RELIGION IN THE HOME 

M o n t h l y A i d s f o r t h e P a r e n t s o f 

E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l C h i l d r e n 

By 
KATHERINE DELMONICO BYLES 

T H E P A U L I S T P R E S S 
401 West 59 th Street 
New York 19, N. Y. 



A CKNOWLEDGMENT 

The idea of a series of little lessons or aids for 
parents was suggested by the eminent Paulist 
Father, Rev. Joseph McSorley, and grew out of 
his deep interest in Catholic education. He gave 
generously of his wisdom and advice throughout 
the formation of the booklets. 
Thanks are due also to my own four children and 
to several thousand pupils, who, all unknown to 
themselves, have furnished me the happy experi-
ence of a l i f e as mother and teacher which has 
enabled me to pass on these notes to other mothers. 

K. D. B. 

Kikil Obstat: 
A R T H U R J . S C A N L A N , S . T . D . , Censor Librorum. 

Imprimatur: 
® S T E P H E N J . D O N A H U E , D . D . , Aim., New York. 

New York, October 29, 1933. 

C O P Y R I G H T , 1 9 3 8 , BY 
T H E M I S S I O N A K Y SOCIETY OK S T . P A U L T H E A P O S T L E 

I N T H E STATE OF N E W Y O R K 

P R I N T E D AND P U B L I S H E D I N T H E U . S . A. 
BY T H E PAULIST PRESS, N E W YORK, N . Y . 

OeacWRIed 



F O R E W O R D 
PURPOSE 

This series of monthly aids or lessons is designed pri-
marily for the parent in the home, where all religious in-
struction should begin. More and more, parents are com-
ing to realize their duty to obey the words of the Holy 
Father, expressed in his encyclical On the Christian Edu-
cation of Youth (December 31, 1929), when he clearly 
states: 

"The family, therefore, holds directly from the Creator 
the mission and hence the right to educate its children—a 
right inalienable because inseparably joined to a strict 
obligation, a right anterior to any right whatsoever either 
of civil society or of the State, and therefore a right in-
violable by any power on earth." 

Nations and rulers show a growing recognition of the 
fact that the character of the future man or woman is 
largely formed by the training received in childhood and 
youth. Since this training is the duty of the parent, it is 
hoped that many mothers and fathers may be glad to hear 
of some definite, practical, and well-tested ways of cultivat-
ing right moral and religious habits in the family. 

The purpose of the lessons is to show parents how they 
may guide their children to put into practice the teachings 
of the Faith, to show them how they may live a Catholic 
life. In other words, the aim is to help parents realize that 
Christ said, "I am the Way and the Life," as well as "the 
Truth." 
PLAN 

Two booklets have been written, one for the parents of 
children of pre-school age, and a second for the parents of 
elementary school children. Each booklet consists of twelve 
chapters, one for each month, this division having been 
undertaken in order to make use of the rich liturgical mate-
rial of the ecclesiastical year. 
CONTENTS 

The contents are in no sense elaborate or exhaustive. 
A general knowledge of the Catholic religion on the part of 



the parent is taken for granted, and, in the case of the ele-
mentary school booklet, it is assumed that the children are 
receiving at least some formal instruction in Christian Doc-
trine in a Catholic school or a Catholic vacation school or a 
Sunday school. 

Among over 200 topics treated a r e : How to teach chil-
dren to pray; How to control tantrums; How to teach obe-
dience, truthfulness, purity; How to discover practical 
ways of teaching children to love God; How to teach reli-
gion through pictures; How to tell religious stories; How 
to teach the life and ways of Christ in the family; How to 
teach about saints; How to follow the liturgical year at 
home in a way attractive to children; How to control use 
of radio in home; How to supervise movie-going; How to 
co-operate with Church and school; How to select good 
books. 
AIMS 

Briefly then, Religion in the Home aims to do the fol-
lowing : 

E To stress constantly the importance of the home to 
the child. 

2. To teach the necessity of creating a supernatural 
atmosphere in the home. 

3. To impress upon parents the necessity for regular 
prayer, attendance at Mass, and reception of the sacra-
ments. 

4. To give practical instruction in home pedagogy. 
5. To cite the experience of wise parents in training 

their children to practice fundamental virtues, like obedi-
ence, purity, truthfulness. 

6. To tie up home life with the liturgical season. 
7. To introduce various plans and devices which help 

to impress children—such things as a family altar, holy 
pictures, religious dramas, games, books, songs, hymns. 

8. To suggest each month one or two books suitable for 
the age indicated. 

9. To suggest each month one virtue for parents to 
practice themselves. 



J A N U A R Y 

NO TIME TO LOSE 
A year is a long stretch of time for a child. We parents 
however, find that another twelve months have sped away 
before we have even made a good start on our plans. We 
are always busy, of course; for we have the liveliest beings 
in the world to keep us occupied. But no matter how busy, 
no matter how exhausted we are, the job of a parent must 
be performed here and now. There is no possible chance 
of postponing it. Delay a little and the child has become a 
man before we have even settled down to teaching him how 
to be a really good boy. We are fighting against time. We 
must remind ourselves every day that this present hour is 
the hour for making our children into real Christian men 
and women. 

RIGHT AND OBLIGATION OF PARENTS 
Our duty in the matter is made clear in a letter on the 
Christian education of youth written by Pope Pius XI in 
1929. He says that God the Creator has given to parents 
the "right" and "the strict obligation" to educate their 
children. He insists also that parents may not give up this 
right. It is "inalienable." Then he continues: "This edu-
cation must form a true and perfect Christian," who must 
"live a supernatural life, and display it in his actions." 
Let us not forget then, t h a t : It is the parents' right and 
duty to teach the children to act as Christians living a su-
pernatural life. 

IMPORTANCE OF HOME 
We parents must begin this education of our children in 
early babyhood by surrounding them with the supernatural 
atmosphere of a Christian home. Moreover, during all their 
school years, we must never yield to the lazy notion that we 
can sit back and let the school take all the responsibility 
for educating our children. A little calculation, will show 

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how much less time a child spends in school than he does at 
home. In the thirteen years of his school life from kinder-
garten through high school, he spends approximately: 

13,000 hours in school (five hours a day) 
37,960 hours asleep (eight hours a day) 
62,920 hours awake at home or elsewhere 

The question then is: how shall we make a Christian home 
in which our children may pass all these waking hours? 
The first step is the creation of a supernatural atmosphere 
in the home. A house closed for a long time is filled with 
dank, musty air, but when the windows are opened, the 
rays of the sun irradiate the dead atmosphere. Similarly, 
a house filled with supernatural atmosphere is one which is 
irradiated by the presence of God. It is that sort of home 
we want for our children,—a home in which they are sur-
rounded by the spirit of our Catholic religion. How can we 
make such a home for our families? 
1. We parents must keep remembering that the most im-
portant thing in life is for us and our children to be God's 
children. "Being God's children" means several things: 

(a) It means keeping our souls full of God's grace. 
(b) It means that God lives in us and loves us, and 

that we should love Him and talk to Him. 
(c) It means that if we do love Him and remember 

Him, He will make us morally good and spiritually 
strong. 

2. We must often talk about religious truths, so that the 
children may become familiar with them. 
3. We must act so that our children may see that we 
ardently believe all the truths of our faith. 
4. We must make use of the many different means for re-
minding ourselves and our children of these truths. (Vari-
ous Catholic practices, the use of pictures, statues, etc., will 
be discussed in later pages.) 

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AWARE OF THE UNSEEN 
Some parents seem always to be aware of the unseen. They 
act and speak as if they felt God present in the room and in 
their hearts. They act and speak as if they remembered that 
Jesus Christ, God Himself, became man, lived and died to 
make us God's children. They act and speak as if they be-
lieved that Jesus Christ founded a Church to teach them, 
His own Church of which they are members and whose 
voice they gladly obey. 
PURPOSE OF PAMPHLET 
The present pamphlet has one aim: to suggest to parents 
many things, some great, some small, which they can do 
to keep their homes full of the sunshine of God's pres-
ence. 
PEDAGOGY—THE FIRST STEP: REGULARITY 
The first step we must take is to establish habits of regu-
larity. We trained our babies in habits of regular feeding, 
sleeping, playing. Thus we made a good beginning, for the 
children not only formed good physical habits but also 
learned the meaning of discipline and restraint. Let us not 
lose that good beginning. Meals, sleep, play, study, prayer, 
—all these things should be arranged for and carefully ad-
hered to as they were during the children's babyhood. 
Some mothers have the children work out a time schedule 
for their own day and pin it up on the door. Then in the 
evening they check off to see who has had a perfect day. 

HABIT FOR THE MONTH 
To start the year off well, we should stress the value of 
regularity in the formation of good habits of prayer. If 
we recall that God is with us here in this spot, now at this 
minute, we realize that of course one of the most valuable 
practices in life is the habit of turning the attention to Him 
often, but especially at fixed times. 

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REGULAR PRAYER 
Regularity is our watchword. Can your child throw a 
straight ball without regular practice in ball throwing? 
No! Neither can he learn to place himself before God and 
pray unless he does so regularly. See to it then that your 
children are absolutely faithful about the following: 

1. Morning offering upon awakening,—using any 
form of expressing the idea: "My God, I offer my-
self and all I do this day to You." A home-made 
formula of offering may be the best. 

2. Morning prayer on the knees. The Our Father is 
to be included, since our Lord Himself composed 
it, the Hail Mary and the Acts of Faith, Hope and 
Charity. 

3. Night prayer on the knees, including the Our Fa-
ther, Hail Mary, Creed and Act of Contrition. Be 
sure that the child has the habit of talking to God 
in a personal way, especially at this time when 
usually there is no hurry. The custom of pray-
ing for relatives and friends is a good one. The 
intention should be extended to include everyone 
in need on that particular day, for instance, people 
without work, soldiers fighting in wars, etc. 

REVERENT ATTITUDE 
A chief concern of the parents in all prayer must be their 
own attitude. A devout, reverent manner in the parent 
conveys better than anything else the real meaning of 
prayer. If things have gone wrong in the house, you must 
make it plain that you turn to prayer time with relief. 
Say, "Well, now let us talk to God." Calm yourself, and 
drop all signs of irritation. Take refuge in God and your 
children will follow you to Him. 
THINGS TO DO 
One of the very best ways to learn religion is to act it. 
Little plays made up at home are useful in teaching some 
facts of religion. (Incidentally they give training in speech 

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and help to cure self-consciousness.) As a matter of fact 
no Catholic home is complete without its religious theatri-
cals. For January have the children act the story of the 
Three Wise Men. Trust them to make up plenty of con-
versation. The Infant Jesus may be represented by a doll. 
If the children are old enough they will take great pride in 
writing out the parts for the different characters. If the 
family is too small, join with one or two other families. 
VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
Trust. Do you believe that God is your Father? Then do 
not worry, for He is taking care of you. 
BOOKS OF THE MONTH 
The Journey of the Three Kings 1 is a most beautiful play 
which you should own if you can. Henri Gheon, the author, 
lives in France and does great work with the young people 
there. The college boys and girls love him and treat him as 
a kind of hero. He has a dramatic club where they learn 
religious plays. 
For children from 6 to 10 we recommend The Children's 
Saint,* the story of St. Madeleine Sophie, the child who was 
so small that she stood upon the bench to answer in class. 
There are several illustrations on each page,—sketches to 
delight the heart of any 'young reader. 
Older children will like Retreat with St. Ignatius,s a book 
which contains pictures, charts and a text for a way of life. 
HYMN OF THE MONTH 
Try to get the song We Three Kings of Orient Are,* that 
well-loved old carol. 
1 The Journey of the Three Kings, by Henri Gheon. New York: 
Sheed & Ward, 63 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $1.00. 
3 The Children'8 Saint, by Maud Monahan. New York: Longmans, 
Green & Co., 65 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $.50, paper; $1.40, cloth. 
s Retreat with St. Ignatius, by Geoffrey Bliss, S.J. New York: Sheed 
& Ward, 63 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $1.25. 
* Old Christmas Carols, edited by S. Archer Gibson, 1st Set (No. 4374). 
New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 3 E a s t 43rd Street. Price, $.12. Or 
Singalong Carols f o r Christmastide. New York: Paull-Pioneer Music 
Corp., 1657 Broadway. Price, $.08. 

