O most holy Virgin Mary, who didst bear Jesus our Saviour and didst shed the everlasting Light upon the world, O Mother of divine knowledge, whose merciful intercession hath procured the grace of increasing in knowledge and piety for countless minds that were rude and ignorant, I choose thee as the guide and patroness of my studies.
    By thine intercession, O Mother of fruitful studies, may the Holy Spirit fill my spirit with light and fortitude, prudence and humility; may He give me good will, intelligence, memory and ability in sufficient measure, and above all, a spirit of docility both in mind and heart, that I may proceed in all things according to the counsels of divine Wisdom. 
    Defend me, good Mother, against the spirit of pride and presumption, of vain curiousity and instability; keep me from every occasion of stumbling, from all erroneous opinion, and from all things that may corrupt my faith and disturb the clearness of my understanding, the purity of my heart, and the peace of my soul.
    Grant, O Mary, that, under thy protection, I may ever be submissive to the directions and teachings of Holy Church, my mother, and may advance in the way of truth and virtue surely, courageously and without wavering; at length may I attain to the knowledge, the love and the everlasting possession of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.               
An indulgence of 500 days (Pius X, Rescript in his own hand, April 26, 1907, exhib. April 27, 1907; S.P. Ap., Sept. 18, 1933)

BY A MONK OF THE HOLY ORDER OF ST. BENEDICT -  ENDORSEMENT OF ARCHBISHOP ULLATHORNE

My Dear Father van Volckxsom:
I thank you for your interesting little essay and instruction on Parental blessings. It is a subject on which I have preached all my life, and especially at visitations. If parents would but consider the sanctity of their office, and sanctify themselves for it, the houses of Catholic families would be like chapels. I pray God to bless you, and am, Rev. and dear Father,
                                                                                        Your devoted servant in Christ,
                                                                                                               + W . B . ULLATHOHNE.

                                                              +     +     +   

Can anything in a Christian family equal in beauty the sight of children who, from the youngest to the oldest, present themselves each night with reverence before their father and mother to receive their blessing before retiring to rest? This touching ceremony ennobles a family, and consecrates authority; natural, affection ignites a spark of the love of God, and the domestic hearth becomes a threshold of Heaven! God grant that this pious custom may be ever maintained where it already exists, and be adopted where, either through neglect, or the chilling effect of a Protestant atmosphere, it
has hitherto not been practiced!

A blessing imparted in the name of God is more than a good wish: it is also a prayer. Such a solemn invocation of the authority of God, made by a parent for his children, cannot fail to be efficacious. The Holy Ghost Himself makes Ecclesiasticus say: The father's blessing establisheth the houses of the children (ch. II . 11).

The sign of  the Cross was still unknown in the time of the Patriarchs.

The day bad not yet dawned when the Man-God, by dying the ignominious death on the Cross, was thereby to change that sign of foolishness into one in which the great St. Paul, and all Christians after him, were to glory. The Patriarchs of old, in blessing their children, extended their hands over their heads. With such a rite did Abraham bless Isaac, and Isaac his son Jacob, and Jacob his twelve sons. Under the Old Law, only the fathers had seemingly the privilege of giving their blessing to their children; but under the New Law,—ever since, through Mary, women have been raised to a loftier condition; and ever since one Of their sex "blessed among all women" (Luke I . 28) was found worthy to become the Mother of God, the right of blessing their children has been conferred also upon mothers.

The history of parental blessings presents many edifying examples, for our admiration and imitation.

The fathers and mothers of the Martyrs used to give their blessings to their sons and daughters as they lay in chains in their prisons; and these blessings filled them with a renewed courage to suffer more for Christ.

In the history of the Fathers of the Church, we read that the saintly Macrina daily blessed her grandsons: one lived to become the great St. Basil, and the other St. Gregory of Nyssa. Nonna, the mother of St. Gregory of Nazianzus, also, blessed her son; and from a child she consecrated him to Jesus Christ, by placing his little hands on the sacred Scriptures.

