Conference Notes

Well, I could go on endlessly trying to polish these up, but they'll have to do for now. :)

It's difficult to crunch so many stories and experiences and ideas into one outline. So many words and phrases conjure up whole stories or pictures or conversations or experiences to me. It looks so - barren here (although I love all the quotations). But maybe the outline format is appropriate since each family will be working to paint in their own unique details and writing their own stories.

Here is the "handout" for my beginning homeschooling talk at the Minnesota Catholic Homeschool Conference, on Saturday, June 3

"Catholic Homeschooling: Where to Begin? What to do? How to do it? A Guide for the Overwhelmed"
"Homework Packet"
Recommended Reading
Catholic Suppliers
Catholic Homeschool Programs
Quotes to Ponder on Children and Education
25 Ways to Inspire a Love of Learning in Your Children

Ria and I will both be there, working at the "love2learn" table. Please stop by and say hello if you'll be attending. Prayers would be appreciated for all those traveling to and from the conference.

By the way, I plan to eventually post my notes on the high school talk as well, but I'm not exactly sure when that will happen. They aren't as extensive as the general homeschool talk.

Chesterton on Great Men

It's such an appropriate day for me to finish up Chesterton's Heretics on Chesterton's birthday. Heretics is the sort of book that makes me sit back and sigh once in awhile and just enjoy the pleasure of witty wisdom. It brings tears to my eyes and makes me laugh a lot.

Today John and the four older kids are taking advantage of the last possible day to visit the Vatican Exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum. I've been outside watching the two little ones swim in the kiddie pool and ride tricycles in the very warm weather. But I couldn't resist running inside quickly to share this:

[pause while I run outside to check on Kate and Frank]

All very great teachers and leaders have had this habit of assuming their point of view to be one which was human and casual, one which would readily appeal to every passing man. If a man is genuinely superior to his fellows the first thing that he believes in is the equality of man. We can see this, for instance, in that strange and innocent rationality with which Christ addressed any motley crowd that happened to stand about Him. "What man of you having a hundred sheep, and losing one, would not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which was lost?" Or, again, "What man of you if his son ask for bread will he give him a stone, or if he ask for a fish will he give him a serpent?" This plainness, this almost prosaic camaraderie, is the note of all very great minds.

To very great minds the things on which men agree are so immeasurably more important than the things on which they differ, that the latter, for all practical purposes, disappear. They have too much in them of an ancient laughter even to endure to discuss the difference between the hats of two men who were both born of a woman, or between the subtly varied cultures of two men who have both to die. The first-rate great man is equal with other men, like Shakespeare. The second-rate great man is on his knees to other men, like Whitman. The third-rate great man is superior to other men, like Whistler.

Kate on Cause and Effect

It is really quite wonderful to watch a four year old try to understand the world of words and ideas. Here's Kate...

"Mommy, do you know why Charlotte's dog food is called dog food?" "Why?" "Because there's a picture of a dog looking at the food."

"Mommy, do you know why forks are called forks?" "Why?" "Because you can use them to eat your food."

Chesterton, Covey and Efficiency

I read the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey when my oldest two were quite little - around the toddler years. One of the things I appreciated most from his book was the idea of "effectiveness" vs. "efficiency". The quote that particularly struck me was this:

You [should] think effectiveness with people and efficiency with things… I see many parents, particularly mothers with small children, often frustrated in their desire to accomplish a lot because all they seem to do is meet the needs of little children all day. Remember, frustration is a function of our expectations, and our expectations are often a reflection of the social mirror rather than our own values and priorities.

although this one is also good, and I think patience is a related concept...

Patience is faith in action. Patience is emotional diligence. It's the willingness to suffer inside so that others can grow. It reveals love. It gives birth to understanding. Even as we become aware of our suffering in love, we learn about ourselves and our own weaknesses and motives.

These were very helpful concepts to me - just the things I needed to hear back then (and be reminded of occasionally now as well!).

Well, now, here I am reading Chesterton's Heretics and one of his themes seems to be efficiency (perhaps I could say the fallacy of efficiency). The concept comes up in a few places, but this is on of my favorites...