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F E B R U A R Y 
VIRTUES—GOOD HABITS 
A child does not become good just by being told to be good. 
To be good means to practice virtue. "Virtue," says St. Au-
gustine, "is a good habit suitable.to our nature." The 
first duty of parents, then, is to train their children in good 
habits. Each virtue,—that is, each good habit,—has to be 
acquired by repeated acts, plus the grace of God. A child 
becomes obedient by performing acts of obedience, patient 
by performing acts of patience, pure by the practice of 
purity, generous by being generous. Above all he learns 
the virtue of prayerfulness by praying. 
When we begin in earnest to perform our duty and to 
cultivate virtues or good habits in our children, the first 
thing to do is to decide just which virtues to strive for. 
Since all good effort is helped by direct appeal to God for 
the assistance of His grace, we ought to strive first for the 
virtue or habit of learning to pray well. 
HABIT AND MANNER OF PRAYER 
How shall we pray? Last month we discussed the good 
habit of regularity in prayer and a reverent attitude when 
praying. Remembering that the- good habit of regular 
praying is a virtue, suppose that this month we ask our-
selves whether these regular prayers are all they might be. 
Do not let the children get into the gabbling habit. Short 
prayers said consciously to God are something to be greatly 
encouraged. Say often, "Remember, children, that prayer 
is talking to God. Look at Him, think of Him, and then 
speak to Him with love in your heart." With regard to the 
morning offering,—a habit easily established for life,—re-
mind the children once in a while of what it means. Explain 
that they offer themselves and all their thoughts, words and 
deeds to God. They must then be sure to think good 

' thoughts, say kind words, and do good deeds, so as to have 
plenty to give to God. 
If we talk this way once in a while to our children, they 
like it. Do not do it every day and run the risk of boring 

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them. If you have never yet talked of religious things and 
the children are now thirteen years old, it will be difficult 
to s t a r t ; but even so it is possible to make a beginning now 
by saying that you have been reading how fine a thing it is 
to train yourself to turn to God the moment you awake. Tell 
them that you do it, and that they should also begin to culti-
vate the practice. "Just this once; let's make this one day 
perfect," is a good family watchword. 
FAMILY PRAYER 
In many families, all pray together at night. As to this 
custom, the parents of each family must judge what is best. 
A good plan is to call the children together at the hour when 
the youngest go to bed, and recite the regular prayers to-
gether. Then say, "Now let each one speak to God by 
himself"; and have the children kneel in silence for a min-
ute. The child from eleven years up is often best left to 
himself. The least sign of a desire for privacy alone with 
God should be respected. 
FAMILY ROSARY 
Family recitation of the Rosary is a magnificent custom; 
but parents must carefully observe whether the practice 
tends to deteriorate into a gabbling or a mumbling of words 
in a rush to get through. A decade a day is often a nice 
compromise. 
OUR CHILDREN'S FRIENDS 
No matter how well we train our children, we all become 
aware of the way in which their habits are influenced by 
their friends. We have to know who their friends are. 
Children up to six or eight years of age are usually satis-
fied to play at home, to stay near mother, brother and sister. 
Toys still please them. Then they want to play "tag" and 
"run-sheep-run." Next they want to be in a "gang." Boys 
are happy when they join teams for various games. The 
girls often say "our crowd" or "we girls." Girls like social 
clubs and getting up fairs and bazaars for various purposes. 
Since this tendency is general and can be directed to good, 
parents must arrange so that the gangs and clubs are well 
ordered. There are several things to do: 

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1. Be so cordial that all the children's friends like you. 
Then, if you have a backyard or garden, try to make it the 
meeting place for play. Know "the gang." Have them in-
doors occasionally for a celebration and give them plenty 
to eat. They will come again. Observe them and try to 
know their parents also. 
2. Take an interest in their games. Know what games they 
play, and where they play. If it must be away from home 
and there is no decent spot for baseball or basketball, bestir 
yourself. Talk to the priest on the subject or to the mayor 
or to the councilman. 
3. Have the children associate with some Catholic group 
if there is one. If not, perhaps you can speak to the pastor 
about the possibility of having a branch of one of the fol-
lowing: 1. Catholic Youth Organization, 2. Junior Catholic 
Daughters, 3. Catholic Boy Scout Troop, 4. Catholic Girl 
Scout Troop. 
4. Have the clubs meet in your home or in the homes of 
other trustworthy families. Greet the children pleasantly, 
talk a little of them, and show interest in their plans. 
Above all, absolutely forbid meetings in halls or basements 
or other lonely places 
For a full discussion of these matters, read an excellent 
book, You and Your Children/ by Rev. Paul Hanly Furfey. 
If the children do belong to a club, see that they attend 
meetings regularly. Otherwise they may fall behind in the 
games and get an unfortunate experience of failure. 
Remember that the more time and interest you give to the 
children and their friends, the easier and happier your own 
life will become as the years slip on. The child who looks 
on you as his companion, friend, and the friend of his 
friends, is least likely to be a disappointment later. 
THE MERRY-MAKING CLUB 
"The Merry-Making Club" was the name chosen by a group 
of little girls aged eight to twelve who used to meet on 
Saturday mornings to play. Instead of amusing themselves 
in an aimless fashion, they decided to have a monthly maga-

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zine and to give plays for their relatives and friends. They 
had an editor-in-chief, a sports writer, a story writer, a 
jokes editor; in short, each person had charge of one de-
partment of the paper. All material was given to one girl 
during the month, after it had been talked about at the 
meetings. This girl, the oldest, twelve years of age, typed 
the little paper which was called "The Merry-Makers." In 
the middle of the month the Merry-Makers gave a play. 
Sometimes they chose one from a book of children's plays 
but more often they made one up. Each month they had 
at least a tableau of the feast of the month. 
THINGS TO DO—DRAMATICS AT HOME 
Rehearsing plays is an excellent way of doing things in 
groups at home. The Church of the Middle Ages taught 
the people by mystery plays,—plays about the life of Christ 
often acted out in the back of the church or in the church 
yard. On February 2nd have a little play or a tableau (for 
children six to ten) of the Purification. Forty days after 
the birth of Jesus, our Lady takes the Divine Baby to the 
Temple. Read the story in the New Testament, St. Luke's 
Gospel, Chapter 2, verses 22 to 40. Also read from the 
Missal the blessing of the candles; and let the children 
make up a play in which someone says that the candles are 
a symbol of "Jesus, the Light of the World." The speeches 
of Simeon and Anna should be memorized exactly. Finish 
with a tableau. 
FEASTS—FEB. 11th, FEB. 3rd, FEB. 5th 
The Feast of the Apparition of our Lady at Lourdes falls 
on February 11th, and gives a chance for a play about Ber-
nadette. Remember that a miracle is something which we 
see or perceive, which cannot be done by any natural means. 
There's St. Blaise for throats on the 3rd of February and 
St. Agatha on the 5th. Be sure that the family knows all 
about both. St. Agatha is the patroness of Catania, that 
city of Sicily so often endangered by the volcano Etna. Iii 
Catania, St. Agatha's Day is celebrated with great cere-
mony, parades, fireworks, and floats. It is a unique cele-
bration to witness. 

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VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
While our minds are full of the idea of regularity with re-
gard to the children's affairs, it is a good point to see if we 
can regulate our own lives a little better, take a little better 
care of our own souls. The minutes saved by regularity in 
housework can be used for religious reading, prayer and 
meditation. Have you a copy of The Imitation of Christ? 
The Primer of Prayer,1 by Rev. Joseph McSorley, C.S.P., 
is helpful for beginners. 
BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
Twenty-one Saints 3 is is a collection of stories that make 
one feel courageous, like the saints, the soldiers of the fight-
ing Church (usually called "The Church Militant"); and 
they lead the reader to train himself in courage by bearing 
toothaches and other troubles because he loves God. This 
book is suitable for older children, from ten to fourteen. 
Gospel Rhymes * is a collection of gay little poems on inci-
dents from the Gospels, and is suitable for younger children. 
HYMN FOR THE MONTH 
The Magnificat. If possible, sing it, but at least read it 
aloud at night prayers every Saturday night. You will 
find the words in the New Testament, St. Luke, Chapter 1, 
verses 46 to 55. The Magnificat, associated with our Lady, 
should be said or sung whenever a feast of hers occurs. 
This month say it on the Feast of the Purification and on 
the Feast of Lourdes. You will find the music for it in the 
Catholic Youth's Hymn Book.'' 
1 You and Your Children, by Rev. Paul Hanly Furfey, Ph.D. New 
York: Benziger Bros., 26 Park Place. Price, $1.50, cloth binding; 
$.35, cellophane binding. 
2 The Primer of Prayer, by Joseph McSorley, C.S.P. New York: Long-
mans, Green & Co., 55 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $1.00. 
8 Twenty-one Saints, by Aloysius Croft. Milwaukee: The Bruce Pub-
lishing Co., 540 North Milwaukee Street. Price, $1.50. 
* Gospel Rhymes, by Father Feeney, Father Martindale, Chesterton 
and others. New York: Sheed & Ward, 63 F i f t h Avenue. Price $.90. 
5 Catholic Youth's Hymn Book, by the Christian Brothers. Page 169. 
New York: J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West-40th Street. Price, $1.25. 

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M A R C H 

REVIEW 
In January, we gave attention to the subject of creating a 
Catholic spirit in our homes; and we resolved to act like 
good Catholics ourselves, constantly aware of the Unseen 
Presence of God. 
In February we considered the question of training our 
children in good habits. 
PEDAGOGY—TEACHING BY EXAMPLE 
This month we shall think about an easy way of teaching 
children the Catholic spirit; indeed it is an easy way of 
teaching anything at all. Even without thinking about the 
matter, we all instinctively follow this easy way in many 
cases. This powerful tool in our hands is the force of 
example. Children learn by imitation. 

PHYSICAL LAW 
Most parents today know a great deal about the training of 
the body. We take great care to train the baby from earli-
est infancy in the habit of eating wholesome food. We 
give him correct habits of sleep and cleanliness. We take 
great pride in his increasing height and weight.1 This is 
good. We must, however, remember the child's soul as well 
as his body. 

SPIRITUAL LAW 
The easiest way to train his soul is by having him imitate 
the good things his parents do. If Father and Mother pray 
devoutly, speaking and looking as if they were really in 
communion with God, the child will imitate them. If 
Father and Mother go to Confession and Holy Communion 
weekly, the child will go as a matter of course. If parents 
read their prayer books and follow the Mass carefully, the 
children will Jove to do the same. If Father and Mother 
are polite and dignified, the children will be gentle and 
courteous. We might name each Christian virtue and af-
firm that the child tends to copy it as illustrated in the con-
duct of his parents. 

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PARENTS AS MODELS 
Our responsibility, then, is very great. There can be noth-
ing haphazard in our dealings with our children or in our 
actions before them. We must remember that we, our-
selves, are their models, and that they will copy us. We 
can never afford to slip before our children's eyes; con-
stant vigilance is the price of success. And we must try to 
exclude from the house those people whom we do not want 
the children to imitate. 
RADIO 
Suppose that we parents are resolved to try our best to be 
model Catholics and to make our homes as Catholic as 
possible. Would it then be wise or consistent for us care-
lessly to tune in the radio and thus let loose a stream of 
vulgarity, of coarse jokes, of suggestive songs or music? 
These things will teach the children just the opposite of 
what we are striving to teach. If we do not want our little 
ones to go around humming vulgar tunes, we must super-
vise the radio. The children will certainly imitate what 
they hear. 

SUPERVISION 
Supervision of the radio in our homes is then a clear duty 
of parents. 

CHOICE OF PROGRAMS 
We should direct the choice of programs for the family. 
We must listen to the numbers the child tunes in. If they 
are vulgar or indecent, we can explain that such things are 
only a way of getting foolish people to listen to advertise-
ments. Children soon understand that most sponsored pro-
grams are advertisements. 

RADIO CRITICS 
Adopt a critical attitude toward them yourself, and your 
child will not so readily believe all he hears on the air. Ii 
you find the so-called "Children's Programs" unsuitable 
for little people, write to the radio station and say so. And 
be sure to get all your neighbors to write also. The pro-
gram makers aim to please you; and if they insult your 

I 1« J 



good taste by offering vulgar entertainment, they should 
hear from you. Always remember that they seek to please 
the public. 

MUSIC 
Magnificent concerts and operas are given in the large 
cities. To be present at these, costs a large sum of money. 
People who cannot afford seats, will stand for three hours, 
just for the joy of hearing good music. Over the radio 
most of this music comes, without expense or trouble to the 
hearer. Do the children listen to it? 
Fine music has a good effect on the nerves; it helps people 
to keep calm and reasonable. But remember that if chil-
dren listen to vulgar music, to endless "swing" and "jazz," 
they will not have a taste for good music; and therefore, 
all their lives they will be deprived of the ability to enjoy 
one of the most beneficial of the arts. If they acquire a 
better appreciation of sound, they can learn to love the 
liturgical music of the Church,—about which we shall have 
more to say later. 

EFFECT OF RADIO ON CHILD'S STUDY PERIOD 
It is the general opinion of teachers in schools that the 
work of children is seriously hampered by misuse of the 
radio. To listen to the radio and a t the same time to study 
lessons, is a physical and mental impossibility for most chil-
dren. Besides failing in his lessons the next day, the child 
gets into a very bad habit of giving to serious things only 
a fraction of his attention. Later, even when no radio is 
playing, he finds it hard to concentrate perfectly. The 
parents must face this difficulty and work out some ar-
rangement so that the children may listen to radio at cer-
tain times with no school work before them, and at other 
hours study with the radio silent. The combination of the 
two must be broken up. 