St. Louis, King of France, when about to die on the African coast, addressed the following words to his son, who stood by his deathbed:
"My dearson, I give you all the blessings which a good father can give to his son."

The young John Gerson, one of the claimants to the authorship of  "The Following of Christ," who in after - life became the Chancellor of the University of Paris, daily headed his eleven brothers and sisters to receive the blessing of their father and mother.

St. Francis of Sales reverently knelt every night at the feet of his parents to receive their blessing; until the day, when, having received the episcopal consecration, these Christian parents knelt in their turn before their son, to receive his blessing.

The historian of St. Jane Frances of Chantal, speaking about the manner in which she educated her children, proceeds thus: "Shortly after supper, this pious mother used to withdraw with her children to make them say their night prayers, of which a De Profundis for the soul of the late Baron, their father, formed a part that was never omitted. After a few moments devoted to the examination of conscience, she made them say aloud and all together the short prayer: "In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum"—Into thy hands I commend my spirit (Luke xxiii . 46)—after which she blessed each with Holy Water and the sign of the Cross, and made them undress with modesty."

The writer of the life of Blessed Sir Thomas More makes the following remark: " In our Country, children are wont to ask on their knees, at morning and at night, the blessing of their fathers and mothers. This is the common usage in England. But I must confess that when grown up, married, or raised to some high dignity in the Church or in the State, children generally give up this pious practice, or at least it is retained by but few . "The more remarkable in this respect was the faithfulness of Sir Thomas himself. During the whole of his father's lifetime, and even when he was holding the office of Chancellor of England, Sir Thomas never failed to come every night to ask him reverently for his blessing.

In monasteries, at night at the hour of Compline, ere the monks are dismissed to their cells, the Abbot, who stands to his subjects as a true father, making the sign of the Cross over them, pronounces the words: "May the Almighty and merciful God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless and guard us." And in like manner, in the morning at the hour of Prime: "May the Lord bless us and defend us from all evil and lead us to eternal life."

This parental blessing instils into the hearts of children a greater and purer love for their parents. Their filial affection daily grows by this impressive rite, in which the parent stands before the eyes of his children as the representative of God, and as the minister of His Divine Blessing. He performs essentially an act of authority. This cross which you have traced on the forehead of your children, O fathers and mothers! changes their natural love for you into a more spiritual dutifulness, and helps to insure forever their respect and veneration for you. ~

Under the influence of your blessing, the child Will also learn to treat his body with respect. May it not suggest, in a critical moment of temptation, that it would ill become this brow, which but this morning, or this night , was blessed with the sign of the cross, to have reason to blush under the silent, but scrutinizing look of a father or a mother, when the time for the next blessing has come round? The time of this blessing is also a most favorable time for acknowledgment of faults, for pardon, for solemn and serious advice; the blessing should be withheld in case no signs of repentance are shown for some fault committed in the course of the day.

Finally, this blessing is not without its beneficial  effects upon him who confers it , for it must needs make him better, more Christian-like, more holy. When a parent sees his children bowing down before him, it brings home to him the great fact that he, also, as well as the Bishop of his diocese, or the Priest of his parish, has in a certain sense the care of souls, and that he owes his family the good example of a lively, and practical Faith, and that he must be to them the pattern of all Christian virtues; for it is written: "The Just that walketh in his simplicity shall leave behind him blessed children" (Prov. xx. 1).

Let, then, this blessing recover the place of honor it held in all Christian times! Fathers and mothers! confer it in the simplicity of the rite of old, and of better days. When after night prayers, or before retiring to their rest, your children are come to you to wish you a good night, place for an instant your left hand upon their heads, and with the thumb of the right hand trace the sign of the Cross upon each forehead either silently, or saying: "May God bless you, my child;" or, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

It is the "Good-night" of the Christian, a good-night eminently religious, which brings to their minds the wholesome, thought of Eternity!