It is not fashionable to say much nowadays of the advantages of the small community. We are told that we must go in for large empires and large ideas. There is one advantage, however, in the small state, the city, or the village, which only the wilfully blind can overlook. The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world. He knows much more of the fierce varities and uncompromising divergences of men. The reason is obvious. In a large community we can chose our companions. In a small community our companions are chosen for us. Thus in all extensive and highly civilized socities groups come into existence founded upon what is called sympathy, and shut out the real world more sharply than the gates of a monastery. There is nothing really narrow about the clan; the thing which is really narrow is the clique. The men of the clan live together because they all wear the same tartan or are all descended from the same sacred cow; but in their souls, by the divine luck of things, there will always be more colours than in any tartan. But the men of the clique live together because they have the same kind of soul, and their narrowness is a narrowness of spiritual coherence and contentment, like that which exists in hell. A big society exists in order to form cliques. A big society is a society for the promotion of narrowness. It is a machinery for the purpose of guarding the solitary and sensitive individual from all experience of the bitter and bracing human compromises. It is, in the most literal sense of the words, a society for the prevention of Christian knowledge. (Heretics, XIV)

It seems to me that homeschooling has some of these beneficial non-efficient qualities. The "inefficiencies" in study CAN end up leading to discovering and developing a child's unique gifts and talents and to a greater love of learning. I think it's true that some, perhaps many, homeschoolers don't cover as much material as traditional schoolers cover - but often times the material covered is learned more throughly (and oftentimes enjoyed more) because the homeschool doesn't have to be as efficient. Our homeschool co-op (six families) is just small enough to force the children to make friends with all the others in their class or age group rather than just choosing to hang out with the ones they're more comfortable with.... (still stewing over this one some more - it's a somewhat new concept for me)

Speaking of Geography ...

The Map Guy just showed me this tidbit he came across from a National Geographic survey of geographic knowledge among 18-24 year olds. The question was:

A person able to wear lightweight clothing all year probably lives near:

the Equator, the Arctic Circle, the British Isles or the South Pole.

It is good to see that 83% of the respondents answered it correctly. But isn't it sad that 8% guessed the British Isles and, even more so, that 5% guessed the South Pole!

Here's the link...

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/answer_14.html

Where was Electroblogster?

Inspired by Maureen's "Mystery Location" post, I thought I'd see how many of my visitors recognize this famous landmark where John had lunch earlier this week...

A Little Outdoor Learning

It was so beautiful yesterday, we had to spend quite a bit of it outdoors.

Terri and Bernie got to know a caterpillar...



A pair of ducks showed up in the yard late in the afternoon. This turned out to be the major event of the day and even a few neighbor kids came over to have a look. Here they are crawling, slowly and quietly, closer to get a better look! (I like Frank's diaper-in-the-air technique)

Formation and Understanding Purposes

There's an old argument (old in a personal sense, not an historical sense) about the need for learning long division now that we have calculators - particularly solar-powered calculators. It goes something like this...

Joe Bloe: "Why do I need to learn long division, if I'll never use it? I can use a calculator instead."

Teacher: "Well, your calculator could run out of batteries."

Joe Bloe: "But I'd get a solar-powered calculator."

Teacher: "What if it broke?"

Joe Bloe: "I'd buy a new one."

Teacher: "What if it broke when you were stuck in the middle of the desert?"

Joe Bloe: "Why would I need to do long division if I was stuck in the middle of the desert?"

It seems to me that the argument comes to an impasse because neither side has a very thorough understanding of the purpose of studying Math. I would have said to Joe Bloe, even though he might not be convinced in one argument, that studying long division is good for your brain. You need to understand how it works to study higher math, even if you don't always need to do the division by hand. Furthermore, the thinking skills developed through Math are important for studying other subjects and making important distinctions in life.

It strikes me that this error in not understanding the purpose for things infects a lot of modern thinking. Here are examples plus some related one, misunderstanding cause and effect. See if you can spot the fallacies:

"Computers have spell and grammar checks, so my children don't need to learn about those things. "

"My kids are too dumb to learn science."

"Studying liberal arts is only good for teachers or lawyers. "

"We don't have very many books in the house because my children don't enjoy reading."

"My children don't need to study music because they aren't musically talented."

"I don't want my children involved in sports because it's not something they can enjoy for the rest of their lives."