A TIME FOR RADIO 
To say "No radio at all!" would, of course, be extreme and 
foolish. But a reasonable arrangement of hours will sat-

[ 1 7 ] 



isfy the children a f t e r a week or two, if not immediately. 
As a final warning, let us repeat that we must not allow 
vulgarity and indecency to enter our homes by way of the 
radio. On the contrary, we must train our children to lis-
ten to and to imitate the beautiful things that are to be 
found on the better programs. 
THINGS TO DO 
In this time of Lent we cap do many useful things. Fo}-, 
lowing the Stations of the Cross is a splendid way of imi' 
pressing upon children the Passion of our Beloved Lord. 
Try to have all the children say the Stations on each Fri-
day, either a t home or in church. 
An excellent 5c pamphlet giving beautiful prayers for each 
Station is Stations of the Cross for Children, with pic-
tures.2 

MYSTERY PLAYS 
One of the best ways to gain a clear, vital grasp of the 
truths of religion, is to act out plays on religious subjects. 
As was said last month, in the Middle Ages plays called 
Miracle Plays or Mystery Plays, used to be given in the 
great cathedrals, in order to commemorate a particular 
feast. 
Let the children select scenes from the Passion and act 
them. It is often better to have sacred scenes acted with-
out words as it is sometimes difficult to find words suffi-
ciently reverent. 
VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
It seems unnecessary to suggest self-deniaj to Catholic par-
ents whose whole life is usually one long process of doing 
things for others. What parents might remember is that!: 
we ought constantly to unite our suffering and discomforts, 
lack of sleep, anxiety, and all the rest of our daily hard-
ships with the sufferings of our Lord. The crushing trou-
bles of many a parent will be made lighter and easier, if 
the thought of the suffering Lord Jesus is present. 

[ 1 8 ] 



BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
Lent is a good time for beginning to read with the children 
a life of Christ. Try to read a chapter a day. For chil-
dren over ten we suggest Jesus of Nazareth,8 by Mother 
Loyola. For younger children a beautiful book is About 
Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary.* It is illustrated by 
very striking colored pictures. 
The Hail Mary,6 a child's pamphlet, explains in simple 
terms the meaning of the prayer. 
HYMN FOR THE MONTH 
If you can manage it, have the family learn to sing the 
Stabat Mater,9 the hymn of the Stations of the Cross. 
1 For clear and simple advice on Child Training, two pamphlets, 
Infant Care (10c) and The Child from One to Six (15c) can be ob-
tained f r o m : Children's Bureau, U. S. Department of Labor, Wash-
ington, D. C. 
2 Stations of the Cross for Children. New York: The Paulist Press, 
401 West 59th Street! Price, $.05. 
3 Jesus of Nazareth, by Mother Loyola. New York: P. J . Kenedy & 
Sons, 12 Barclay Street. Price, $1.50. 
4 About Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, by M. M. and Robin. 
New York: Longmans, Green & Co., 55 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $.45, 
paper; $.90, boards; $1.25, cloth. 
6 The Hail Mary, by Rev. Daniel M. Dougherty. New York: The 
Paulist Press, 401 West 59th Street. Price, $.05. 
6 St. Gregory Hymnal, Singers' Edition. Hymn No. 23. Philadelphia: 
The St. Gregory Guild, 1705 Rittenhouse Street. Price, $1.00. 

[ 1 9 ] 



A P R I L 
EASTER 
Easter is the day of joy, the greatest day in the history of 
Christ, the day when, a f t e r having been crucified like a 
criminal, He conquered death itself. 
Usually Easter falls in April, although, as a look a t the 
table of movable feasts in the prayer book will show, in 
1941, it comes on April 13th. From then until 1948, it 
comes in April. 
CELEBRATION OF FEAST DAYS 
Thinking about Easter gives us some ideas about the way 
to celebrate any religious festival. We parents should 
make this feast a really great day for our children. There 
are several things to do. 
1. The family should, if possible, all go to Mass together 
and receive Holy Communion. 
2. Breakfast should be rather festive. Colored eggs please 
the children, or a few flowers,—anything to strike the note 
of joy. 
3. At such a meal, father or mother can easily talk a little 
about how great a miracle the Resurrection was. Then 
one can say that the whole family must make an Easter 
resolution to be good in some particular way. 
4. The highest way to be good one might say would be to 
obey and to trust God absolutely, wholly and entirely in 
everything. The God Who could rise from the dead, trium-
phant after being crucified, can and will help us to rise up 
out of sorrow or sickness or sin or failure. 
TALKS ABOUT RELIGION—CONFIDENCE 
We parents must speak of the truths of our faith, briefly, 
and often,—never in a preachy way. We thus establish 
confidence between ourselves and our children in religious 
matters. They may think we are old-fashioned in some 
ways; but they will realize that our faith and theirs is 
something beyond change, and that in religion there is no 

[ 2 0 ] 



division between the older and the younger generation. In 
families where the deep intimate truths of religion are 
talked about, there is a strong bond of union between par-
ents and children. 
It is all-important that we retain the confidence of our 
children and maintain a position of authority in the home. 
As the children grow from babyhood, where the parent is 
supreme, into adolescence, we should take care that we do 
not forfeit the rights and the strength and the dignity of 
our position. 
PEDAGOGY—HOW TO TEACH OBEDIENCE 
Obedience is the chief outward form by which children 
acknowledge the right of their parents. It might be good 
for us to consider the topic of obedience. We must ask 
ourselves the question: How shall we teach obedience? 
1. By giving good example. Parents who disobey God and 
the Church will have a hard time exacting obedience. As 
was said last month, we parents ought to make a great 
effort to get up early on Sunday morning for Mass, to 
receive the Sacraments weekly if possible, and to follow 
out the instructions given by the priest. We must let it be 
evident to our children that we obey all the Commandments 
ourselves. 
2. By beginning to train the children when they are young. 
As was said in January, a child learns the idea of disci-
pline in babyhood. He learns to conform to rules and 
laws about living, eating, sleeping, keeping clean, etc., 
and if we parents have not thrown away a golden begin-
ning, we have started our children on the road of discipline 
and obedience. 
3. By not being over-sentimental. Mothers have a strong 
instinct to shield the child from all pain. When the time 
comes that the child wants to cross the mother's wishes or 
rules, the foolish mother yields to keep the child happy. 
This means that gradually the child will become the ruler 
and the parent the slave. Keep at the job you began when 
the child was a baby. Retain the mastery you then had. 

t « i ] 



4. By making as few unbreakable rules as possible. If 
"we have a few carefully chosen rules, we can insist on 
obedience to them. There should be rules like the follow-
ing: 

Say your morning and evening prayers. 
Come home at a certain hour. 
Study lessons at given times. 
Go to bed at a certain hour. 
Perform certain tasks in the home. 
Treat your parents, brothers and sisters with courtesy. 

5. By being consistent and insistent about a few rules. 
Firmness, without any show of anger or temper, is what 
wins. Children respect firm parents. If we have made the 
mistake of being too lenient in the past, we can now grad-
ually change our tactics. In this case we must by degrees 
and very carefully establish our authority. 
6. By teaching the Commandment, "Honor Thy Father 
and Thy Mother J' If we make our home Catholic in spirit, 
all the training in obedience should be accompanied by the 
constant reminder that children obey because God told 
them to do so. Of course, some parents use this fact as an 
excuse for acting like tyrants and forcing submission. 
Such policy leads to hatred of God. Remember that God 
does not force. He wants our willing submission. That is 
what we must seek to win from our children,—obedience 
given willingly. 
DISCIPLINE—CALMNESS AND DIGNITY 
While speaking of obedience, we may say a word also about 
discipline in general. All training, all teaching, should be 
given in a calm, quiet manner. A young woman coach of 
a basketball team says that when she arrives at a school 
the first thing she does is to quiet the girls. When they 
are all calmed down, she gives them instructions in a quiet, 
clear tone. The results are like magic. We parents too 
often are rushed and tired and flurried, so that we give 
orders in an excited tone, not remembering to get the chil-
dren quieted down before we speak. If a child is playing 

[ 2 2 ] 



a game, we suddenly called out, "Come in; come quickly." 
Rebellion is the result. If we must call, it is better to say, 
"Five minutes more to play, children; please get ready." 
Then in five minutes, say, "Time up. Come quickly." 
This rule applies to all situations. If We mothers are nerv-
ous from the endless demands upon us, we shall lessen the 
strain on our own health and dispositions by quieting our-
selves into a calm state before acting. After a while the 
exterior calmness will spread) to the interior arid will bene-
fit our nervous systems and even our souls. 
CATECHISM LESSONS 
In connection with studying lessons at home, we particu-
larly ask all parents to take special interest in the religion 
or catechism homework. We suggest four points: 
1. Go over the lesson with the child. 
2. Hear him recite all parts which are to be memorized. 
3. After school ask what happened during religion or cate-
chism lesson. Find out whether the child answered cor-
rectly. 
4. If there was discussion in class, talk about the topic 
with the child. 
BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
Children of the Lantern1 is suitable for children up to ten. 
It gives delightful accounts of the wonderful experiences 
of some girls and boys in Rome. 
Jesus and 12 is an attractive illustrated gift book for First 
Communicants. 
HYMN FOR THE MONTH 
Of all the Easter hymns, the one that every Catholic should 
know is Regina coeli laetare. The English words are as 
follows: 

Queen of Heaven, rejoice; Alleluia; 
For He Whom thou didst merit to bear; Alleluia; 
Has risen as He said; Alleluia; 
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary; Alleluia; 
Because the Lord is truly risen; Alleluia. 



The music with a Latin version can be found in The St. 
Gregory Hymnal 
FOR FIRST COMMUNION CHILDREN 
Special activities for children preparing for First Com-
munion will not be included in these pages this year. We 
do ask every parent of these little ones to try to secure the 
famous set of six First Communion Booklets prepared by 
Mother Bolton. They cost 10c apiece and can be ordered 
f r o m : 
St. Anthony Guild Press, Paterson, N. J. They give a mar-
velous preparation for the reception of the Blessed Sacra-
ment, and show children what to think about and how to 
act and live in the blessed months of getting ready for 
Jesus. 
1 Children of the Lantern, by Lamplighter, a Holy Child nun. Lon-
don: Burns & Oates, 28 Orchard Street. Obtainable through Ben-
ziger Bros., New York City, 26 Park Place. Price, $1.75. 
2 Jesus and I, by Aloysius J . Heeg, S J . Chicago: Loyola University 
Press. Price, $1.00. 
*St. Gregory Hymnal, Singers' Edition. Hymn No. 204. Philadel-
phia: The St. Gregory Guild, 1705 Rittenhouse Street. Price, $1.00. 