Perhaps you are not rich; it may be you have no great fortune to bequeath to your children; but what you have at least to bestow upon them is the inheritance of your blessing: and far more profitable than riches is eternal salvation.
                                             Source:  The Faith That Never Dies, Impritmatur 1900

O Most Holy God! who lovest purity and innocence, grant to my children the precious gift of purity. Woe to them should the vice of impurity take hold of their hearts! How miserable would they not be ! O Lord, do Thou guard them ! Keep with Thy powerful hand this monster far from them. Without Thy special help they cannot preserve the virtue of chastity. O God, grant them this help. By it let their hearts be like sanctuaries, unprofaned, undefiled by any impure thought or feeling; by it let their eyes be modest, bashful ; their ears and mouth unapproachable, and closed to any impropriety in word and deed. By Thy grace fill them with hatred against what ever may be contrary to decency, and let them persevere, body and soul, in unimpaired purity, so that they may always stretch out to Thee pure hands, and that their bodies may continue to be hallowed temples of the Holy Ghost. O God, lover of pure souls, let my children belong to the number of Thy favorites; let the blessing and the happiness and prosperity which, according to Thy gracious dispositions, accompany holy purity come upon my children. Amen.

Holy Virgin Mary, most chaste mother and intercessor of pure souls; St. Joseph, most chaste spouse of the Holy Virgin , St. Aloysius, angel in the flesh ; and all ye holy virgins and children, and all ye Saints in heaven, assist me with your powerful intercession, so that the Lord, who has given you the grace of unimpaired innocence and chastity, may also bestow this same great gift upon my children. Amen.

Source: The Christian Mother, Imprimatur 1880

This wonderful book can be read in its entirety  by clicking here: https://archive.org/details/TheChristianMother

O Spirit of Holiness ! make Thine abode with my children, in order that God's holy grace and the salvation of their souls may be always regarded by them as more valuable than all things else, and that they may always keep the eye of their souls directed towards heaven.

O Holy Ghost ! give to my children the gift of Understanding, that they may comprehend more and more the teachings of our holy religion and grow zealous, whilst by listening to the Word of God and by pious reading they advance in the knowledge of Christian truth.

O Holy Ghost! give to my children the gift of Knowledge, that they may lay up an ever-increasing store of useful, salutary knowledge for their own and their neighbor's salvation.

O Holy Ghost! give to my children the gift of Counsel, that they may always see in the light of Thy grace what is according to God's holy will and useful for their salvation.

O Holy Ghost! give to my children the gift of Fortitude, that strengthened thereby they may not yield to difficulties in the practice of virtue, nor be discouraged by impediments, but persevere courageously and generously on the road to heaven. Amen.

O Holy Ghost! give to my children the gift of Piety; fill their hearts wholly with divine love, so that they may always be zealous in all good works, and be solely intent upon fulfilling in ail things God's holy will.

O Holy Ghost! give to my children the gift of the Fear of God, in order that, recognizing sin as the greatest and only evil, they may abhor it and fear above everything else to become victims of God's divine justice. Amen.

Source: The Christian Mother, Imprimatur 1880

This lovely book can be read in its entirety here: https://archive.org/details/TheChristianMother

THE CHRISTIAN MOTHER'S CRADLE HYMN
HUSH, my babe, lie still and slumber,
Holy angels guard thy bed,
Heavenly blessings without number
Gently falling on thy head.
How much better thou'rt attended
Than thy Saviour chose to be,
When from heaven He descended,
And became a child like thee.
Soft and easy is thy cradle,
Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay;
For His birthplace was a stable,
And His softest bed was hay.
Was there nothing but a manger,
Hapless sinners could afford
To receive the heavenly Stranger,
Their Redeemer and their Lord ?
See, the humble shepherds.round Him
Gaze with mingled love and fear;
Where they sought Him, there they found Him,
With His Virgin Mother near
Lo, He slumbers in His manger,
Where the horned oxen feed;
Peace, my darling, here's no danger,
Here no ox is near thy bed.
'Twas to save thee, child, from dying,
From the ever-burning flame,
Bitter groans and endless crying,
That this holy Infant came.
May'st thou live to know and fear Him,
Trust and love Him all thy days,
Then to dwell forever near Him,
See His face, and sing His praise.
                                                                 ~ Greetings to the Christ Child, 1879 ~

