "bringing up her dolls badly and letting them have their way." That was enough to make Thérèse cry. Yet she did not have a weak character, on the contrary she had a very strong will and could even be stubborn. Referring to her two main "weaknesses", i.e. her oversensitiveness and her strong will, St. Thérèse wrote: "With such dispositions, I feel sure that, had I been brought up by careless parents, I would have become very wicked, and would maybe even have lost my soul." Such a statement should arouse in parents a salutary fear and make them realize their responsibility. Try to imagine what St. Thérèse would have become if she had spent most of her time sprawled on the carpet watching TV or listening to rock music, if she had been free to indulge all her whims...A good form of examination for parents would be the answer to the following question: "Would St. Thérèse have become a Saint if she had been brought up the way I bring my children up?" If the answer is "no", then think of the account Mrs. Martin would have had to render to God if, through a careless upbringing, she had deprived God and the world of St. Thérèse... We are sure you will then lose no time in reforming your method of education, for the greater good of your soul and of your children's souls.

Let us place ourselves at Mrs. Martin's school. The first thing to bear in mind is that, by baptism, any child is God's child. Several times a day, Mrs. Martin would put on her little girl's lips this little prayer: "My God, I give You my heart; Take it, please, so that no creature may possess it, but You alone, Jesus." St. Thérèse was taught to do everything to please God, and for love of Jesus. One day, Thérèse could not open the door of the room where Celine was having her lessons. In her frustration, she lay down in front of the door. Her mother told her that she should not behave like this. But the next day, when she found herself before the closed door, she lay down on the floor again. Her sister Mary told her: "Little Thérèse, you hurt the little Jesus very much when you do this." Thérèse looked up at her sister. She had understood and she never did it again. Her mother initiated her from a very early age in the art of making sacrifices and when St. Thérèse wrote that since the age of three she had never refused anything to the Good God, it was a tribute not only to her personal holiness but also to Mrs. Martin's method of education.

There is no cry-room in France and St. Thérèse had to behave herself in church. She loved to go to Mass and at two and a half she would cry if she could not go not only to Mass but also to Vespers. Even though she was very intelligent, she nevertheless surprised her parents when she declared one day: "The sermon was better than usual, but it was long all the same"!! Cry-rooms are not bad in themselves, but alas, too often parents use them as nurseries. It is certainly easier to let your little ones cry, play and eat in the cry-room than to discipline them and teach them how to behave in the House of God. But how many children are drastically retarded in their spiritual growth because up to the age of three, four, or five they have never attended Mass outside of a cry-room, playing, eating, etc... Parents must apply to themselves the words of St. Paul (I Cor. 3:9). They are "God's helpers", and their children are "God's tillage, God's building". God found in Mrs. Martin a faithful collaborator. To be the mother of a Saint was her happiness on earth and it is her glory in Heaven. This happiness and this glory are meant to be yours too, if you cooperate with God in the work of the sanctification of your children.

I have 6 children aged 5-18, I gave them this quiz just to see what their answers might be.  Needless to say, some answers were funny, some serious and even a few of them gave this mom some things to think about.  The answers my littlest one gave me were hysterical to say the least.  Try it with your children and see what they think.  It's a fun thing to do. 

Why did God make mothers? 
 
How did God make mothers?

What ingredients are mothers made of?



Why did God give you your mother & not some other mom?

What kind of little girl was your mom?

 
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

Who's the boss at your house?

What's the difference between moms & dads?

What does your mom do in her spare time?

What would it take to make your mom perfect?



If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?

The following most excellent PRAYERS are recommended to the frequent repetition of persons of all denominations and sects whatsoever, who, in sincerity of heart, wish to arrive at the knowledge of the ONE, ONLY, TRUE AND SAVING FAITH, " without which it is impossible to please God," and consequently obtain eternal happiness.

I.  O Lord, I humbly beseech thee to teach me thy true religion, that leads to everlasting happiness, through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord.  Amen.

II.  O Lord, I humbly beseech thee to guide me to that form of religion which is most pleasing to thee for me to follow upon earth, in order to fulfill thy will here, and obtain everlasting happiness hereafter, in the name of Jesus Christ thy Son.  Amen.