C M ] 



M A Y 

THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE 
To teach our children to lead Christian lives requires some 
knowledge of the rules of teaching. But to keep learning 
and remembering rules is a hard, dull business which we 
should like to escape. Christ showed us how to get along 
in a simple way when He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, 
and the Life." We have only to follow Him. 
Imitation is,—once again let us recall,—the easiest way of 
learning. If we imitate Christ, no one can ask more. The 
way He acted is the way to act; the truth He taught is the 
truth to believe; and the life He led is the supernatural 
life we are trying to attain. 
"COPY JESUS" 
To our children, then, we can easily say, "Act as our Lord 
would act." Many mothers succeed very well by continu-
ally saying to children (up to about ten years), "How do 
you think Jesus would act? Don't you think He would be 
kind and generous to His playmates?" Or, "Don't you 
think little Jesus when He was six or seven or eight ran 
quickly when His Mother called?" If the children have 
been trained to love the Lord Jesus, they will respond to 
the idea of imitating Him. 
"Copy Jesus" might be a good motto for the house to adopt 
for one month. Have the children make a resolution to act 
for one month as our Lord would act. If they keep records 
of their improvement, suggest that they check off each 
night how often they have "Copied Jesus." They may use 
columns like this: 
Obedient Generous Practiced self-denial Gave in to 
like Jesus like Jesus like Jesus sister and brother 
NEW TESTAMENT 
There are some of us who have only vague ideas as to 
the way in which Jesus Christ would act in daily routine. 
How can we find out His ways? In March, we gave 
the titles of two lives of Christ for children. Parents 

[ 2 7 ] 



themselves would profit by a careful reading of a Life of 
Christ written for adults. (We suggest the one by Father 
Isidore O'Brien.1) But besides having the children read 
books about our Saviour, parents themselves and older 
children should read the New Testament. There we get 
the most vivid pictures of our Lord; and we begin to see 
what sort of Person it is that we must copy as our Model. 
NECESSITY OF READING 
Once we begin to read about Christ, and to get our children 
to read about Him, we may begin to discover that some of 
the children have difficulty in reading. Often a child is 
bored with reading, not because of the book, but because he 
does not know how to read easily. This is a serious mat-
ter, because poor readers are handicapped f o r life. 
After we set ourselves to read about the life of our Lord, 
we soon realize how important is the whole matter of read-
ing for the family. Reading spiritual books is a wonderful 
help to goodness; and poor readers are deprived of this 
help. It is folly to delay in relieving any boy or girl of 
this handicap. We had better stop at once, and see what 
can be done to remedy the situation. 
PEDAGOGY—DIFFICULTIES IN READING 
It has been discovered in the past few years that many 
children fail in school and get into serious difficulties with 
the teachers for no other reason than that they cannot read. 
All their work becomes difficult. They are ashamed of 
their own low marks and they begin to be bold and noisy, 
and before long they are known as bad children. Parents 
must then see to it that if their children are not easy readers, 
they should have plenty of practice until they are up to the 
level of their classmates. Ask the teacher in school about 
the child's reading ability, and if he is slow, have him read 
aloud to you every evening. Rapid reading is largely a 
matter of drill and practice. Do not let a child read one 
word at a time, but show him that words are Used in groups. 
For instance, we do not read: "A—boy—lives—in—this— 
house," but "A boy lives—in this house." 

r 2 6 ] 



If the eye grasps words in groups, the speed of reading is 
increased. Another help is to have the child read a para-
graph, and then stop and tell you what he has read. Ask 
him, "What was the chief idea in that paragraph?" 
From the moment that a child learns to read, he should get 
the habit of reading at least every week out of some book 
which is not a school book. If the habit of reading is not 
formed in childhood, it probably never will be formed, and 

¡the child will probably suffer in many ways. 
CHOICE OF READING FOR CHILDREN 
Suppose that our children read normally well for their ages, 
what shall they read? First of all, a life of Christ, as was 
mentioned in March, and as we suggested again at the be-
ginning of this section. Then, of course, we hope parents 
will try to secure the books mentioned each month. 
For general reading books, if parents have any money to 
spare, there has been founded an organization dealing only 
with children's books. It is called the "Pro Parvulis Book 
Club," which means "Book Club for the Little Ones." A 
lady, who gives her life to this work, selects books for chil-
dren, under the guidance of a priest. The Club has lists 
of books suitable for all ages of children. The office of the 
Club is a little room in the Empire State Building,—the 
highest building in the world,—situated at F i f t h Avenue 
and 34th Street; New York City. 
VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
Let us think every day about our Lady and her life and 
draw a comparison between her way and ours, with a view 
to making ourselves more like the wise and gentle Mother. 
AN ALTAR IN THE HOME 
Parents who have little ones not yet attending school will 
have read in the Pre-school Pamphlet about the plan of hav-
ing an altar in the home. Lovely altars can be made from 
boxes; and, if you let the children do the work themselves, 
they will take a greater, interest. As it is not easy to get a 
beautiful statue for a small sum of money, many parents 

[ 2 7 ] 



have a picture in the place of honor on the altar. The chil-
dren will be able to change the picture each month accord-
ing to the liturgical season. For May, of course, our Lady 
should be in the place of honor; and the children should 
try to find flowers to place before her as a token of love. 
At family prayers before the altar, say one Rosary decade. 
CROWNING OF MARY 
If you have a statue of our Blessed Lady, the children will 
want to crown her. It is a good idea to remind them that 
they are thus celebrating the crowning of our Lady in 
Heaven,—the fifth decade of the Glorious Mysteries of the 
Rosary. That decade should be recited. 
HYMNS FOR THE MONTH 
During the crowning of Mary sing a hymn. A good one to 
sing or read is The Magnificat (New Testament, St. Luke, 
Chapter 1, verses 46-55). The music can be found in either 
the Catholic Youth's Hymn Book2 or St. Gregory Hymnal.* 
BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
Benedictus Qui Venit* is a small book of Mass prayers. The 
lines are broken, have a certain rhythm, and are well divided 
for reading aloud. It would be a sensible plan to have a 
child read these prayers aloud, one a day, to make sure that 
he understands them. Then he may use the book at Mass. 
The Children's Bread—Holy Mass and Communion 8 is a 
similar book for younger children and it contains many 
instructive pictures. 
1 The Life of Christ, by Father Isidore O'Brien. Paterson, N. J . : 
St. Anthony Guild Press, Franciscan Monastery. Price, $1.00. 
2 Catholic Youth's Hymn Book, by the Christian Brothers. Page 169. New York: J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West 40th Street. Price, $1.25. 
»St. Gregory Hymnal, Singers' Edition. No. 216. Philadelphia: St. 
Gregory Guild, 1705 Rittenhouse Street. Price, $1.00. 
* Benedictus Qui Venit, The Missal Prayers, by Rev. W. Roche, S.J. 
New York: Longmans, Green & Co., 55 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $.65. 
6 The Children's Bread, by Rev. W. Roche, S.J. New York: Long-
mans, Green & Co., 65 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $1.00. 

[ 2 8 ] 



J U N E 

MOTIVE FOR GOODNESS—LOVE 
In May, we decided that a short cut to goodness was to 
"Copy Our Lord Jesus." 
In June, we are going to find out how to get a strong mo-
tive for trying to become more and more like Jesus. The 
most powerful motive in the world is love. Mothers strain 
themselves and sacrifice and struggle for their children, 
working until they are ready to drop from exhaustion. 
Few people employed at high salaries labor so hard or so 
long as many mothers. The motive that makes the mother 
work so faithfully and bear so much is love, a much more 
powerful motive than money. 
Love then is what we must teach the children. When they 
are small, they love us naturally because we give them all 
they have. We ought as often as we can to explain that God 
gives everything, including mothers and fathers. God then 
is the Person to love most of all. Ask the children to write 
out a list of all the things they have to be grateful to God 
for, things like father, mother, dinner, school, toys, sun-
shine, flowers, etc. This exercise brings home to children 
how good God is. 
HOW PRACTICE LOVE? 
How shall we teach children to love God not only for His 
goodness, but for Himself? We said in January and Feb-
ruary that we learn to do by doing; we acquire habits by 
repetition of the same acts. We must then have the chil-
dren perform many acts of love of our Lord. Have them 
also write out a list of things to do as helps to learn to love 
Jesus, things like the following: 
1. Treat Jesus as a friend. Talk to Him. Think of Him. 
2. Say many times a day, "Dear Lord Jesus, I love You." 
3. When you are frightened, say, "Jesus is right here 
with me." 
4. Be kind to someone for Jesus' sake. 

[ 2 9 ] 



5. Eat the food you don't like, for Jesus' sake. 
6. Give up something for Jesus' sake. 
7. Set the table for Jesus' sake. 
Try to have the children form the habit of living as if they 
remembered that God is really here. When they realize 
that they cannot live at all except for Him, they will begin 
to be aware of His presence and to love Him. 
JUNE FOR LOVE 
June was chosen for the month of love because Corpus: 
Christi and the Feast of the Sacred Heart both come in 
June. 
We must make sure to go all together to Holy Communion 
on Corpus Christi. Jesus loves us so much that before He 
left this earth He thought up a way of keeping Himself 
here with us. That way was the Blessed Sacrament, the 
Sacrament of Love. 

THINGS TO DO 
On Corpus Christi, if there is a procession of the Blessed 
Sacrament, be sure to have the children take part in it; 
and go yourself to see them. On the Feast of the Sacred 
Heart, tell the story of Blessed Margaret Mary and how 
our Lord told her of His great love for us. If the family 
has not already formed the habit of making the Nine First 
Fridays, begin now to do as our Lord told Blessed Mar-
garet Mary. 
PEDAGOGY — T H E THING THAT GOES WITH L O V E — 

PURITY 
The virtue that goes best with love is purity. How shall 
we teach purity? Here are a few principles to follow: 
1. At night prayers* when the family recites them to-
gether, say: "Keep me pure in soul and body, because I 
am the temple of God." 
2. On Holy Communion days, say that we must never do 

[ 3 0 ] 



anything bad with our bodies, because they are sacred after 
having received the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. 
3. Impress upon children that if they see or hear anything 
nasty or immodest, they should think about our Lord or 
Blessed Lady, or about some good story,—something to 
prevent the bad idea from getting strong hold on the mind. 
4. Teach them that the body is a good and beautiful thing 
made by God and that they must not spoil it by doing any-
thing they would be ashamed to do in public. 
5. From early days, insist that it is right and proper and 
polite to keep the hands off the body. Hands are for work-
ing and doing good deeds. 
6. Above all, do your best to retain the confidence of the 
children so that when questions about sex arise, they will 
ask you the answers. From early childhood keep saying, 
"Always ask Mother or Father if any child tells you puz-
zling things. Don't ask him to explain,—come home and 
ask." 

WHEN TO SPEAK AND WHAT TO SAY ABOUT SEX 
Today, when we live in pagan surroundings, we must be 
wide awake to discover when our children require sex in-
struction. Certainly parents must do the instructing, the 
mothers for the girls and the fathers for the boys. If you 
have the confidence of the children, they will ask you ques-
tions. People talk so freely today that by twelve or thir-
teen, many children need instructing. Rules to follow: 
1. Do not tell lies or fairy tales or silly things about 
storks. The custom of having little children observe how 
cats and dogs breed is not a good one in the opinion of this 
writer. The animal side of sex should not be emphasized. 
It is f a r better to give a straightforward yet delicate ex-
planation, always bringing God into your account. 
2. Say from the earliest days that God creates each indi-
vidual soul and gives the baby to the mother. For years 
this amount of information will suffice. 

[ 3 1 ] 



3. Later, when you think need has arisen, explain clearly 
and briefly that God creates the soul in the baby inside the 
mother. The baby's body begins by being a tiny part of the 
mother. Tell the story of our Blessed Lady,—how she 
bore the Infant Jesus in her womb, as the "Hail Mary" 
tells us. For years this may suffice. Everything depends 
upon the child's companions. If he has been trained not to 
carry on whispered conversations with other children, and 
always to refer important things to his parents, he will not 
learn evil. 
4. Later still, explain that life is the result of the love of 
both father and mother, and that by their union God makes 
a new person, a baby. 
5. Explain the Sacrament of Matrimony. For a splendid 
instruction on this whole subject of sex, with suggestions 
as to just what to say, get the pamphlet called How to Give 
Sex Instructions 

PURITY SHINING LIGHT 
Purity really means cleanness. Help the child to keep his 
thoughts directed to Christ and to love Him so much that 
he wants to copy Him. Nobody can imagine Christ as 
anything but a shining white light of purity. Copy Him in 
that. 

VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
Think about the love of God at odd moments during the day. 

BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
A Week of Communions? by Lamplighter, the Holy Child 
nun, takes short scenes from our Lord's life and leads the 
child to think and pray about them. The work is skillfully 
done and allows for the growth of the child's mind as he 
goes along page by page. Books like this help us to bring 
up a generation Catholic in thought as well as in act. 

[ 3 2 ] 



With the mother's help, the six-year-old can use this book: 
and, independently, girls and boys up to fourteen or fifteen 
can learn golden lessons from it. 
King of the Golden City * is an old favorite which all chil-
dren love. It is an allegory representing the love of God 
for the soul of a child. 
HYMNS FOR THE MONTH 
The family should gather round the June altar every eve-
ning, if possible, or at least on Fridays, for hymns to the 
Blessed Sacrament and the Sacred Heart. Suitable hymns 
may be found in the Catholic Youth's Hymn Book.* We 
suggest: 
"To Jesus' Heart All Burning" (page 48), 
"Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All" (page 36), 
"O Salutaris" (page 192) and "Tantum Ergo" (page 186), 
should be learned by every Catholic in the land. 
The older children and the parents would love to be intro-
duced to the magnificent Eucharistic hymns of St. Thomas 
Aquinas. Recently they have been printed in a pamphlet," 
in Latin and English, by the London Catholic Truth Soci-
ety. The pamphlet department of the International Cath-
olic Truth Society, Bergen Street, Brooklyn, N. Y„ keeps 
on hand a stock of English pamphlet publications. 
1 How to Give Sex Instructions, by Rev. P. J . Bruckner, S.J. St. 
Louis, Mo.: The Queen's Work, 3742 West Pine Boulevard. Price, $.25. 
2 A Week of Communions, by Lamplighter. New York: Sheed & Ward, 
63 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $1.00. 
3 King of the Golden City, by Mother Mary Loyola. New York: P . J . 
Kenedy & Sons, 12 Barclay Street. Price, $.60. 
* Catholic Youth'8 Hymn Book, by the Christian Brothers. New York: 
J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West 40th Street. Price, $1.25. 
6 Eucharistic Hymns of St. Thomas Aquinas. Brooklyn, N. Y.: Inter-
national Catholic Truth Society, 407 Bergen Street. Price, $.10. 

r sa i 



J U L Y 

February: 

March: 

REVIEW OF THE HALF YEAR 
This year so f a r we have talked of many things: 

January: 1. The creation of a Catholic home. 
The teaching of regularity. 
The fact that a virtue is a habit. 
The duty of knowing our children's friends. 
Teaching children by the example of our 

own behavior. 
Giving the children good radio programs. 
The custom of speaking often about religious 

things. 
Teaching obedience through our own firm-

ness and consistency. 
Teaching the children to imitate Christ. 
Giving the children good books and encour-

aging reading. 
Teaching the love of God. 
Teaching the virtue of purity. 