I could probably write a post about each of these examples, but my basic point is that life has a deeper purpose than just finding a job (although I certainly don't suggest ignoring job skills) and education as formation plays a significant role in preparing for that. As they say, humans don't live to work, they work to live. Not everything comes solely from "inside" of us, but many things are sparked and developed with the help of outside influences - especially through the guidance and encouragement of parents and other mentors.

Chesterton on Hobbits

I'm reading Heretics right now and couldn't resist...

It is the humble man who does the big things. It is the humble man who does the bold things. It is the humble man who has the sensational sights vouchsafed to him, and this for three obvious reasons: first, that he strains his eyes more than any other men to see them; second, that he is more overwhelmed and uplifted with them when they come; third, that he records them more exactly and sincerely and with less adulteration from his more commonplace and more conceited everyday self. Adventures are to those to whom they are most unexpected - that is, most romantic. Adventures are to the shy: in this sense adventures are to the unadventurous. (Heretics, CW1 pg. 74)

On a related note, UK Bookworm wrote a post (admittedly a little while back) titled "Are you a hobbit?" in which she cites G.K. Chesterton as the ultimate hobbit. :)

Big Surprise Here...

According to the latest quiz going around: What is your mothering style?

drumroll please...

take a deep breath....

I'm a ... “Love of Learning” Mother! Go figur'. :)

(hat tip: Here in the Bonny Glen)

Among other things...

Education isn't just about teaching kids what is right, but also helping them want to do what is right.

It's Official...

we've hit the teenage years. Happy Birthday Ria!!!

Listening to Your Kids

My earlier post about observing and paying attention to your children's needs reminded me of an eye-opening thing that Ria said to me when she was four or five years old. I suffer a little from over-analytical syndrome (critiquing books is a good outlet) and one day after Mass I was complaining about the sermon to my husband. Admittedly it wasn't a heresy-filled diatribe, just a little wimpier than my "smarter" self-of-the-past wanted to see. Ria looked up at me with an adamant expression on her face and said, rather sternly, "He's doing the best he can!"

Problem Solving and Active Listening

More from Endangered Minds...

Physical play is one of the main ways in which children interact with experience, points out Dr. Bernstein. "The most characteristic thing about the human is that we go looking for problems to solve - or in other words, playing. In fact, we usually worry about significant emotional issues in youngsters who are unable to look for problems to solve." (pg. 80)

Interesting concept, although I think it would be more accurate to say "one" characteristic thing rather than "the most".

"there's nothing wrong with TV of computers per se. However, it may be an issue whether the kids are active or passive when working with the machines. Sesame Street, for example, has brought a great deal of information to children who might not otherwise have got it, but this may have been obtained at a price. I hear many teachers complain that children in kindergarten and first grade don't know how to listen actively! They're used to fast-paced segments of information that are constantly changing. They should be doing something with what they're getting.

"The Sesame Street population is actually at the greatest risk for not understanding that language is communication, a back-and-forth interaction between people. They aren't personally involved in using language to think and solve problems with. Children who have been talked to and had stories read to them are at a real advantage. They've learned how to listen and pay attention - and had fun doing it. These basic abilities are critical if a youngster is to benefit from education in the classroom!" (pg. 80)

Now, there are things in this quote that could be further qualified (and are in the book, I believe) but I think the point is valid and important regardless, and I think the point is about understanding priorities.

"A Study of Eternity"

Some books take me a very long time to read because I feel like I need to spend some time absorbing important passages before I move along. Really, some of these passages are worthy of a lifetime of reflection. The Intellectual Life: its Spirits, Conditions, Methods by A.G. Sertillanges, O.P. is one such book.

Here is a segment on how truth lead us to God, and vice-versa...

Everything that instructs us leads to God on a hidden byway. Every authentic truth is in itself eternal, and its quality of eternity turns us towards the eternity of which it is the revelation. Through nature and the soul, where can we go if not towards their origin? If one does not get there, it is because one has gone off the path. At one bound the inspired and right mind goes beyond intermediaries, and to every question that arises within it, whatever particular answers it may make, a secret voice says: God!