III.  Almighty and eternal God, Father of mercies, Saviour of mankind, I humbly entreat thee, by thy sovereign goodness, to enlighten my mind and touch my heart, that by true faith, hope and charity, I may live and die in  the true religion of Jesus Christ.  I am sure, that as there is but one true God, so there can be but one faith, one religion, one way of salvation, and that every other which is opposite to this, can only lead to endless misery.  It is faith, O my God! which I earnestly desire to embrace, in order to save my soul.  I protest, therefore, before thy Divine attributes, that I will follow that religion which thou shalt show me to be true; and that I will abandon, at whatever cost, that in which i shall discover error and falsehood:  I do not deserve, it is true, this favour, on account of my sins, for which I have a profound sorrow, because they offend a God so good, so great, so holy, and worthy of my love; but what I do not deserve, I hope to obtain from thy infinite mercy, and I conjure thee to grant, through the merits of the precious blood which was shed for us poor sinners, by thy only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

In this day and age, temptations are everywhere, especially those temptations of the eyes.  The following sermon, taken from, "The Penitent Christian," Imprimatur 1880 tells us as Catholics how we are to Guard Our Eyes. 

We have added many, many more printing and handwriting sheets to our homeschool tab,  more coloring pages, a sermon for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost, and an Explanation of the Mother of Perpetual Help picture.  We hope you enjoy what you find.

A handwriting sheet for Grace before and after meals has been added to the Homeschool tab.

We've added more handwriting sheets to the Homeschool tab.  The Ten Commandments, and the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.  Enjoy!

It was brought to my attention that the Novena of Rosaries file contained many errors.  So sorry about that, it has since been corrected and replaced with the new files.  Many thanks to a dear friend for sharing it with me. 

TENTH
Let us follow Jesus Christ carrying His Cross and painfully climbing the mountain of Calvary. Let us accompany Him with Mary, the holy women and Simon the Cyrenean.                                      
                                                                 ~ Pere Eymard ~

I have added some more printing and handwriting pages to the homeschool tab.  Glory Be copy, printing and handwriting pages as well as Act of Contrition printing and handwriting page.  There are many more to come.  I will also have some with prayers in Latin. 

    In the beginning, and through the centuries, there has been a rivalry between the sword and the pen. Which is the mightier has been the question. Rightly the decision favors the pen. The sword is trenchant and quickly hurls souls to their eternal destiny. The pen, incisive as the blade, has left a mark deeper and broader than the sword.

    "One drop of ink makes millions think." The pen shapes the activity of mankind when the sword lies idle in its sheath. The scabbard must at times put the sword to sleep. The pen never slumbers.

                    So with the pen it is that we shall fight!!
                             Onward Christian soldiers!

 Mary, obtain for me the gift that I may have the confidence of my children.  As you know, a mother needs this confidence in order to guide her children properly.  When there are difficulties or problems or troubles, may they be shared with me trustingly, that i may be able more readily to perform a mother's task of helping her child.  And, Mother Most Prudent, when this confidence is shown, teach me how to help and instruct my child.  Be to me a Mother of Good Counsel and direct me at all times in the responsibilities of my holy office of motherhood.  Amen.
                        ~ Seat of Wisdom, pray for us! ~

          taken from: The Mother's Manual, Imprimatur 1943

Our 2012-2013 Liturgical Year Calendar is now available to download here.  Please note that this is not an official calendar of the Catholic Church. It follows the Liturgical year of the Church, which starts with  the First Sunday of Advent 2012 and com- mences with the Saturday prior to the First Sunday of Advent 2013. It was put together by a lay person using the rubrics before 1958 and the Motu Proprio of Pope Pius XII which went into effect on March 25, 1957, the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  You  may see an error or two on the slide show but they have been fixed and are not in the downloadable file.  God bless you all!  The Willson Family

                                     Guardian Angel

Your Guardian Angel is your companion and your friend. He is given to you at the first moment of existence and stays with you to the end. He inspires you with good and holy thoughts. He protects you from many dangers and accidents, and assists you in a thousand ways throughout your life. The Angels are most de- sirous to be our friends and they love us with all the intensity of their angelic natures. "He hath given His Angels charge over thee: to keep thee in all thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up lest thou dash thy foot against a stone" (Psalm 91).

The Angels are pure spirits, mighty Princes of Heaven who stand before God. They are burning fires of love, filled with the plenitude of happiness. No two Angels are alike and there are too many to be numbered. All of them are indescribably beautiful. "Thousands and thousands ministered to Him and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him" (Dan 7:10).