This month we shall consider the best way to keep the fam-
ily united. 

April: 

May: 

June: 

2. 
1. 
2. 
1. 
2. 
1. 
2. 
1. 
2. 

1. 
2. 

TWO HOMES—EARTH AND HEAVEN 
We have two homes—one here on earth and one in heaven 
with God. Life here is a preparation for heaven. The 
supernatural life we live here is a beginning of the life 
hereafter^ That is why good people die without fear. They 
know that they pass to a fuller life with God. Can yoit 
make your home so lovely that it will seem to be like a little 
taste of heaven here on earth below? Say often, to your-
self that your destiny and your child's destiny is to dwell 
with God in perfect happiness. And say to yourself that 
your duty is to begin here and now to teach your child to 
live in God's presence. When things go wrong in the house 
ask yourself: "Do we act as if God is in this house? Is 

[ 3 4 ] 



this house a home, a garden enclosed, where children feel 
safe under the protection of loving parents, where one 
family dwells in peace and unity?" 

THE WEAKENING FAMILY 
The family is the God-made unit of society^ an institution 
so powerful that it has lasted since the beginning of the 
world. Today it is weakening. People marry on an im-
pulse, never thinking that marriage means founding a fam-
ily. Then they divorce each other almost as readily ; the 
family is split, and the children suffer. Or "else parents 
rush off on trips and leave children to servants or neighbors 
or even alone. Parents become bridge and movie addicts 
and desert their families night after night. ; 

OFFSET BY CATHOLIC FAMILY 
Against this type of family, stands the Catholic model, 
founded on a sacrament established by Christ. Marriage 
for life with no divorce—on this rock is built the Catholic 
family. 

GRACE OF MATRIMONY 
That family can be a garden of the Lord, a place of joy 
and delight for father, mother, children. , Since marriage 
cannot .be terminated by man, even Catholic parents, who., 
have ceased to be enchanted with each other realize that 
they have a big job to make a success of the family, and! 
that they can do so by drawing on the grace which God 
stands ready to give for the asking, grace in the form of 
courage and serenity and persistence in keeping the family, 
happy and united. ' ' 

SOLIDARITY 
The family must possess solidarity. It must be a unit. 
Each child must learn to speak with pride of his home; and 
parents and sisters and brothers. The child lucky enough 
to find himself surrounded by a loving family has a sensé' 
of security which psychologists agree is necessary for a 
happy childhood. 

[ 3 5 ] 



PEDAGOGY—HOW BUILD UP SECURITY? 
How can we build up this security? How can we make the 
child feel himself one of the family group? A simple way 
is by doing things together. How many things can parents 
and children do together? 

1. Say family prayers. 
2. Go to Mass together. 
8. Kneel together a t the altar rail for Holy Communion. 
4. Have family reading. 
5. Have family music and singing. 
6. Go on trips and picnics in a group. 
7. Clear off the snow, or rake up the leaves or weed the 

garden together (two or three of the family at least). 
8. Play games together. 

We suggest that each family add to this list occupations in 
which the family can unite. 

SINGING AND MUSIC 
On the subject of music and singing we shall say a little 
with special emphasis. Family singing is a thrilling expe-
rience to children. Psychologists today talk much about 
the value of community singing. Schools and colleges have 
glee clubs and the large cities have choral societies. Sing-
ing in a crowd produces friendliness and makes a bond of 
union among people. Leaders who get crowds together for 
a song festival certainly help to produce good feeling. Why 
then should not the family make use of this age-old custom 
and strengthen the bonds that unite them? 
God gave us singing voices, and certainly children love to 
sing. In school songs and hymns are taught. Encourage 
the children to sing them at home too. Make it a rule to 
sing all you can with them. The tunes learned in childhood 
will never be forgotten. 

[ M ] 



GOOD SONGS AND HYMNS 
We have mentioned this year, The Three Kings, The Mag-
nificat, Stabat Mater, and several other hymns, We hope 
the parents are trying to enter into the custom of family 
hymn singing, which can be developed into a habit which 
young and old will love. 

SONG SHEETS 
We trust that the popular song sheets do not make up the 
repertory of any Catholic families. Let us realize that the 
emotion aroused by a song has its effect on the child's 
character. The popular song sheets, set to catchy dance 
music, are many of them full of pagan ideas of love. 
"Love" in these songs means "petting"; and the poor child 
singing such things naturally thinks that love means what 
the song says. A high Christian notion of love, a great 
Christian virtue, is distorted, or lost, or never learned. 

MUSIC AND LITURGY 
The Pope wants us to sing in church the beautiful things 
of the Catholic liturgy. In the Middle Ages when the su-
perb cathedrals were built in Europe, a very fine type of 
music was written and chanted. It is called Gregorian 
music. There is something uplifting about its tones. To 
go to church where such music is heard is a great privilege. 
We come away strengthened for our day's work. 
Indeed in many cities there are schools where teachers are 
trained to teach this music to the children. In New York 
there is the Pius X School of Liturgical Music 1 from which 
hundreds of teachers have gone out all over the country. 
The greatest music critics in the world approve of this 
kind of singing and if our children have the chance of 
learning it, by all means let us encourage them. The point 
is that if we help them to love good songs and uplifting 
church music, we train their musical taste so that they will 
feel disgust for the pagan, immoral songs so popular in 
our time. 

[ 8 7 ] 



VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
Let us resolve these busy summer days to arrange some 
system about daily living while we have the children at 
home all day long. Only so can we preserve our calm and 
:put into practice all the good things suggested. 
BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
In November we shall take up the Mass and the Liturgy. 
Meantime it would be a good idea to get some books on the 
Mass. For younger children we suggest, The Mass Ex-
plained to Children, by Madam Montessori.2 This is a book 
which parents should read slowly and carefully with the 
children at the rate of three or four pages a day. We sug-

g e s t for older children, How to Understand the Mass, by 
Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B.8 This booklet can be read 
and studied over and over for many years. It is a booklet to 
keep for reference. The Child at Mass* is an excellent 
pamphlet. 
HYMNS FOR THE MONTH 
If the words of the Magnificat have not yet been obtained, 
by all means secure them before July 2nd, the feast of the 
Visitation, the day when our Blessed Lady said to St. 
Elizabeth the actual words of that magnificent song. Read 
the English words in the New Testament, St. Luke, Chap-
ter 1, Verses 46-55. For the music see page 169 of The 
Catholic Youth's Hymn Book.' 

1 Pius X School of Liturgical Music, Manhattanville College of the 
Sacred Heart, 133rd Street and Convent Avenue, New York City. 
2 The Mass Explained to Children, by Dr. Maria Montessori. New 
York: Sheed & Ward, 63 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $1.25. 
3 How to Understand the Mass, by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O S B 
St. Paul, Minn.: E. H. Lohmann Co., 413 Sibley Street. Price, $.35! 
*The Child at Mass, by Rev. George M. Dennerle. New York- The 
Paulist Press, 401 West 59th Street. Price, $.05. 
' The Catholic Youth's Hymn Book, by the Christian Brothers. Page 
169. New York: J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West 40th Street. Price, $1.25. 

[ 3 8 ] 



A U G U S T 

FAMILY UNITY—THROUGH A FAMILY INTEREST 
To keep the children interested in home affairs is à sure 
way of preserving the unity of the family. We should aim 
to discover interests in which parents and children can 
share. One of these interests is pictures. A whole, family 
may educate itself in a r t and learn the stories of the Old 
and New Testament by the simple and fascinating way of 
pictures. A family interest of this kind which can be 
shared by adults and children is invaluable in maintaining 
the close contact of earlier years. 
PEDAGOGY—TEACHING RELIGION BY PICTURES 
Why then should we not make use of pictures to tèâch re-
ligion and to help us create in our homes a Catholic atmos-
phere? 
From the early days of Christianity artists have tried to 
paint pictures showing some religious truth or telling 
some story of our faith. The very greatest artists, men 
like Giotto and Duccio, Raphael, Michael Angelo, F r a 
Angelico, Perugino, Piero della Francesca, have left hun-
dreds of magnificent pictures, copies of which can be ob-
tained for a few cents. The most satisfactory way of 
securing sets of pictures is to write for a sample picture 
and a catalogue to one or two of thé publishers of pictures 
listed on page 43.1 

HOW TO GET PICTURES . 
Besides buying pictures, children can watch papers (Cath-
olic and secular) for religious pictures. Often the Sunday 
editions print copies of great masterpieces. 

LEARN TO LOVE FINE PICTURES 
If you are not trained to appreciate masterpieces of art, 
surround your children with them while they are young 
and they will gradually learn to love them. The great 
pictures have been admired for hundreds of years because, 
having been made by great artists, they have in them a 

[ 8 9 ] 



quality which a f t e r a while conveys to people the real 
meaning of the picture. 
The Sistine Madonna, of Raphael, is a splendid one for 
the home. Take a look at the Blessed Mother and you will 
see why she was chosen to be the Mother of God. She 
looks noble but meek, gentle but strong, beautiful but com-
manding, motherly, unselfish and courageous in suffering. 
The Tribute Money, by Masaccio, on the wall of an old 
church in Florence, shows our Lord with His disciples. 
There is a figure of the Saviour to give a child an inkling 
of His Spirit, dignity, power, and gentleness combined. 

COLLECTING PICTURES 
There is a world of knowledge to be gained from religious 
pictures. Get the children started on collecting them. 
Have one child search for 15 masterpieces, one for each of 
the 15 mysteries of the Rosary. 
One child might begin collecting all the "Annunciations"; 
another all the pictures of the Presentation of Our Blessed 
Lady in the Temple. Any little girl would love to imitate 
the tiny Mary mounting the high steps in Titian's picture 
of the subject. That little Mary sees what she has to do 
and marches straight up with courage and also joy. She 
was joyful in going where she saw God wanted her to go. 

THE STORY OF THE PICTURE 
Each picture tells a story. Mothers whose children are 
less than ten can still make story-telling a regular practice^ 
Points to remember in story telling: 

1. Know the subject. Read it up in the Bible or in a 
Life of Christ. 

2. Make a list on a paper of the main points (charac-
ters, events, places). 

3. Use your imagination and when you are telling the 
story of the Visitation, for instance, say such 
things a s : "Our Blessed Lady had walked miles. 
Think how tired she must have been. Even if 
she traveled part way on a donkey's back, she 
must have been worn out, for riding on a donkey 

[ 4 0 ] 



is not like driving in a car. But, even though 
tired, she runs over to her cousin, puts out her 
arms to greet her. See the love showing in her 
movements." 

4. Learn the important words in stories. Children 
appreciate the wonderful poetic speech of the 
Bible, and nobody could improve on our Lady's 
speech in the Visitation story when she says: "My 
soul doth magnify the Lord." 

5. Bring the story home to the children if possible. In 
the case of the Visitation you can say: "We must 
do as Blessed Lady did." Then suggest a visit 
to see Mrs. , who needs help or comfort or 
sympathy or congratulations. 

SCRAP BOOKS 
Collecting pictures leads to many busy hours spent in ar-
ranging them in scrapbooks, or, better, mounting them on 
cardboard, framing a few favorites, and filing the others 
in some convenient form. 
RELIGIOUS PICTURES VERSUS HOLLYWOOD PICTURES 
Children love to make collections and certainly the parents 
should see to it that they spend their time and energy in 
collecting worthwhile things. The current custom of mak-
ing albums of movie actors and actresses is hardly to be 
termed educational. Indeed it is tragic to see girls and 
boys gazing a t their cut-out pictures of movie people— 
many of them several times divorced. 
MOVING PICTURES—HOW TO CHOOSE THEM 
Moving pictures, their use and abuse, will be our next topic. 
Parents should make rules with regard to movie going. 
Allow no member of the family to go to a movie which the 
parents know nothing about. This rule should apply to the 
parents themselves as well as to the children. The habit of 
starting off "to go to the movies," and to stumble into any 
movie in town, is exceedingly dangerous. 
How shall we find out what a movie is like? In three prin-
cipal ways: 

[ 4 1 ] 



1. By consulting the list of the Legion of Decency pub-
lished in the diocesan Catholic paper. 

2. By reading and studying the advertisements of 
movies. The "ads" usually reveal whether a mo-
vie is vulgar or indecent or salacious. 