Therefore, we have only to leave the mind on the one hand to its upward flight, on the other to its attention, and there will be set up, between the object of a particular study and the object of religious contemplation, an alternating movement which will profit both. With a rapid and often unconscious impulse, we pass from the trace or the image to God, and then, coming back with new vigor and strength, we retrace the footsteps of the divine Walker. We now find things have a deeper meaning, are magnified; we see in them an episode of an immense spiritual happening. Even while we busy ourselves with some trifling thing, we feel ourselves dependent on truths in comparison with which the mountains are ephemeral; infinite Being and infinite duration enfold us, and our study is in very truth, "a study of eternity." (pgs. 32-33)

It reminds me of something that really blew me away when I first remember hearing it in a theology class at TAC, even though it seems obvious now, that "all learning is for the sake of knowing Christ."

Books I'm Currently Reading

Authenticity by Fr. Thomas Dubay

Elizabeth of the Trinity: The Complete Works, Volume One

Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI (teen discussion group)

Presenting Miss Jane Austen (slightly side-tracked read aloud)

Salt of the Earth: The Church at the End of the Millennium by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

The Mislabeled Child by Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide

The One Minute Apologist by Dave Armstrong

We Look for a Kingdom by Carl Sommer

What is the Bible? by Henri Daniel-Rops

Learning and Two-Year-Olds

Here's an interesting and somewhat frightening tidbit from Endangered Minds: Why Our Children Don't Think by Jane M. Healy, Ph.D

It's interesting to have some scientific evidence for one of Maria Montessori's significant contributions to educational theory - the idea of "sensitive periods.":

What happens if the "right stimulation is not available when the brain is ready for it? Are there certain times when the brain is more open to certain kinds of experience? When, if ever, is it too late to learn specific skills? Some of the most eye-opening research on neural plasticity shows that there are "critical", "sensitive," or "optimal" periods for some types of mental development. But if the right stimulus isn't available...too bad.

"In development it is now well known that there are certain times when an organism is ready to deal with certain stimuli," states Dr. Jane Holmes Bernstein. "And when those stimuli do not appear at the critical time, then it is likely that the brain structures that would have mediated them will not function and will die."

Both animal and human data support this real-life phenomenon of use it or lose it.

It sounds terrifying to think that some brain structures die if they aren't stimulated at the right time. How do we avoid such a catastrophe? Honestly, I think reasonably attentive parenting covers this almost automatically if these drives aren't suppressed by too much passive entertainment. Nature even forces it quite a bit. Consider a two year old. They're known as the terrible twos for a good reason. "I want DIS. What is DAT? Me do! Me do!" No, we can't always say yes, and we can't be available even for every learning opportunity. But a little appreciation of the value of those learning opportunities that two years olds are constantly bringing to us can be a really good thing!

Though I get tired too (believe me!), this has been one of my favorite "ages", since the years in which I spent lots of time with my young nieces and nephews when I was in high school (I had six nieces and nephews by the time I left for college and homeschooling allowed me to spend quite a bit of time with their families). It's so fascinating to watch their language and understanding of the world develop. I've always loved their funny ways of pronouncing things and their enthusiasm for "ordinary things" is wonderfully contagious - if we're not in too much of a hurry all the time. They can literally help you see the world in a whole new way. I'll never forget how one particular nephew spoke in single-syllable words for awhile (he's 19 now). He called me "Vlee" and a very enthusiastic sentence would run something like: "Look, Vlee, Moon!!!"

John and I are currently raising our sixth two year old and my opinion hasn't changed much. Maybe Frank drives me a little more crazy than some of the earlier toddlers since we've got more going on now and he IS a really active kid. This guy speaks loud AND carries a BIG stick! Wrestling and hitting things are some of his favorite occupations. Lots of supervision and intervention are required.

It seems to me that nature (by design!) forces lots of adult interaction at this extremely important stage. They're exploring everything (did I mention that Frank can open all the baby locks in the kitchen and unlock doors upstairs with a Q-tip?) and learning a ton about language and acceptable behavior. Frank repeats a lot of what he hears, but is starting to make some interesting connections too. The "Why you doin' dat?" question doesn't come up as much as it did only quite recently, but he instantly asks "why?" when we tell him no about anything. He doesn't like being read to very much yet, but he adores picture books: pointing at things and attempting their names and being asked to find a particular animal on the page and things like that. With this kind of interaction, he'll stay captivated for half an hour to an hour, despite his extremely high activity level (particularly if he's allowed to roll around at the same time).

