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 Contact the Service Team hom@heartofmaryhomeschool.org

Newsletter Input:
newsletter@heartofmaryhomeschool.org

If you would like something published in the next newsletter, please send information to the above email. 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:

Magisterial Moment P 3 Educational Internet Resources P 5 Updates and Announcements Pp 6-7 From a Mother's Heart P 8 Books in Review P 9 Grandiloquence P 10 Let the Children Come to Me P 17

Heart of Mary www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

September Newsletter

Pastors Corner

Heart of Mary

www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

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 predecessors gradual purification of the heart.
By Edward Pentin 06/11/13 excerpt from The National Catholic Register 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 gures. 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. Peters 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 purication of the heart. We see him, day by day, careful to recognize and mortify the desires that come from his own selshness, careful to discern the inspirations of the Lord, he said. Francis stressed that John XXIIIs obedience led him to live a more profound faithfulness, which could be called, as he would say, abandonment to divine Providence.

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 difculties 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 reected.

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 nal words to cardinals in February, a poignant and powerful farewell delivered hours before he becomes the rst 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 nal audienceRead more at: http://stlouiscatholic.blogspot.com/2013/02/in-speech-to-cardinalspope-benedict.html 3

Heart of Mary www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

Pio Continued from page 1: This is

September Newsletter

the letter by Padre Pio to Pope Paul VI. I well understand what profound afictions 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 reafrm 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.

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 sacrice 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 Greats 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. Courtneys 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 Courtneys book, I nd 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 friends book- God will always protect and preserve us unto the end of time.

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

Heart of Mary

www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

Educational Internet Resources By Cheryl McGuire

I was asked to revive the Educational Internet Resources 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 Ive found an incredible plethora of educational resources, especially from other teachers & homeschool moms. The websites listed are hyperlinked for easy access. If theres anything that you would like me to find & post for everyones 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 Im recommending, I have not necessarily scrutinized them for moral content, so please proceed with caution and use your own discretion to determine whats 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://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 theres 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. 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-first-grade - 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. Its an easy site to navigate & has a search function.

Updates and Announcements

Heart of Mary www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org 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, heres a recording from St. Hildegard of Bingens Orde Virtutum, performed at FUS in Oct. 2012 during my Senior year. Im 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! September Newsletter

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

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.

Directions for registering for ocknote

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Go to www.ocknote.com Go to Register Register your name and email with new password Go to your email and conrm your email This will take you back to ocknote, click on nd 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 nd on ocknote!

Heart of Mary

www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

Updates and Announcements Continued

Pre-Reading, Reading Classes & Private Tutoring for the 20132014 School Year:
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. 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

-Simple eye exercises to build -Reading periphery & reading speed 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 students needs for further instruction.

-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 56 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.

CONTINUED ON PG 4

Heart of Mary www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

September Newsletter
Continued from previous column: I wear a

rather large crucifix 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. 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!

From a Mothers 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 preachinghe 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 didnt 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 didnt 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 identityknew who he was in the larger scheme of thingsand wasnt 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

Classified
Used Selmer Clarinet in Case for sale. $175. ginnad@sbcglobal.net 8

Heart of Mary

www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

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 Doughterty

With permission, the following is a reprint from 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. Im 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 wouldnt 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. Id 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.

Ill start with:

Beowulf
Ill spare you all the erudite information about its English composer who probably lived in the eighth century, because, although it is interesting, youll 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 Hrothgars 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 Hrothgars 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 theyre dealing with. It begins to look like the two sides might fight one another, instead of the monster, but Beowulf promises Hrothgar he wont leave until he has dealt with the nuisance, and all the Scyldings Hrothgars men leave him to it. The monsters name is Grendel. Hes terrifically ugly, and splashes blood everywhere when he eats thanes, but hes really no match for Beowulf, who rips Grendels arm off first time in the ring. Continued
on pg 10