3. By reading reviews in the better newspapers. If 
parents made it a custom to read the reviews and 
gradually to learn the character of the reviewer, 
they would be able to make a fairly good judg-
ment of the quality of the movie by the remarks 
of the reviewer. 

4. By talking to friends and neighbors. 
We parents must bear in mind that the education and 
training given a child at home and in school can be counter-
acted by the influence of bad movies. We do not want our 
children to carry in their minds images of vulgar or inde-
cent scenes. 
ENCOURAGE GOOD MOVIES 
There are many excellent movies which can be a joy and 
delight to the majority of people. There are also educa-
tional films especially made for the young. We ought to 
encourage the producers of such entertainment. Parents 
can easily band together to determine the character of mo-
vies in their neighborhood. The pastor, the school, the 
parents, make an unbeatable combination when they ex-
press approval or disapproval of a picture. 
VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
Extraordinary patience and calm. In the doubly difficult 
vacation days which bring to mothers so many added wor-
ries, the soothing effect of patience, calm and silence is 
more needed than ever. 
THINGS TO DO 
August is a good month in which to do some of those 
things for which we could not find time during the school 
year. A family that has not yet made itself an altar might 

[ 4 2 ] 



do that this month. It would also be a good idea to look 
over back sections and see whether it is possible to get some 
of the books which we may have overlooked. Those of us 
who cannot afford to buy books could take time to go to the 
nearest public library and ask the librarian to add at least 
a few of the "Religion in the Home" books to her stock. 

PLAYS 
On the feast of the Assumption, August 15th, a holyday of 
obligation, We should certainly have a celebration of some 
kind. A play arranged and acted by the children would be 
splendid; but as it is not easy to act a mystery like the 
Assumption, we suggest that the children make up a play 
about our Lady's life after the death of her Son. The 
Apostles, Veronica with her veil and Joseph of Arimathea 
with the winding sheet could all be characters. 
BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
For younger children we suggest An Alphabet of the Al-
tar.2 This is a large picture-story book of the Mass with 
many details Which give a chance to mother to explain a 
number of religious points hard to make clear without 
pictures. 
Daybreak in the Soul8 is a book for girls and boys who are 
leaving childhood behind them. In Father Roche's wise 
way the book explains some of the deep things about reli-
gion which children from the age of twelve up are just 
faintly beginning to perceive. 
HYMNS FOR THE MONTH 
On summer e'venings go through the hymn book and sing 
all the hymns to our Lady. 
1 The University Prints, Newton, Mass. Catalogue $.05. Ars Sacra, 
15 Barclay Street, New York City. Thomas Nelson & Sons, 385 Madi-
son Avenue, New York City. 
4 Ah Alphabet of the Altar, by E. Vincent Wareing, illustrated by 
Louis Beyaert and Edward MacCarthy. New York: P. J . Kenedy & 
Sons, 12 Barclay Street. Price $.40. 
3 Daybreak in the Soul, by William Roche, S.J. New York: Long-
mans, Green & Co., 55 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $.60, paper; $1.35, cloth. 

[ 4 5 ] 



S E P T E M B E R 

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 
With September comes school, and the excitement of the 
first days. Wise parents are full of interest, eager to know 
the name of the new teacher, eager to look at the new 
school books, and to listen to all the stories about what 
happened all day. In one very well managed home the chil-
dren were so full of news, each wanting to talk first, that, 
after saying Grace before supper, Father made a rule that, 
beginning with the youngest, each could talk for five min-
utes, and then start round again. 

CO-OPERATION AND REGULARITY 
Be sure to look at the home-work notebooks and see that 
the young people start the new term well by getting down 
to lessons promptly. Pay particular attention to the Cate-
chism or religion lesson. The peace and happiness of the 
home suffers if school duties are not promptly performed. 
Religion thrives better in an orderly household, and we 
cannot repeat too often that it is the parents' business to 
manage the home, and to establish habits of regularity in 
every member of the family. 

RECALL OUR PURPOSE—LIVING IN TWO WORLDS 
With the school term well begun we ought to make a fresh 
start on our big job,—creating a Catholic spirit in the 
home. It is wise to think a little of our aim. 
What shall we recall? 
We know that man lives in two worlds; his body walks the 
earth, while his soul in the fraction of a second can com-
mune with God in another world, the supernatural world. 
There are people who live almost wholly in the natural 
world. There are many who morning and night might pass 
over in prayer to the other world. But parents should live 
in God's supernatural world a great deal more than they 
do. If they are close to God they will take their children 
with them. 



Have you not known people who are always aware of God's 
presence, of His care and protection, or who in trouble will 
at once say, "Yes, dear Lord, I bear this sorrow joyfully 
with You"? They are always seeing God's hand in the 
beautiful world. They look at the smiling faces of their 
children and see God there. They are miles and miles re-
moved from those whose attention is absorbed in money, 
society, dress and all the rest that makes up "the world." 
A home with the supernatural attitude toward life is what 
we want for all Catholic families. A million such homes 
could set the country on fire with the desire for a better 
Christian life; a million supernatural-minded parents could 
clean up the movies, the radio, the magazines. 
The home where children breathe a supernatural atmos-
phere! How can we create it? Let us remind ourselves of 
a few points we have considered before: 

1. P a r e n t s m u s t live close t o God. 
2 . They must set a good example in every word they speak a n d in 

every a c t they perform in their children's sight. 
3 . They Would do well t o remember all t h e suggestions m a d e since 

J a n u a r y , which help to keep religion living a n d vital in t h e home, 
suggestions a b o u t : 

a . Prayers. 
b. Conversation. 
c. Family parties. 
d. Family a l t a r s . 

4 . They would p r o f i t by going through all of t h e preceding pages a n d 
writing o u t a list of things mentioned under t h e heading,* " T h i n g s 
to d o . " 

5. In p a r t i c u l a r , p a r e n t s should remember t h a t it is not enough t o say, 
" D o n ' t do this; d o n ' t do t h a t . " 
Say " R e a d t h i s " ; n o t " D o n ' t read t h a t . " 
Say "Go to this m o v i e , " as well a s " D o n ' t go t o t h a t . " 
Say " S u p p o s e we go to t h e beach t o d a y , " instead of " W h e r e 

shall we g o ? " 
Time—Patience—Intelligence are required. If you have a 
job in a factory, shop or school you may not loaf on the 
job. At home, in the supreme job of bringing up the chil-
dren, you may not loaf. 

[ 4 7 ] 



PEDAGOGY—LIVING AND LOVING 
Motherhood and fatherhood are not for cowards. Every 
mother has faced death; most fathers have faced the neces^ 
sity of battling to support their wives and children. 
Let your children know that i t is love that makes mother 
and father brave and heroic and ready to meet death. Love 
is not a matter of petting and kissing; love is such devo-
tion to another that you give yourself, your time, your 
strength, your health for that person. Quite small chil-
dren love to do things for mother and father. Make it a 
point to encourage them to show their love in deeds. The 
frequent complaint of mothers, "I have done everything 
for my boy and now he does nothing for me," is sad; but 
it is the result of faulty training. Don't "do everything" 
for the child. Start when he is young and wants to help 
you, and train him to keep on. 
Never let him slacken in his efforts. Now, with the school 
year beginning, write out for yourself a list of things in 
which your children can help, talk it over with them, and 
start to work on it. 

MOTIVES 
Get the motive right. All children from six to fourteen 
can be told two things: 

1. You help mother and f a t h e r because you love t h e m . 
2 . You help them because you love our Lord a n d w a n t t o copy Him. 

He loved and helped His' Mother a n d St. Joseph. 
When an occasion comes and the child rebels at helping, 
then you can say, "Of course it's hard and Mother would 
gladly do it for you. But if you have no chance to do hard 
things for dear Jesus' sake, you have no chance to suffer 
for Him and so show Him you love Him. Why not go to 
the store or cut the grass because you want to offer to our 
Dear Lord something that is hard for you?" 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHOWING LOVE 
Suggested helps and things to do for love of mother and 
God a r e : 

[ 4 8 ] 



1. Going to t h e store. A girl or boy o í twelve or more can go to t h e 
stores regularly and should be t a u g h t systematic m a r k e t i n g . 
Have him m a k e a list with you. If inferior goods a r e delivered 
m a k e him return t h e m . Go and see t h e grocer occasionally 
yourself. Explain t h a t he must wait on your child as scrupulously 
as he would on you yourself. 

2. Setting t h e t a b l e . From four years up children can s e t t h e t a b l e . 
S y s t e m a t i z e t h e process of flaying o u t knives, forks, etc. Then 
b r e a d , b u t t e r , w a t e r , salt, n a p k i n s , — a list of things o f t e n f o r -
g o t t e n should be memorized. 

3 . Cleaning, dusting, b e d - m a k i n g , — e v e n princes and princesses a r e 
trained to do these things. 

4. Cutting grass, weeding, arranging flowers are tasks which children 
can easily learn to perform. 

5 . Brushing clothes, sewing on buttons, polishing shoes all give good 
t r a i n i n g . 

6. Cleaning silver. Once a month t h e whole family may assemble in 
t h e kitchen, g e t o u t all t h e silver and have a polishing bee for 
one hour o n l y — m o r e time becomes drudgery. 

What has all this to do with the Catholic religion? It 
trains children in good habits of generous helping and 
serving. A child so trained, easily learns habits of prayer, 
of self-sacrifice, of virtue. The idea of doing things for the 
love of the good Lord becomes part of the nature of the 
child. 

THINGS TO DO ROUND THE ALTAR 
September 8th is the birthday of our Lady. Celebrate it 
so that the little ones may realize that it is a day of joy. 
Of course, have prayers around the altar, and some songs 
to our Lady. 
As for pictures for the altar, it would be interesting to 
know how many families have come across a picture of the 
birth of the Blessed Mother. It was a favorite subject 
among the great artists. In the historic city of Florence, 
in Italy, in the Dominican Church of Santa Maria Novella! 
there is a large fresco (painting on plaster) along the 
right wall of the sanctuary. It shows St. Ann sitting up 
in bed, receiving lovely ladies who come with gifts for the 

[ 4 7 ] 



new baby Mary. At one side a woman is washing: the tiny 
infant. She has a basin, small articles of clothing and the 
sort of things that modern mothers have. Ghirlandaio, 
the artist, followed the custom of many artists of his day; 
he made the scene, the setting, the house and the furniture 
like that of his own time, and imagined St. Ann, St. Joa-
chim, our Lady living at that period. Such a picture 
makes an unforgettable impression. 

THE HOLY GHOST AND SCHOOL 
On the first day of school the family should include in eve-
ning prayers a prayer and hymn to the Holy Ghost for 
light and help in the studies of the year. For a hymn, see 
section for hymns, below. For a prayer the children should 
learn to say: 

"Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy f a i t h f u l and enkindle in 
them the fire of Thy love. 

"Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created. 
"And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. 
" 0 God, Who hast taught the hearts of the f a i t h f u l by the light of 

the Holy Spirit, g r a n t that we may by the g i f t of the same Spirit,-
be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 

VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
As we see to it that the children study, why should we not 
decide to study religion ourselves? A good book which 
answers objections to the Catholic faith is called The Ques-
tion Box.1 We ought to study a couple of pages a day. 
BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
Stories about saints told for little children make very inter-
esting reading provided they are told simply and naturally 
so that the little ones may understand them. Two small 
books about small saints have recently come to our atten-
tion, one called Little Saint Agnes,1 and the other Little 
Patron of Gardeners: the Good Saint Fiacre.* Both books 
have plenty of pictures drawn in a way to please little citi-
zens of the twentieth century. 

r 481 



For older children we highly recommend Bible Children,* 
twelve stories with colored illustrations. The children ap-
pearing in the stories are such boys as Isaac, Joseph, Ben-
jamin, Samuel, and one girl, the daughter of Jairus. This 
is the kind of book to read over and over, year a f t e r year. 
HYMNS FOR THE MONTH 
A stirring hymn which children sing with great gusto is 
Holy God We Praise Thy Name.B This will be found in 
both hymn books mentioned in the footnotes. 
A hymn to the Holy Ghost to ask His aid in school studies 
is Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest.6 

1 The Question Box, by F a t h e r Bertrand L. Conway, C.S.P. New 
York: The Paulist Press, 401 West 59th Street. Price, $.50. 
2 Little Saint Agnes, by Helen Walker Homan. New York: Long-
mans, Green & Co., 55 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $.50. 
3 Little Patron of Gardners: the Good Saint Fiacre, by Catherine 
Beebe. New York: Longmans, Green & Co., 55 F i f t h Avenue. 
Price, $.50. 
* Bible Children, by Blanche Jennings Thompson. New York: Dodd, 
Mead & Co., 449 Fourth Avenue. Price, $1.50. 
6 Catholic Youth's Hymn Book, by the Christian Brothers. Nos. 128 
and 28. New York: J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West 40th Street. Price, 
$1.25; and Catholic Church Hymnal, edited oy A. Edmonds Tozer. 
Nos. 200 and 61. New York: J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West 40th Street. 
Price, $1.75. 