Last night we were looking at a picture book about farms that had lots of great photos of animals, tractors and food (this one's a REAL winner!). Though I couldn't understand many of the words, he was telling a whole story with babbling and pointing about a harvester and something coming out the big spout - I think some of it had to do with going faster and going to the store.

Anyway, my point is that these "sensitive periods" for learning (critical in the early years) tend to be tackled naturally by parents and siblings through observation (children show signs of their need for learning), willingness to spend time interacting with them, and necessity - they'll drive you crazy with requests to fulfill this need. Reminds me of a great Chesterton quote Nancy Brown shared awhile back...

"Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say 'do it again'; and the grown up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning 'do it again' to the sun; and every evening 'do it again' to the moon."

Perspective - Two Movies

I happened to see two movies in the last week about two important historical events that offered some perspective on "both" sides of the controversy over the war on terror that I thought I'd share. First of all, I don't really want to get into a political discussion and, secondly, these are both R rated for violence and or language. Not for everyone's viewing.

In the Name of the Father (1993)

This is an important true story that offers a remarkable bit of perspective on the war on terror. If it had been written in 2003 instead of 1993, it would be easy to assume that it was politically pointed at criticizing the Patriot Act. Instead the story highlights the reality of corruption within government being a major concern for giving them too much power even for the sake of protecting citizens from terror. At the very least, it could possibly serve to open up dialogue regarding legitimate concerns about the Patriot Act.

A string of IRA pub bombings in and around London in the early 1970s causes Parliament to pass an emergency terrorism bill that allows the government to hold suspects for 7 days without evidence. Two days after this is passed, they sweep up four young people from Northern Ireland. Under duress and coercion (they have seven days to pressure them!), they sign confession statements, and the extended family of one of the four (Gerry Conlon) is also arrested. The four are condemned to life in prison with shorter terms for Conlon's father, his aunt and two young cousins. Most of the story takes place within the prison where they learn that an actual IRA agent has already informed police that they are innocent, but the police have chosen to ignore this. A dedicated lawyer finally uncovers evidence of serious fraud and neglect in the investigation and they are finally cleared of charges in 1989, after the death of Conlon's father. Although the overall plot is mostly accurate, significant details have been changed regarding the police investigation and the relationship between Conlon and his father (in a nutshell, the problems with the case weren't as "clean" or easy to portray as the movie might make it seem). It's too bad they had to take such an important historical/political story and turn it into a parable, even as pleasing as some of the content may be for storyline alone.

I hesitate to recommend the movie because of excessive language, a brutal scene in the prison where an IRA agent torches a prison guard and other quite offensive scenes. I probably wouldn't let my children watch it even in high school although I want them to know the story. With all those caveats, I was very glad that I saw it and was grateful for the perspective, even if I had to do a little extra digging to get a more accurate picture (you can search on "Guildford Four" to do your own investigating) . Seems pretty accurate that both the IRA and the British government are shown to have been at fault in a very serious way.

United 93 (2006)

John and I saw this in the theater this week. It's a very realistic look at the events of September 11th, 2001, with an emphasis on United flight 93 (that crashed in Pennsylvania) through the eyes of air traffic controllers, the military and those on board flight 93 (including the terrorists). You feel like you're a fly on the wall, overhearing ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events that the nation was completely unprepared for. The hyper-realistic artistry is stark and very tense; understated in a way though - most noticably in the limited use of foul language and dwelling more upon the emotions and choices made than the gore.

Unsurprisingly, the most difficult scene to watch is the terrorists' takeover of flight 93. A passenger is stabbed and there is major struggle in the cockpit before the pilots are killed. The end is emotional as you watch these passengers say goodbye to their loved ones and then fight as they have to fight, but you're also cheering them on and in awe of their perseverance in the face of death and against incredible odds.

I was impressed with the lack of political spin and attention to facts known about the case. It was amazing to watch the New Jersey (I think) officials gazing out the window at the smoking north tower of the World Trade Center when the second plane hit. This seemed so real, more real than the newscasts on the day it actually happened which seemed so unthinkable, so unbelievable.