St. Frances of Rome saw her own Angel. She said the splendor of her Angel dimmed the light of the sun and moon and stars in comparison. Often she could read her prayers by the light of her Angel. When the Angel rolled back the stone from the holy sepulcher, Sacred Scriptures says that the countenance of the Angel was like lightning and his clothes white as snow. His appearance was so full of majesty that the soldiers at the tomb were terrified and could not look at him.  "For an Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning and his raiment as snow" (Matt 28: 2,3).

Angelic intelligence is immeasurably superior to our own. We plod from truth to truth, studying, steadily investigating in order to understand a topic, but they understand the entire subject at a single glance. In that same glance, they immediately see all the nuances and consequences of a particular action. It is easy to see how important their assistance would be for us, who need help in
making decisions each day of our lives.

There are angels in Heaven and also on earth, each with different jobs to do. Nations, cities, families, towns - all have their special Angels. St Thomas Aquinas teaches us that there are Angels that guide the stars, the moon, the sun, and the planets, keeping everything in harmony according to God's plan. Scripture tells us of the Angels that perform duties that some attribute to chance.

It was an Angel that gave its medicinal quality to the pool at Bethesda; an Angel generated the fires on Mount Sinai; the thunder and lightning were the work of Angels; and in the Apocalypse we read of the Angels restraining the winds. Thus, we learn that the course of nature, so marvelous and at times so fearful, is moved by these unseen beings.

Angels act as messengers as in the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel came to Mary, or as protectors as when Archangel Raphael helped to guide young Tobias on a dangerous journey, or as avengers as when God sent an Angel who killed 70,000 Egyptians in one night as a punishment for the Pharaoh not releasing the Hebrews from slavery.

They are also powerful protectors against the tricks of the devil. They will fight by your side and inspire you on how to resist the temptations of the devil. "Be sober and watch: because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet 5: 8). The Angels protect us from falling into temptations and avert natural disasters from befalling us - often the person never even realizes the tragedy he narrowly missed.

It is interesting to note that at the time of the Renaissance, Angels began to be portrayed as fat, sweet babies with wings. This artistic style continues to our day. It is a shame for such militant warriors to be reduced to these weak, infantile representations. In the mind of the viewer, the role of the Angel as protector and avenger fades away, replaced by a different idea. It is a subtle way of gradually changing the notion of the principle that life is a war between good and evil with the agents of each side fighting to win the souls of men. There is no spirit of fight in the fat baby angels - in fact, they are so smiling and happy that it appears nothing is amiss in their world.

And yet, there are many incidences in the lives of the Saints that show the militant, protective mission of the Angels toward men. St John Bosco, for example, was a man who fought vigorously against the Waldensian heresy. Many of the heretics hated him for his unrelenting fight and tried to kill him many times. During this dangerous period of his life, a large grey dog appeared and
would accompany him as he walked the streets of the city, fighting off any attackers. When the danger passed, the dog disappeared. In his writings, Don Bosco called this dog Grigio [Grey], and he believed that it was an angelic intervention protecting him so many times over a period of 30 years.

Angels also reflect God's goodness, kindness, and generosity. He gave us these Angels to "level out the playing field." Man by himself is no match for the wily Devil, a fallen angel that still retains all his intellectual prowess and powers. Without some kind of supernatural help, we would be certain to make many mistakes, some irreparable.

God in His goodness gave us Angels. Knowing this, wouldn't it be foolish to ignore our Guardian Angels and not ask often for their help?

"Ask us and we will give you a share of all our treasures, all our graces, all our happiness," they seem to say. The only thing standing between us and these benefits is our forgetfulness of these wonderful beings.

                  ~ Lift Up Your Hearts – Fr. Lasance - 1926 ~

I have removed the Scribd files as a few people were having issues with them.  They have been replaced with Adobe Acrobat files. They should be much easier to view before printing as well as easier to print. Hope it works out better for all.  I will be working on making the coloring pictures easier to use as well:)

In one of our old books we found a "Manner of Following Mass at Home" it is specifically for those on account of sickness, old age, or for other sufficient reasons cannot assist at Holy Mass, especially on Sundays and Holydays.  It is very nice and can be found here. The Imprimatur of the book is 1918  

Taken from, "Explanations of the Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays, Holydays and Festivals Throughout the Ecclesiastical Year" by Rev. Leonard Goffine, Imprimatur 1918

Why was this Festival instituted?
1. To thank God that He has given to each of us a special angel to lead us through the dangers, of this world to heaven;
2. That we may show ourselves grateful to the holy angels, who have done us so much good.