[ 4 9 ] 



O C T O B E R 

ANGELS—COMPANIONSHIP 
October is the month of the Angels and also the month of 
the Rosary. Children can make real companions of their 
Angels and acquire the habit of turning to them at odd 
moments for help in trouble or for courage at a time of 
fear. An imaginative child especially, for whom darkness 
and the woods and the wind suggest terror, should be 
trained to recall often that a loving Guardian Angel is by 
his side. Explain that God loves us so much that He never 
leaves us alone, but sends the Angels, His messengers, to 
help us. 

PRAYER TO ANGELS 
For children who did not learn in babyhood the well-known 
morning prayer to the Angels, we print it here: 

Angel of God, my guardian dear, 
To whom His love commits me here, 
Ever this day be at my side, 
To light and guard 
To rule and guide. Amen. 

ANGEL FEASTS 
The Feast of All Angels falls on October 2nd, and therefore 
each child may call that day the feast of his own Guardian 
Angel. 
The family should learn something about the greatest An-
gels also. 

ST. MICHAEL, LEADER 
St. Michael the Archangel is named in the Confiteor, just 
after "Blessed Mary, ever virgin," and that should remind 
us that he is very powerful. It was St. Michael who led the 
battle against the devils, the evil spirits when they, out of 
pride, rebelled against God. Teach the children then, to 
pray to St. Michael for help when tempted to be proud. 
St. Michael's feast is September 29th. 

[ 6 0 ] 



ST. GABRIEL AND OUR LADY 
St. Gabriel (March 24th) is the Angel of the Annunciation, 
the angel whose words we say in the "Hail Mary." Those 
children readily love him, who have learned about the com-
ing of Christ. 

ST. RAPHAEL AND TOBIAS 
St. Raphael (October 24) should be a close friend of all 
busy people. He explained to Tobias that he would tell 
him a great secret, which was that he, the Archangel Ra-
phael, took Tobias' place in prayer, when he was busy doing 
deeds of kindness. "I offered thy prayer to the Lord," 
said St. Raphael. 
Special devotion to these wonderful spirits appeals to girls 
and boys. Angels are so beautiful, so bright, so swift, that 
they please the young fancy. Be sure then to introduce 
your children to them. 
THE ROSARY 
October is as we all know the month of the Rosary also. 
Blessed Mary is the Queen of Angels and so in this month 
dedicated to her as Lady of the Rosary we can combine 
our devotion to her and to the Angels by saying the Rosary 
before an altar decorated with pictures or statues of Angels. 
The family should make a heroic effort to say the beads 
together every night. If that is not possible, try to say 
them two or three times a week. The mother of a family 
of ten reports that at family prayers each child says one 
decade, so that each gets a chance every other day. The 
youngest, three years old, delights in taking his turn. 
We must be sure in saying the Rosary that we remind the 
family to think about the special mystery of each decade. 
It is comforting to realize that the Church has arranged 
such an easy method of meditating on the Life of our 
Blessed Lord and His Mother. 
THINGS TO DO—ALTAR 
The family altar should be very attractive with pictures of 
Angels. F r a Angelico, a Dominican monk, who was born 
almost 600 years ago, made the most exquisitely lovely pic-
ture of Angels. Another great Italian artist, Melozzo da 

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Forli, who lived in the days of Christopher Columbus, made 
magnificent pictures of Angels, many of which are kept in 
the Vatican, the home of the Pope. (See pp. 39, 40, for 
suggestions about getting pictures.) 
THE LITTLE FLOWER 
Little St. Teresa's feast falls on October 3rd. She is a 
model for modern children, who can learn from her how to 
sanctify the little daily doings of life. Try to make a 
triduum (3 days) of prayer to her, either before or after 
her feast. Teresa is so modern that children can play at 
being "Little Flower" all day. If we read her life and 
make her name a household word, younger children will 
dramatize her doing without any difficulty. The story of the 
Martin family sisters is quite as fascinating as Little 
Women, and many a child will pattern her life after Pauline 
or Céline or Teresa just as at one time every child wanted 
to play at being Meg, Jo, Beth or Amy. 
PEDAGOGY—TRUTHFULNESS 
Girls and boys whose minds are full of thoughts of our Lady 
and her Angels and the Little Flower should be interested 
in the bright and shining virtue of truthfulness, about which 
we shall do a little thinking this month. Here are some 
fundamental ideas for parents to implant : 

SPIRIT OF NOBILITY 
Our aim should be to inculcate a spirit of nobility and ideal-
ism with regard to truth. We parents understand that God 
Himself is Truth and that, therefore, truth is sacred. It is 
not something which we can accept or deny, as we choose. 
In general conversation in the home subjects arise which 
involve historical truth, scientific truth, religious truth, or 
truth about some small detail connected with the house-
hold. If we always show that we respect truth, our chil-
dren will grow up with a sense of loyalty to truth. The 
greatest thing we can do for them on this point is to develop 
in them such a habit of truthfulness that they will feel un-
comfortable if they are not telling the truth or acting the 
truth. 

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PRACTICE OF TRUTH IN EVERYDAY LIFE 
If the spirit of love for truth is part of the life of our 
homes, it is not difficult to apply the principle of truth-
telling to small matters. If a child begins to tell lies, or 
to be shifty and deceptive, we must show him that he is 
spoiling a precious ideal. If the children are to grow up 
with this right sense of truth, of course, they must be 
trained from early childhood. In small matters, as they 
arise, say always, "We tell the truth. We are brave and 
tell the truth even when it is hard." Show that, if the par-
ent or teacher asks who is responsible for some fault which 
has been committed, there is something fine and noble in 
standing up and admitting, "I did it." 
PUNISHMENT AND MERCY 
Usually lies are the result of fear. The child fears that he 
will be punished if he admits his fault. This question of 
punishment is a matter to which parents must give thought. 
If we have treated our children harshly and cruelly, we 
may expect them to lie through fear of punishment. If, on 
the other hand; we have so conducted ourselves that they 
love and respect us, they will not be likely to lie to us. 
In normal cases, justice tempered with mercy works f a r 
better than the application of justice alone. Wise parents 
and teachers often can see their way to excusing a child if 
he apologizes. Some children are trained to say, "I did it. 
Please excuse me. I'm sorry." A parent does not lose his 
power by forgiving a child. Indeed mercy is a great qual-
ity and strengthens the authority of the parent who shows 
it. As Shakespeare said: 

"The quality of mercy is riot strain'd, 
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven 
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; 
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes: 

It is an attribute to God Himself; 
And earthly power doth then show likest God's 
When mercy seasons justice." 

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A child will not be easily tempted to tell a lie if he lives in 
a merciful atmosphere. 

COURAGE 
Suppose, however, that there is likelihood of punishment if 
an offender is discovered. Then courage is needed. Tell 
the child, "Be brave. Bear the pain of the punishment for 
our Lord's sake. Never be a coward. You are in training 
to be a soldier of Christ, full of courage." 
VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
Faithful recitation of the Rosary, with meditation on each 
mystery. 
BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
Saint Teresa, Picture Book1 is a charming book in verse, 
with lively illustrations on each page. It tells of the Little 
Flower's life as a child. 
For older children, there is another beautifully written 
story about St. Teresa. It is Little Saint Thérèse.* 
For parents themselves who want to read little Teresa's 
own account of her life there is the large translation made 
by Father T. N. Taylor called Sœwr Thérèse of Lisieux* 
Parents who are interested in the ideal set forth in these 
leaflets on "Religion in the Home" will see in the Martin 
household an example of a home filled with supernatural 
atmosphere. God is there always in the minds and hearts 
of father, mother, and children. 
HYMN FOR THE MONTH 
Dear Angel Ever at My Side* is an appropriate hymn for 
this month. 
1 Saint Teresa Picture Book, by A. de Bethune. New York: Sheed & 
Ward, 63 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $.50. 
2Little Saint Thérèse, by E. von Schmidt Pauli. New York: Macmil-
lan Co., 60 F i f t h Avenue. Price, $1.00. 
' Sœur Thérèse of Lisieux, an autobiography, translated by Father 
T. N. Taylor. New York: P. J . Kenedy & Sons, 12 Barclay Street. 
Price, $1.35. 
4 The Catholic Youth's Hymn Book, by the Christian Brothers. No. 
111. New York: J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West 40th Street. Price, $1.25. 

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N O V E M B E R 
MONTH OF A L L SAINTS AND OF THE HOLY SOULS 
IN PURGATORY 
In October we recalled the presence of the angels round 
about us and our children; in November we realize that all 
the saints, known and unknown, are our friends to whom 
we may pray, knowing that they will present our needs to 
our Blessed Lord. We remember, last, but not least, the 
Souls in Purgatory, those souls, so dear to us, about whose 
happiness we are often wondering. Have they yet passed 
on to heaven, into the peace of complete union with God? Or 
are they still suffering, waiting to make up for the lack of 
perfection in their lives on earth? 
OUR CHILDREN AND THE WHOLE CHURCH 
If the saints and souls in Purgatory are often on our lips, 
so that they are household names, our children will grow 
up with a sense of familiarity with them. It will then be 
easy for us to put into practice in our homes the great doc-
trine of the Mystical Body of Christ. We are all united in 
Christ: the saints—the Church Triumphant; the souls in 
Purgatory—the Church Suffering; and we fighting soldiers 
on earth—the Church Militant. 
If the children are familiar with this great doctrine of the 
union of us all in one Body of which Christ is the Head, 
then they will more easily prove equal to the future that 
faces them in the twentieth century. 
SOCIAL JUSTICE—THE CHILDREN'S PROBLEM 
No one doubts that a terrible struggle is going on and gath-
ering force between different forms of society. Strikes, 
labor troubles, panics and depressions, unemployment, mis-
understandings between capital and labor,—make up the 
ordinary news of our times. The children of today must 
settle these difficulties a few years hence. 
The Holy Father and all wise people tell us that there is 
only one way to a peaceful settlement of that strife. Each 
man must respect every other man and treat him as his 

[ 5 7 ] 



brother in Christ; each man must gaze across the maze of 
trouble to the other man, and looking into his eyes, recog-
nize him as another member of the Mystical Body. 
Our children may solve the coming class struggle without 
warfare, if we train them now to understand that the Sec-
ond Commandment, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy-
self," is a definite order from God Himself and not a poetic 
fancy. 
PEDAGOGY—TRAINING BY DOING 
What shall we do, then, to train the children to love their 
"neighbors"? 
1. Insist that each child respect the belongings of his 
brothers and sisters and little friends. 
2. Instruct the child to show kindness and consideration 
to servants, "help" of any kind, elevator men, salesmen at 
the door, shopkeepers and beggars. In small ways, train 
the child to practice this perfectly definite commandment. 
We give a few illustrations: 

a. See that the child says "Please" and "Thank you" 
to servants and "help" and elevator men. 

b. Never allow the door to be slammed in the face of 
a salesman. Explain to the child that though 
you do not buy the article offered you of course 
treat the man civilly and patiently, even if he is 
very trying and rudely persistent. Explain to 
the child that the man has to earn his living in a 
very difficult way. 

c. In shops, say a pleasant word to the salesman or 
saleslady and tell the child that you make a point 
of doing so, because he or she is probably very 
tired standing and waiting on all kinds of people. 

d. If you are going to give something to a beggar, 
hand it to the child to give. Thus early he learns 
how to help others. 

In these and many other small ways we can help the chil-
dren to form habits of looking upon strangers as their 
neighbors. 

