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Learning Latin,

like working through long division and playing chess, involves multi-level thinking that is very good for the development of the intellect. It also gives students a better understanding of language and grammar, develops their vocabulary and can be extremely beneficial in recognizing medical and scientific terminology (even a trip to the zoo can be an opportunity for students to appreciate their Latin skills as they recognize some of the scientific names for the animals). For Catholics too, Latin has special meaning as it is the official language of the Church. It is good thing for young Catholics to learn to love and begin to understand the wealth of beautiful hymns, chants and prayers that are part of our cultural and religious heritage.

Making it work

Homeschooling is a serious undertaking and many people wonder how it can work on a practical level - particularly for people on tight budgets and those with large families. Although not all of these books specifically address homeschooling, they have some very useful and practical ideas for running a household more effectively, especially in the areas of organization, finances, time management, and family life.

Note:

Although these materials may all be used as early as preschool, most are intended for a rather broad age range and can be used well beyond the preschool years. Also see: Homeschoolstories.com Preschool and Math

Parenting...

...quite naturally, goes hand-in-hand with homeschooling. Here are some titles that might be encouraging, helpful or entertaining for parents.

Playing the Recorder

The recorder is an easy instrument to learn and very inexpensive. I understand (from some music-expert friends) that learning the recorder is one of the best ways to help your children benefit from the brain-developing aspects of music study. It is also very satisfying for children who can start playing "real" songs rather quickly.

Pope Piux XI on education

Hence every form of pedagogic naturalism which in any way excludes or weakens supernatural Christian formation in the teaching of youth, is false. Every method of education founded, wholly or in part, on the denial or forgetfulness of original sin and of grace, and relying on the sole powers of human nature, is unsound. Such, generally speaking, are those modern systems bearing various names which appeal to a pretended self-government and unrestrained freedom on the part of the child, and which diminish or even suppress the teacher's authority and action, attributing to the child an exclusive primacy of initiative, and an activity independent of any higher law, natural or divine, in the work of his education. If any of these terms are used, less properly, to denote the necessity of a gradually more active cooperation on the part of the pupil in his own education; if the intention is to banish from education despotism and violence, which, by the way, just punishment is not, this would be correct, but in no way new. It would mean only what has been taught and reduced to practice by the Church in traditional Christian education, in imitation of the method employed by God Himself towards His creatures, of whom He demands active cooperation according to the nature of each; for His Wisdom "reacheth from end to end mightily and ordereth all things sweetly." -- Pope Pius XI, On Christian Education

Some thoughts on Sacrifice

Many people think of "sacrifice" as an old-fashioned word – perhaps pre-Vatican II – that really doesn't have a place in modern life. They may be willing to make New Year's Resolutions or go on a diet, but have no interest in the spiritual idea of sacrifice. Once I heard a homily for the beginning of Lent in which the priest said that you shouldn't worry about giving up your favorite candy bar or soap opera, because it was internal change that mattered.

Internal vs. External

It's a strange thing in a world so caught up in superficiality for Catholic ideas on sacrifice to be thought of as shallow. It's kind of like saying that you shouldn't exercise because what you eat is really more critical for bodily health. What this priest didn't realize, of course, is that internal changes don't happen instantly, they usually need help from something external. If you have trouble loving someone, the first step is to act loving to them externally, even if you don't feel it internally. If you work on this enough and ask for God's assistance, your internal struggles will resolve themselves as well. Even so, it takes an internal effort of your will to make an external thing happen. (This same priest also thought that external gestures of respect in church were meaningless and unimportant to God. But external things are helpful in lifting our minds and hearts to God. Beautiful paintings, statues and crucifixes assist our wandering thoughts in focusing on God and the great things he has done for us.) In a nutshell: because we are both body and spirit, internal and external factors work together in our spiritual lives. The greatest example of this concept is that God really came to earth as a small baby and lived life among us in all its gritty reality.

Exercising the will

I know a man who runs a Karate school which emphasizes discipline of the mind and body. He encourages his students to occasionally give up a candy bar or sweet that they would otherwise eat. He explains that if they can't say no once in awhile to something little that looks good, how will they ever be able to say no to something more important later on. It's all about training the will (as in "willpower"). Even this simple concept is useful to us as Catholics. If we exercise our will by saying no to little things, we will be better prepared to resist temptation later on. There are other earthly benefits as well, since we often give up things that aren't good for us anyway (I never could understand why the above-mentioned priest didn't realize that giving up soap operas has direct spiritual benefits as well).

Natural and Supernatural Benefits of Sacrifice

One exciting thing to me about understanding the faith is that natural and supernatural benefits go hand in hand. Yes, giving up sweets for Lent might help us lose weight or live a healthier lifestyle and giving up television gives us more time for reading or to spend with our family. These are certainly good things. But as Catholics, we realize that there's another whole level to look at too. When we offer our small sacrifices up to God with love He turns them into something much better and allows us to participate in His plan of good for the world. For more about this concept, you can read up on St. Therese of Lisieux and her "Little Way." I think Mother Teresa of Calcutta is another excellent example of God taking the simple, humble work of one person and turning it into something much greater and bigger.

As a simple way of illustrating this for our children, we have them place a simple dry pinto bean in a jar for each sacrifice or good deed they perform during Lent. They enjoy watching this grow and are certainly proud of their little accomplishments. But when they wake up on Easter morning, the dry beans have been replaced with colorful Jelly Beans. This simple tradition allows them to better understand the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Our little sacrifices are made much more meaningful by his big sacrifice. He allows even the smallest child to participate in "the good" by sharing in his sacrifice.

As a wife and mother I have really come to love and even look forward to Lent because it has become a time in which we clean up our spiritual house as a family and re-focus our energies on God. In the craziness and busy-ness of family life, we can often get carried away with too many sweets and movie-watching and other things which make life a little more comfortable and which are not evil in and of themselves. But we begin to see that these things can also, just by their power of distraction, start turning our family farther from God and the way we want to be. One place we really see God's understanding in our need for external things to help with the internal changes is the happiness he allows us to feel when we do something good. It is this Christian joy that even small children can begin to appreciate by celebrating Lent as a family. In addition, Easter becomes so much more meaningful and joyful when we have prepared for it well during Lent.

Alicia Van Hecke

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