       Is it certain that every one has a special guardian angel?

Yes; for many passages in Holy Scriptures attest it; ii. Exod. xxiii. 20, 21. Ps. xxxiii. 8; xc. ii. Job. xxxiii 23., Acts. xii. 15,but especially the words of Christ: "See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you that their Angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven;" (Matt, xviii. 10.) which words of the Saviour the holy Catholic Church has always expounded to mean that to every one is given a special guardian angel.
                       
                    What is the office of guardian angels?

To protect us from dangers of body and soul. So it is written in Ps. xc. ii.: "For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone," that is, that thou mayest not sin or fall into any other misfortune. "Oh what a great favor of God," exclaims St. Bernard, "O what wonderful love! Who has commanded? .... Godl Whom has He commanded? .... The angels, those noble spirits who share God's home! What has He commanded them? .... To protect and guard us poor mortals! O Lord! what is man that Thou art mindful of him!" The holy guardian angels perform the greatest service for the soul. They protect us in dangers and temptations, warn us against evil, encourage us to good, offer to God our prayers and stand by us in the hour of death. Yea, they minister to us after death, as Christ said that the poor Lazarus was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. (Luke xvi. 22.)
           
              Have wicked men also a holy guardian angel?

God protects the body of even the most hardened sinner, that he may not perish before the time, but the holy angel can have no pleasure in a sinner. St. Basil the Great says: "As smoke scatters the bees, and offensive smell - disperses the doves, so does horrible, lamentable sin turn from us the angel, the guardian of life. But if a sinner repents: then there is joy in heaven, as the Saviour asserts: There shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance! (Luke xv. 10.)

                    What do we owe our guardian angel?

According to the doctrine of St. Bernard: Reverence on account of his presence; Gratitude for the solicitude he has for us; Confidence and Love, by virtue of which we turn to him and entreat his protection in all difficulties and temptations.

What consolation does the presence of our guardian angel give us?

That of being fearless and courageous in all dangers of body and soul, for "of whom need we be afraid," writes St. Bernard, "with such powerful protectors?" They cannot be conquered or led away, they protect us in all our paths. They are faithful, mighty and wise, why should we tremble? Only let us follow them, cling to them, and remain under the protection of God, the Lord of Heaven.
   
                         What ought we to do on this day?

We ought to spend the day in a most devout manner, reverencing our holy guardian angel, and thanking him for all the benefits received through the course of our whole life, ask his pardon for the vexations we may have caused him through our sins, recommend ourselves again to his protection and promise him constant fidelity and obedience.

    PRAYER. Almighty, eternal God! Thou, who in Thy great goodness hast given to every man a guardian angel, grant that I may honor, love and obey my guardian angel, that through Thy grace and his protection, I may be saved and with him behold in heaven Thy divine face for all eternity.
    Holy guardian angels, defend us in the combat that we may not perish on the dreadful Day of Judgment.
 [The Introit is the same as on the feast of St. Michael-September 29th.]

    PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. O God, who in Thy unspeakable providence vouchsafest to send Thine angels to keep guard over us: grant unto Thy suppliants that we may be continually defended by their protection, and rejoice eternally in their society. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
   
    LESSON. (Exod. xxiii. -20 23.) THUS saith the Lord God: Behold, I will send my angel, who shall go before thee, and keep thee in thy journey, and bring thee into the place that I have prepared. Take notice of him and hear his voice, and do not think him one to be contemned: for lie will not forgive when thou hast sinned, and my name is in him. But if thou wilt hear his voice, and do all that I speak, I will be an enemy to thy enemies, and will afflict them that afflict thee: and my angel shall go before thee.

  Taken from, "Explanation of the Epistles and Gospels," by Rev, Leonard Goffine, Imprimatur 1918    

"What a one shall this child be?"   
                                (Luke 1. 66.)