The movie made me think of Elie Wiesel's Night, which also portrays the reality of unthinkable evil which we can be tempted to disregard and even disbelieve. It also shared the understated tone and the emphasis on the choices and emotions of those caught up as victims in the situations. Sometimes we need to be reminded that real enemies really exist and that sometimes we have to fight. The heroes of United 93 certainly deserved to have their story told.

Here's another review of United 93 from one of my favorite movie reviewers.

6 Years Ago Today

Ria had her first communion - on Mother's Day, May 14th. It was such a beautiful day. One of her cousins had his first communion the same day (and about the same time) more than an hour away, so her poor grandparents had to split up, but we all met up for a party together afterwards, making it an extra memorable occasion.

28 years ago today

I was a little tall for the borrowed dress, but that didn't bother me a bit. I was so excited about that day that I didn't even notice my big brother's surprise (he's 9 years older than me, so already a sophisticated teen at the time), that he was serving the Mass. Oops.

Bearing Gifts

Frank really likes a statue of the Three Kings and the Holy Family that we've been leaving out all year round, rather than just Christmas time. He was playing with this today and pointing at the gifts the kings carried. He pointed to the first one and exclaimed, "Gold!" (I'm thinking, "Wow, he knows more than I thought!") Then he pointed to the second one, "Chocolate!"

Of course "chocolate" when Frank says it, comes out something like "Dah-dit".

Kate says...

Mommy, "Frank" is like Stinky Pete, cuz Stinky Pete is Stinky!

B.C. - Backwards Confusion

I started dusting off an old project this week at Reading Your Way Through History. I've been putting together timelines since one of my best teachers ever introduced the idea to me in 7th grade (I've since made family history timelines, an American History timeline while I was teaching in a small Catholic school and quite a few others). Putting together good books, art, music, etc. to help our family, and possibly others, enjoy a living books introduction to our cultural heritage and to the pleasure of learning history is a thrill for me. It sure is nice to work on the web where you don't have to worry about not leaving enough room to add more content later!

So I have to share with you something funny. Today, I put the BC part of the reading list onto the new blog (link above). I had never organized it under century headings before, just put it basically in order. So I have to admit a few things. First, even the AD "centuries" vs. "year numbers" is something I stumble over frequently and have to pay careful attention to to get it right. But BC is kind of crazy. I can handle going backwards okay for the most part, and I certainly understand the concepts involved, but when I was combining BC century headings (for example the year 156 BC falls in the 2nd century BC) with looking at people's life spans (for example, Eratosthenes lived from 287-192 BC and I generally "date" people by the year they died, but I initially placed him in the 3rd century) and trying to decide where to put them, my head got frequently tangled up in the problem. It does seem rather appropriate to have the Birth of Christ clearing up all of that calendar confusion.

Letter to Families from Pope John Paul II

(Written in 1994 for the Year of the Family)

Selections on the topic of education:

What is involved in raising children? In answering this question two fundamental truths should be kept in mind: first, that man is called to live in truth and love; and second, that everyone finds fulfillment through the sincere gift of self. This is true both for the educator and for the one being educated. Education is thus a unique process for which the mutual communion of persons has immense importance. The educator is a person who "begets" in a spiritual sense. From this point of view, raising children can be considered a genuine apostolate. (pg. 54)

Education then is before all else a reciprocal "offering" on the part of both parents: together they communicate their own mature humanity to the newborn child, who gives them in turn the newness and freshness of the humanity which it has brought into the world. (pg. 55)

Every individual born and raised in a family constitutes a potential treasure which must be responsibly accepted, so that it will not be diminished or lost, but will rather come to an ever more mature humanity. This too is a process of exchange in which the parents-educators are in turn to a certain degree educated themselves. While they are teachers in humanity for their own children, they learn humanity from them. (pg. 55)

Through Christ all education, within the family and outside of it, becomes part of God's own saving pedagogy, which is addressed to individuals and families and culminates in the paschal mystery of the Lord's death and resurrection. The "heart" of our redemption is the starting point of every process of Christian education, which is likewise always an education to a full humanity.