                                                PRAYER BEFORE MEDITATION

My God, I firmly believe that Thou art here present. I acknowledge that on account of my many sins I am utterly unworthy to appear before Thy sacred countenance. Yet, confiding in Thy infinite goodness and mercy, I venture to address Thee, to call upon Thy holy name, and meditate upon Thy commandments, in order that I may acquire a better knowledge of Thy holy will, and accomplish it with more fidelity. Wherefore enlighten my understanding that I may perceive what I ought to do or leave undone for the promotion of Thy glory and my own salvation; at the same time excite my will, that I may repent with my whole heart of my past sins, and resolve for the future to do all that Thou requirest of me. Grant me above all to know Jesus, my divine Teacher and Guide, more clearly, that I may love Him more dearly, and consequently labor, struggle and suffer with greater generosity and self-sacrifice in imitation of His example. Holy Mary, Mother of God and my Mother, show Jesus to me now, and let me study thy divine Son to the salvation of my soul. Holy Guardian Angel, keep far from me all distracting thoughts; my patron saint, come to my assistance. Amen.

Source: - Meditations on the Life, Teaching, and Passion of Jesus Christ
                                                (Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur: New York, December 31, 1900)

I would like to recommend a wonderful book that should be a must read for those of us who are striving to give our children a true Catholic Education.  The book title is: "Public School Education" by Father Michael Muller. A hard copy can be purchased here:  http://www.allthesaintsbooks.com/index.html  or you can read an e-book here:  http://archive.org/details/publicschooleduc28036gut.  It is an amazing book.

"And in general, see that you take infinitely less care of those edifices which are raised with stone and mortar, than of the spiritual temples of God; these temples are your brethren and the pupils entrusted to your faithful care, whom you should feed, watch over, and especially urge on to advance in virtue; this is the sovereign duty committed to your zeal.
                                     ~ St. Francis Xavier ~

Manual of the Holy Catholic Church,
                                                       Imprimatur 1906

                                                The Example of Our Blessed Lord

     AND they brought to Him young children, that He might touch them. And the disciples rebuked them that brought them.
     And when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said to them: "Suffer the little children to come to Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."
                                                                                                                      St. Mark 10. 13-16.

                                       ON THE DUTY OF THE CHRISTIAN MOTHER
St. Monica, before the birth of the great St. Augustine, dedicated him by frequent oblations to the Christian religion, and to the service and glory of God, as he himself witnesses, saying : " That he hath already tasted the salt of God in his mother's womb." This is a great lesson for Christian women to offer up to His Divine Majesty the fruit of their wombs, even before they come into the world ; for God, who accepts the offerings of an humble and willing heart, commonly at that time seconds the affections of mothers; witness Samuel, St. Thomas of Aquin, St. Andrew of Fiesola, and divers others.

The mother of St. Bernard, a mother worthy of such a son, as soon as her children were born, took them in her arms, and offered them up to Jesus Christ, and from thence forward loved them with respect, as things consecrated and entrusted to her by God; which succeeded so happily to her that in the end the whole seven became very holy. But when children begin to have the use of reason, both their fathers and mothers ought to take great care to imprint the fear of God in their hearts. The good Queen Blanche performed this office fervently with regard to the King St. Louis, her son; she often said to him: "I had much rather, my dear child, see you die before my eyes, than see you commit even one mortal sin ;" which caution remained so deeply engraved on his soul that, as he himself related, not one day of his life passed in which he did not remember it, and take all possible care strictly to observe it. Families and generations in our language are called houses ; and even the Hebrews called the generations of children the building up of a house; for it is in this sense it is said that God built houses for the midwives of Egypt.

Now, this is to show that the raising of a house or family consists not in storing up a quantity of worldly goods, but in the good education of children in the fear of God, and in virtue, in which no pains or labors ought to be spared, for children are the crown of their parents.
                                                                                                      ~ St, Francis de Sales.~

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