Heart of Mary www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

September Newsletter

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!dont# have%any%littles%to%teach%this%fall,%we%feel%like%we%should%stock%up.! !!!!!!!!!!!!As!grandparents,!we!.ind!ourselves!in!a!very!different!situation!than! our$married$children$who$are$preparing$for$the$new$school$year.!!We!have! time!!!The!day"to"day$demands"on"our"time"and"energy"are"far"less"than" when%we%were%juggling%babies,%toddlers,%and%middle"schoolers.!!What!can! we#do#with#this#time,#especially#in#preparation#for#the#school#year,#to#assist# our$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%you%prepared%the%materials%for%them%to%use.!!(Who!knows,!this! may$even$help$you$declutter$a$bit$of$your$home!)$Lets$help$them$stretch$their$dollars$for$quality$materials$ while&sharing&in&the&homeschooling$adventure$this$fall.n!!
Book in Review Continued from pg 9: Grendel runs

away, dripping gore, and everyone is very happy, and theres 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 its the dormitory as well as the dining hall) who should show up but Grendels 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 nights sleep, no worry about being eaten, and then, just when theyve dropped off nicely, bang! heres another monster. I wont tell you how it ends. In the first place, there isnt space on this page in the second place, if I dont tell you, youll 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 Id like to deal with a little issue. Im 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 a similitude, as birdwatchers guides relate the size of a bird to a commonly known bird, a robin, for instance. Id like to have four levels, each designated by number, and by a book of known qualities. Hows 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 comment on one of these, some one should really do something about it.

10

Heart of Mary

www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

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 Moms 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? Common-sense 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 childs 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 reach the boiling point. 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 dont expect them to play piano fluently after a few years of lessons; nor should we expect perfect obedience without years of practice. Cont. pg 12 11

Heart of Mary www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org Good News Cont. from pg 11

September Newsletter

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 childrens 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.

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. A childs 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 patience is about to snap. I try to remember to say inwardly, Thank you, Jesus! Praise the Lord, my child if finally learning to think for himself!

5. Finally, when all else fails, realize that the teen who challenges and disagrees with you is actually showing signs of appropriate mental growth. Little children 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

12

Heart of Mary

www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

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 afrmatively 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 sevenyear-old as he kicks the socks across the room. "Because Im the Mommy and I asked you to," I reply rmly. "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 ve-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 afrmatively 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 rm. 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 Gods laws are absolute and we require them to obey those absolute laws. For a child, the rst 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 dont 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, selfsacrice: 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, self-repression, self-sacrice: 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. Lets unpack the quote a little. To train our children, we must deny ourselves. We cant 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 isnt observed or they are overprogrammed 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 owers into full-blown relationship with God and an eager willingness to obey Him as an adult.!
Continued on pg. 13

13

Heart of Mary www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

September Newsletter

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.
Divine Obedience Continued from pg. 13

We want strong-willed children. Thats 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 Gods 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. I am asserting that it should not be necessary. Charlotte Mason writes of this eloquently:

Since the rst publication of these thoughts of mine on obedience, several parents have asked how to make a child obey. First, we dont 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 Gods 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 Spiritinspired control enables children to do work to nish 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. Im not a big fan of "time-out." Usually, a child who is misbehaving needs more of his parents attention. He doesnt need to be sent away unless its 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. Continued on pg. 15

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). Continued on pg 15

14

Heart of Mary
Divine Obedience: Cont from pg 14

www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org
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 Universitys 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 Universitys 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. 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. 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 Universitys mission through thoughtful discussion and prayer on our unique role in Catholic higher education, especially ways our students can go forth as Christs 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 Universitys 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. Continued on pg 16

We dont 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 childs 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. 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.

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 Steubenvilles Sixth President
STEUBENVILLE, OhioThe inauguration of Father Sean O. Sheridan, TOR, as the sixth president of Franciscan University of Steubenville will take place on Thursday, October 10, 2013.

15

Heart of Mary www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

Inauguration cont: 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. 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. A high point of the inauguration will be a major address by Father Sheridan, in which he will present his vision for leading Franciscan University in the years ahead. The public is then invited to the Presidents Reception in the J.C. Williams Center. 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 symposiums 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.

September Newsletter

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 Universitys 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. 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 IIs Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities and suggests solutions to those issues.

16

Heart of Mary

www.heartofmaryhomeschool.org

"Let the children come to me..."

The knot of Eves disobedience was untied by Marys obedience.

17

Heart of Mary
Our Mission: Heart of Mary Homeschool is a catholic support organization serving Steubenville and the surrounding areas.

Homeschool Support Group

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