Parents are the first and most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area: they are educators because they are parents. They share their educational mission with other individuals or institutions, such as the Church and the state. But the mission of education must always be carried out in accordance with a proper application of the principle of subsidiarity. This implies the legitimacy and indeed the need of giving assistance to the parents, but finds its intrinsic and absolute limit in their prevailing right and their actual capabilities. The principle of subsidiarity is thus at the service of parental love, meeting the good of the family unit. For parents by themselves are not capable of satisfying every requirement of the whole process of raising children, especially in matters concerning their schooling and the entire gamut of socialization. Subsidiarity thus complements paternal and maternal love and confirms its fundamental nature, inasmuch as all other participants in the process of education are only able to carry out their responsibilities in the name of the parents, with their consent and, to a certain degree, with their authorization.

The process of education ultimately leads to the phrase of self-education, which occurs when the individual, after attaining an appropriate level of psycho-physical maturity, begins to "educate himself on his own." (pgs. 56-57)

The commandment of the Decalogue calls for a child to honor its father and mother. But, as we saw above, that same commandment enjoins upon parents a kind of corresponding or "symmetrical" duty. Parents are also called to "honor" their children whether they are young or old. This attitude is needed throughout the process of their education, including the time of their schooling. The "principle of giving honor," the recognition and respect due to man precisely because he is man, is the basic condition for every authentic education process.

In the sphere of education the Church has a specific role to play. In the light of tradition and the teaching of the Council, it can be said that it is not only a matter of entrusting the Church with the person's religious and moral education, but of promoting the entire process of the person's education "together with" the Church. The family is called to carry out its task of education in the Church, thus sharing in her life and mission. The Church wishes to carry out her educational mission above all through families who are made capable of undertaking this task by the sacrament of matrimony, through the "grace of state" which follows from it and the specific "charism" proper to the entire family community.(pg. 58)

There's more good stuff too, but I don't want to copy the whole thing here. This entire letter can be read online by clicking here.

John Paul II, We Love You!

Finished Reading God Is Love (Post III)

Avoiding extremes while working for the good...

"If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing" (v. 3). This hymn must be the Magna Carta of all ecclesial service; it sums up all the reflections on love which I have offered throughout this Encyclical Letter. Practical activity will always be insufficient, unless it visibly expresses a love for man, a love nourished by an encounter with Christ. My deep personal sharing in the needs and sufferings of others becomes a sharing of my very self with them: if my gift is not to prove a source of humiliation, I must give to others not only something that is my own, but my very self; I must be personally present in my gift.

This proper way of serving others also leads to humility. The one who serves does not consider himself superior to the one served, however miserable his situation at the moment may be. Christ took the lowest place in the world - the Cross - and by this radical humility he redeemed us and constantly comes to our aid. Those who are in a position to help others will realize that in doing so they themselves receive help; being able to help others is no merit or achievement of their own. This duty is a grace. The more we do for others, the more we understand and can appropriate the words of Christ: "We are useless servants" (Lk 17:10). We recognize that we are not acting on the basis of any superiority or greater personal efficiency but because the Lord has graciously enabled us to do so.

...we are only instruments in the Lord's hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord.

When we consider the immensity of others' needs, we can, on the one hand, be driven toward an ideology that would aim at doing what God's governance of the world apparently cannot: fully resolving every problem. Or we can be tempted to give in to inertia, since it would seem that in any event nothing can be accomplished. At such times, a living relationship with Christ is decisive if we are to keep on the right path, without falling into an arrogant contempt for man, something not only unconstructive but actually destructive, or surrendering to a resignation which would prevent us from being guided by love in the service of others. (pgs. 50-51)

Even in their bewilderment and failure to understand the world around them, Christians continue to believe in the "goodness and loving kindness of God" (Tit 3:4). Immersed like everyone else in the dramatic complexity of historical events, they remain unshakably certain that God is our Father and loves us, even when his silence remains incomprehensible. (pg. 53)

Faith, hope, and charity go together. Hope is practiced through the virtue of patience, which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humility, which accepts God's mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness. Faith tells us that God has given his Son for our sakes and gives us the victorious certainty that it is really true: God is love! (pg. 54)

Finished Reading God Is Love (Post II)

Some important distinctions regarding the Church's charitable works...