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3. Never allow a child to speak unkindly to a person of an-
other race, whether white or black or yellow. 
4. Restrain yourself from violent and critical talk about 
other nations. In these days of head-lined newspapers, peo-
ple's emotions are swayed by propaganda. A good plan is 
to say, "I wonder what the Holy Father thinks about this. 
He hears all sides of the question." 
THE MASS 
While we strive to do our part in bringing about the com-
ing of the Kingdom of Christ, we must emphasize even 
more strongly that prayer to God is the most powerful 
means of all to bring about a solution of the terrible strug-
gle of our world. And of all prayers the Mass is the most 
powerful. 
As we walk to Mass let us say to our children that we are 
going to unite with the priest in offering to God the sacri-
fice of His Only Son. Repeat over and over that father, 
mother, children and priest all together have a part in the 
offering of our-Lord to God. 
It would be well here and now to make up our minds to 
speak and act habitually, as if we realized this momentous 
fact. 
THE MISSAL 
What can we do to keep vivid our own grasp of the mean-
ing of the Mass? And how can we bring up our children 
to be aware of what is happening at Mass? In July we ad-
vised the purchase of two books about the Mass. In May 
we recommended two Mass prayer books. This month we 
ask all parents to try hard to secure Missals and to use 
them. They can be had in many styles and at various 
prices. We list a few in the notes on books. 
The Missal, the regular Mass book of the Church, is now 
used by millions of Catholics every day in the year, and of 
course on Sundays. 
Children as young as eight or nine years of age have great 
delight in following the Missal. There is a fascination in 

[ 5 7 ] 



discovering all the many interesting things which are set 
out day after day in this prayer book of the Church. Any-
body who will faithfully read the Mass prayers for every 
single day for one year will discover that he has acquired 
a real education. Even if you don't go to Mass every day 
you can at least read the Missal. You begin to understand 
how this Church of which we are members today has gone 
along through the ages, storing up the wisdom of great 
saints and composing little prayers about them so that we 
make their acquaintance in the Collect. If you have not 
had any experience with the Missal, you may find it hard 
to believe that there are families in which each child finally 
gets a Missal for Christmas and you can see them all kneel-
ing in the pew on Sunday, each one following the priest 
with great interest and excitement. 
THE MISSAL AND MANKIND 
Steady reading of the Missal gives a sense of the univer-
sality of the Church. Children begin to realize that all 
over the world people of every race and nation are read-
ing those words and thinking those thoughts, and that in 
the Mass we and they and everybody, including the saints 
and holy souls in Purgatory, are united in one great power-
ful sacrifice to God. 
VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
Go to Mass every day, if possible, for the souls in Purga-
tory. If we forget our dead, who will remember them? 
Should attendance at Mass be impossible we may be able to 
say the Stations of the Cross. 
BOOKS FOR THE MONTH 
There are so many styles of Missals that it is difficult to 
advise parents which ones to choose. The St. Andrew 
Daily Missal1 has, besides all the Mass prayers for every 
day in the year, explanations of the liturgy which are very 
valuable. It has also extremely beautiful illustrations, one 
for each Sunday and feast day. At the back of the book 
are to be found the words and music for 0 Salutaris, Tan-

[ 5 8 ] 



turn Ergo, Benedictus Deus (Blessed be God), Adoro Te, 
and the words of the Te Deum. 
Another excellent Missal (not for every day, but for the 
Sundays and chief feasts of the year) is My Missal,2 with 
introduction and notes by Abbot Cabrol. This comes also 
in short form, with only the Epistles and Gospels given. 
A very cheap and useful publication is The Catholic Sun-
day Missal,s arranged by the Dominican Fathers, Callan 
and McHugh. 
A useful little pamphlet containing prayers in general use, 
prayers for Mass and the words of well-known hymns is, 
A Prayer Book for Sunday Schools.* 
HYMNS FOR THE MONTH 
Jerusalem the Golden, that wonderful song composed by 
Bernard of Cluny, is good to sing on All Saints and All 
Souls Days.8 De Profundis (Psalm 99) and Miserere 
(Psalm 50) are hymns which Catholics like to know.8 The 
English words of De Profundis are found in most prayer 
books and of course can be read in the Bible. It is a good 
habit to recite this psalm daily for our beloved dead. 
1 Daily Missal, by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre of the Abbey of St. André. 
St. Paul, Minn.: The E. M. Lohmann Co., 413 Sibley Street. Price, 
$3.75 to $9.75, according to binding. -
2 My Missal, by Abbot Cabrol, O.S.B. New York: P. J . Kenedy & 
Sons, 12 Barclay Street. Price, $.25 to $3.00. 
3 The Catholic Sunday Missal, by Rev. Charles J . Callan, O.P., and 
Rev. John A. McHugh, O.P. New York: P. J . Kenedy & Sons, 12 
Barclay Street. Price, $.20. 
* A Prayer Book for Sunday Schools, by Right Rev. Msgr. John L. 
Belford, D.D. New York: P. J . Kenedy & Sons, 12 Barclay Street. 
Price, $.10. 
6 St. Gregory Hymnal, Singers' Edition. No. 118. Philadelphia, St. 
Gregory Guild, 1705 Rittenhouse Street. Price, $1.00. 
8 Catholic Youth's Hymn Book, by the Christian Brothers. Nos. 201 
and 203. New York: J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West 40th Street. Price, 
$1.25. 

[ 5 9 ] 



D E C E M B E R 

ADVENT 
Nobody can forget the approach of Christmas. Advertisers 
keep pounding at us to buy gifts, and, as often as not, they 
reduce us to an unhappy state of mind, either because we 
cannot buy all we want to, or because we wear ourselves 
out shopping. Certainly no one should be fooled into think-
ing that the absurd Christmas rush is a fit celebration of 
the coming on earth of God Himself. 
What shall we do? As for the Christmas rush business, of 
course each family has to work out a sane and reasonable 
scheme for itself. Children should be allowed the Drecious 
privilege of making some simple obiect for father and 
mother. The tree should be hung with little surprises. But 
our task is to look beyond the gift giving and to remind 
ourselves that Advent is a short season of preparation. 

PREPARATION 
The old custom of saying 4,004 Hail Marys has one good 
effect, a t least. It impresses upon children that for a very 
long time the world waited for Jesus, for thousands of 
years. We wait four weeks! Certainly then we must be-
stir ourselves to be ready in such a short time. 

DAILY DOINGS 
A short list of things to do follows: 

1. Attend daily Mass if you live near a church. 
2. Follow the Mass with a Missal, if possible, as pro-

posed in November. 
3. Say frequently: "Come, 0 Lord Jesus, and do not 

delay." 
4. Make acts—at least one a day by each member of the family. 

ACTS 
The old custom of making "acts" should certainly be estab-
lished in our homes. The command "Be good" is too vague. 
Goodness must be translated into specific acts. "Acts" can 
be of any variety. 

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Housework Acts: 
1. Sweep carpet for mother. 2. Help with dishes with-
out being grouchy. 3. Empty trash basket daily. 
4. Run errands. 

Acts of Self-Denial: 
1. Give up candy. 2. Eat unpleasant things with a 
smile. 3. Help sister or brother with lessons. 

Spiritual Acts: 
1. Say extra prayers in morning or evening. 2. Attend 
Mass and receive Communion. 3. Recite Rosary. 

THINGS TO DO 
Preparing the Crib should be the work of the children. 

THE CRIB 
The stable can be made out of a box, and figures of our 
Lady, the Infant Jesus, St. Joseph, the animals, the shep-
herds can be added if the family has them. A tiny doll 
laid in the straw is really all that is necessary. 
Whether the ciib be plain or elaborate, have family prayers 
said around it daily, until you take it down on January 12th. 

THE CHRISTMAS PLAY 
Christmas plays are very easy to get up. The simplest is 
the tableau, one scene of our Lady, St. Joseph and the Baby. 
Most children like to make up conversation. They will have 
St. Joseph and our Lady talking as they travel to the inn. 
The scene at the inn is easy to imagine. Then the birth, 
when an angel comes carrying a doll to represent the Baby 
Jesus. 
Families who have been using pictures will find that the 
children can make up plays easily, as from the pictures they 
will get ideas of all the scenes connected with the birth of 
our Lord. 

CHRISTMAS CAROLS 
A pleasant occupation for Advent is practicing Christmas 
carols. Some of these songs have come down to us from 
early days and we do not want our children to miss the joy 
of knowing them. If you live in a small town, perhaps you 

[ 6 1 ] 



can keep up the old custom of going round on Christmas 
Eve early in the evening to sing carols outside the windows 
of your friends. A cheap set of Christmas carols can be 
obtained from G. Schirmer, Inc.1 
LESSON OF CHRISTMAS 
Wise parents will at some quiet hour start a discussion to 
find an answer to the question: Why was Christ born? 
Try to make the children get the true picture. God, the 
great, all-powerful Creator of all things, reigned from all 
eternity. Man, poor, foolish, unhappy man had been 
struggling on since the fall of Adam and Eve. Most men 
had even lost belief in God. Only the Jews remembered 
Him, and their attitude was one of awe and fear rather 
than one of love. God was too distant. 
But God loved man and ~ He sent His Son as a tiny Baby. 
Get the children to think why He came as a baby. They 
will think of good reasons. Lead them on to see that God 
wanted to be close to us, a little baby in our midst, because 
He loves us. One of His names, "Emmanuel," means God-
with-us. 
The point to make clear vis that He came for love. Few 
people take in the fact vividly that God loves us, and that 
is, after all, the greatest fact in life. If He loves us, we 
love Him back. We don't want to displease Him. We 
thank Him for loving us, knowing that the love of God for 
us is something so great that we cannot even begin to be 
grateful enough. 
Once the children grasp this idea, many things become 
easy. Why the sunsets? Because God loves us. 
VIRTUE FOR PARENTS 
Let us trust our children to God, saying that He Who so 
loved the world as to send His only-begotten Son, is indeed 
worthy of our complete trust. 
GRANDPARENTS 
Any family lucky enough to have a grandmother or a 
grandfather living, hardly needs to be reminded that the 
blessing of having them cannot last long. Make them 

[ 6 2 ] 



happy. Keep them in the center of things. Take them to 
Midnight Mass if they are able to go. Make them feel that 
they "belong" to the family more than ever on Christmas 
Day. 
CHRISTMAS DAY 
Start with Midnight Mass or at least early Mass and Com-
munion. This is, of course, difficult unless the work has 
been planned ahead so that there is a chance for some sleep 
early on Christmas Eve. The whole day is naturally fes-
tive, but some of our mothers think that a little less over-
eating of heavy food would make the coming vacation week 
happier. 
Apart from the dinner we should try to have a special cele-
bration in the way of a family song-reunion as well as a 
home-made play or tableau. 
CHRISTMAS SONGS AND HYMNS 
Either mother or father or an aunt or older sister could 
train the children to sing Adeste Fideles and have a grand 
awakening on -Christmas morning by letting the children 
run in to their parents with a song. 
Later in the day, perhaps before supper, the whole family 
can get together for all the Christmas songs. The favorite 
ones are found in The Catholic Youth's Hymn Book,2 in 
The Catholic Church Hymnaland in The St. Gregory 
Hymnal * Angels We Have Heard on High, we especially 
recommend, because in it is included the Christmas song 
of the angels, Gloria in Excelsis Deo. 
RADIO 
If we parents study the programs as announced in the 
papers we shall find that several Catholic choirs sing Christ-
mas carols over the air. Children are sure to love these. 
Before the year ends we want to ask all Catholic parents to 
make a point of tuning in on The Catholic Hour every Sun-
day. Anyone who listens regularly and faithfully to that 
program, sponsored by the National Council of Catholic 
Men, cannot but receive real education in the Catholic way 
of life. 

[ 6 5 ] 



BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS 
Parents who have not yet been able to secure the books 
mentioned each month will, we hope, manage to get some of 
them for Christmas. The custom of giving children books 
as gifts grows each year, and if a child has a bookshelf of 
his own, he will love watching his collection grow. 
To those parents who would like new suggestions in books 
this month, we suggest that they drop a card asking for a 
Christmas book list t o : Pro Parvulis Book Club, New York, 
N. Y. 
Indeed, any publisher mentioned in this pamphlet will send 
a list of suitable books upon request. 
CARDS FOR CHRISTMAS 
Since the sending of Christmas cards has become such a 
widespread custom, naturally all sorts of people have gone 
into the business of printing cards. The result has beep 
sad. The stores are flooded with pictures of many styles 
having nothing at all to do with the birth of Christ. 
In some parts of the country an effort is being made to in-
duce shopkeepers to get in a supply of cards with pictures 
of the Nativity. Many of our parents make a point of ask-
ing the salesman: "Have you any religious Christmas 
cards ?" or "Have you any cards with a picture of the event 
we celebrate on Christmas, the birth of Christ?" 
If the answer i s : "The dealer does not carry that line," get 
the shopkeeper to agree to tell the dealer that the customers 
want pictures suggesting the real meaning of the great 
feast. 
Remember that it is the customer who creates the demand. 
Each of us should take some small part in showing that Cath-
olics know what they want and that they buy intelligently. 
1 Old Christmas Carols, edited by S. Archer Gibson, 1st set (No. 
4374). New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 3 E a s t 43rd Street. Price, $.12. 
2 Catholic Youth'8 Hymn Book, by the Christian Brothers. New York: 
J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West 40th Street. Price, $1.25. 
3 The Catholic Church Hymnal, edited by A. Edmonds Tozer. New 
York: J . Fischer & Bro., 119 West 40th Street. Price, $1.75. 
* The St. Gregory Hymnal, Singers' Edition. Philadelphia: St. Greg-
ory Guild, 1705 Rittenhouse Street. Price, $1.00. 

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