    THUS said the friends, neighbors and relations of the pious couple Zachary and Elizabeth, when they saw and heard the wonderful incidents which accom- panied the birth of their son John. What a one shall this child be? so parents often say to each other, when they look
upon their own little children, and see how even in early days certain propensities appear in them, causing great wonder.  How often would parents be overwhelmed with pain and grief, if they could know in advance how these tender little ones whose good and remarkable qualities and whose extraordinary talents they admire, on whom their eyes rest with pleasure, whom every one praises, how these children would one day hasten to temporal and eternal ruin, preparing for their parents no joy, but many afflictions and much misery! Whence does it come that so many parents are deceived in the expectations they entertained in regard to their children, that their advancing youth, notwithstanding all the education bestowed upon it, becomes more and more disorderly and impious? It is because parents so seldom observe that which is written of the young Tobias: From his infancy he (his father) taught him to fear God, and to abstain from all sin; (Tob. i. 10.) because they regard not the apostle's admonition: And you fathers, bring up your children in the discipline and correction of the Lord; (Efih.vi. 4.) because they forget that every child is like a young tree that must be carefully guarded, straightened, bound to a post, trimmed and protected against insects, wind and frost; because they remember no longer the wise man's counsel: Instruct thy children, and bow down their necks from their childhood, (Ecclus. vii. 25.) and, thou shalt beat thy child with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell; (Prov. xxiii. 14.) because they pay no attention to the words: The child that is left to his own will, bringeth his mother to shame, (Prov. xxix. 15.) and, he that loveth his son, frequently chastiseth him, that he may rejoice in his latter end, and not grope after the doors of his neighbors, (Ecclus. xxx. i.) that is, for protection, consolation and help against the rebellious child. They do not bring the child early to Jesus, the divine Friend of children; they do not teach it to fear God and abhor sin above all things; they rejoice in the many talents of the child, but do not seek to direct them to God, their only end; they do not remove from the child all that which poisons and corrupts the innocent heart open to every impression; they neglect to make it pray in early childhood, to make it exercise the necessary Christian virtues, the love of God and their neighbor, humility, obedience, meekness, peacefulness and modesty; in a word, they educate their children for anything rather than for God, the Church and their country. God, the Church, and the country are not satisfied with an education in which attention is paid only to those things which will enable the child to do well in this world, or that will make a great show, and receive power, honor and praise. This false and pernicious education causes so many parents to complain of their grown children; causes God to punish them severely even here on earth, more terribly in the other world; causes the Church to lament, and good men to be filled with fear.
    If education is to be a truly Christian one, so that parents may rejoice in their children here and in the next world, and a better generation grow up, education must be founded on religion, must commence and end with God. Parents should consider that their children are a precious trust, which God has confided to them, and of which He will demand a strict account on the Day of Judgment ; they should remember that their children are created for heaven, are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost in baptism. In their earliest childhood, Christian parents should make their children acquainted with God, the Highest Good, keep them attentive to devout prayer, especially imprint upon their hearts the holy fear of God, lead them early to Jesus, often place His beautiful example before them, infuse His holy teachings into their hearts, instruct them in sincere veneration for the blessed Virgin Mary, daily recommending them to this beloved Mother. Being, as it were, the guardian angels of their children, parents should watch day and night over the innocence and purity of their hearts, remove them from association with bad children and degenerate grown persons, be attentive to watch all their steps, be vigilant concerning all their omissions and commissions, banish from their knowledge all bad example, improper words and songs, and bad books. If they truly love their children, they will not permit obstinacy, stubbornness, or disobedience in them, and should: withhold not correction from a child, (Prov. xxiii. 13.) make use of strict discipline united with affection, and suffer no ill manners to grow with them. They should bring their children early to the practice of Christian virtues, and teach them to mortify their evil inclinations; often exhort them, when they have arrived at the proper age, to receive the holy Sacraments; see that their children do riot spend their youth in idleness, but thoroughly learn all that which is necessary for them to know, not superficially as half educated, half instructed persons, who can gossip about everything, but are at the same time shallow-minded; they should above all give their children a good example, cooperate with the priests and teachers, | and thus strive to bring up good, pious, religious, virtuous
children of God, members for the Church and citizens for the country.
    Woe to the parents who do not educate their children for God and  heaven! What fear and terror will come upon them on the Judgment Day, when God will demand pure and unharmed, the children He confided to them, when parents must acknowledge that through their fault their children have been excluded from heaven and are lost forever!
   

 

I have added an adobe acrobat file of the October gazette to the site.  I'm sorry I didn't realize that you could not download a Scribd file, at least I couldn't from the site.  I apologize for this, another learning experience for this teacher:)