The command of love of neighbor is inscribed by the Creator in man's very nature. (pg. 44)

Christian charity is first of all the simple response to immediate needs and specific situations: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for and healing the sick, visiting those in prison, etc.

Individuals who care for those in need must first be professionally competent: they should be properly trained in what to do and how to do it, and committed to continuing care. Yet, while professional competence is a primary, fundamental requirement, it is not of itself sufficient...Those who work for the Church's charitable organizations must be distinguished by the fact that they do not merely meet the needs of the moment, but they dedicate themselves to others with heartfelt concern, enabling them to experience the richness of their humanity. Consequently...these charity workers need a "formation of the heart"; they need to be led to that encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others. As a result, love of neighbor will no longer be for them a commandment imposed, so to speak, from without, but a consequence deriving from their faith, a faith which becomes active through love (cf. Gal. 5:6). (pg. 45)

Christian charitable activity must be independent of parties and ideologies. It is not a means of changing the world ideologically, and it is not at the service of worldly strategems, but it is a way of making present here and now the love which man always needs. (pg. 46)

Charity, furthermore, cannot be used as a means of engaging in what is nowadays considered proselytism. Love is free; it is not practiced as a way of achieving other ends...Those who practice charity in the Church's name will never seek to impose the Church's faith upon others. They realize that a pure and generous love is the best witness to the God in whom we believe and by whom we are driven to love...It is the responsibility of the Church's charitable organizations to reinforce this awareness in their members, so that by their activity - as well as their words, their silence, their example - they may be credible witnesses to Christ. (pg. 47)

Finished Reading God Is Love (Post I)

Here are some interesting quotes in the portion on the Church's role in exercising the ministry of charity.

The Church's deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the Word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable. For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which would equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.

The Church is God's family in the world. In this family no one ought to go without the necessities of life. Yet at the same time caritas-agape extends beyond the frontiers of the Church. The parable of the Good Samaritan remains as a standard which imposes universal love toward the needy whom we encounter "by chance" (cf. Lk 10:31), whoever they may be. (pg. 33).

Significantly, our time has also seen the growth and spread of different kinds of volunteer work, which assume responsibility for providing a variety of services. I wish here to offer a special word of gratitude and appreciation to all those who take part in these activities in whatever way. For young people, this widespread involvement constitutes a school of life which offers them a formation in solidarity and in readiness to offer others not simply material aid but their very selves. The anti-culture of death, which finds expression for example in drug use, is thus countered by an unselfish love which shows itself to be a culture of life by the very willingness to "lose itself" (cf. Lk 17:33 et passim) for others. (pg. 43)

It's neat to see the Pope express the benefit to young people of doing works of service. I was trying to argue something along these lines in my essay in The Catholic Homeschool Companion on homeschooling teens entitled: "Apologetics: Sacraments, Service and Study".

more later

Interesting Article on Schooling...

by John Taylor Gatto

read it here

I found particularly interesting his emphasis on works of service for children and young people. Ties in nicely with some of what I've been reading in God Is Love by Pope Benedict XVI.

Sweet!

This morning I was at the dentist and decided to park in the nearby library parking lot (our huge van is such a pain in other nearby parking lots) and walk over. Since I had received one of those dreaded letters from the library last weekend (that we had a library book we failed to return) and had looked all over the house for it and suspected that we actually returned it, I stumbled into the library after my 1 1/2 hours of dental work, numbed up and rather groggy from being completely engrossed in an episode of E.R. on the tv glasses, and looked up Sahara: Vanishing Cultures in the card catalog. Armed with the dewey decimal number, my heart pounding, I made my way with great anticipation over to the 966's - the geography books. I began scanning shelf after shelf until...there it was - sitting innocently amongst the other books on Africa - the long-sought-after book. I brought it to the front desk, ecstatic with joy and breathlessly (and a little numbly) explained what happened. All was well after just a few clicks on the keyboard, but I wonder if she thought I was gloating with the big silly grin on my face.

I'm happy to report that, out of three dreaded letters I've received in all the years we've been going to this library, two of them have been mistakes on the part of the library. The other was, most definitely, our own fault.

By the way, we're feeling quite a bit better now. Thanks so much for the prayers!