Our school year is done here and I've been busy working on next year's lesson plans. We studied bible history this year as our history course for 2nd grade. In doing such I found that just reading the stories and answering the questions didn't go over so well with my students. As I tend to find out, at least with my children, hands on activities seem to help them learn better and so I usually make things to go with our books to accommodate their learning style.

Sometimes I find this out half way through the year then struggle to find things to do with our lessons. This year I'm hoping to get ahead or at least on track and make the hands on items BEFORE school starts. This project is one of those items. We are doing bible history again for our 3rd grade history course but this year we are switching to a different book, Bible Stories for Children. Such a beautiful old book that is now back in print. It has short 2-3 page stories for all the main parts of the Bible, Old and New Testament. Its written by a Catholic Teacher and worded just right for this age group. It also connects the old testament stories to parts of the Catholic faith making it ideal for the young Catholic learning the Bible.

Combined with the Bible Stories for Children book is the Anecdotes and Examples for the Catholic Catechism, one of my absolute favorite books! They are short simple stories that explain some part of the Catholic Catechism in an easy way to understand and the short story is easy for short attention spans or a quick read. Sometimes the stories are even funny which makes the learning fun. I also wanted my children to learn the vocabulary words in the Catechism lesson they are doing on Sunday with their father and so those are integrated into this unit study as well. With worksheets for helping them to understand how the word is spelled, used and what the object or word looks like.

While this is written for early elementary students many students would enjoy these books and the lesson plans can easily be adjusted and added to according to age/learning level.

Every lesson contains several hands on activities and many of them have worksheet and/or templates to go with them. Any crafts done contain simple household items or things that most of us have as well as coloring pages around the house. A few lessons even have snack and recipe ideas to help tie in the chapter of the book with something yummy!

There are 52 Chapters in this book and 52 Units to download. This is my summer project so as I get them done they will be loaded on the Bible Stories for Children Unit Study Page located on the Sanctus Simplicitus site under the download page> educational downloads. Directions for using this unit study may be found on that page as well with all the details to get one started. 

Many of you have asked for a Lenten study and about the Jesse Tree study. This lovely book will cover both those topics! The Old Testament happens to be 25 lessons, which will work for the Jesse Tree using each lesson for each day of December up to Christmas showing the genealogy of Christ. And then the New Testament starts with the birth of Our Lord and ends with His Resurrection, perfect for a Lenten study and both of these will take you all the way through the school year! I hope that this project will be enjoyed by many and hopefully save all the other busy mothers some time, as we all seem to enjoy help in that area. May you all have a blessed Pentecost Sunday!

PICTORIAL LIVES OF THE SAINTS WITH REFLECTIONS FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR
+Imprimatur 1887

May 10.—ST. ANTONINUS, Bishop.
ANTONINUS, or Little Antony, as he was called from his small stature, was born at Florence in 1389. After a childhood of singular holiness, he begged to be admitted into the Dominican house at Fiesole; but the Superior, to test his sincerity and perseverance, told him he must first learn by heart the book of the Decretals, containing several hundred pages. This apparently impossible task was accomplished within twelve months; and Antoninus received the coveted habit in his sixteenth year. While still very young, he filled several important posts of his Order, and was consulted on questions of difficulty by the most learned men of his day; being known, for his wonderful prudence, as "the Counsellor." He wrote several works on theology and history, and sat as Papal Theologian at the Council of Florence. In 1446 he was compelled to accept the archbishopric of that city; and in this dignity earned for himself the title of "the Father of the Poor," for all he had was at their disposal. St. Antoninus never refused an alms which was asked in the name of God. When he had no money, he gave his clothes, shoes, or furniture. One day, being sent by the Florentines to the Pope, as he approached Rome a beggar came up to him almost naked, and asked him for an alms for Christ's sake. Outdoing St. Martin, Antoninus gave him his whole cloak. When he entered the city, another was given him; by whom he knew not. His household consisted of only six persons; his palace contained no plate or costly furniture, and was often nearly destitute of the necessaries of life. His one mule was frequently sold for the relief of the poor, when it would be bought back for him by some wealthy citizen. He died embracing the crucifix, May 2d, 1459, often repeating the words, "To serve God is to reign."

Reflection.—"Alms-deeds," says St. Augustine, "comprise every kind of service rendered to our neighbor who needs such assistance. He who supports a lame man bestows an alms on him with his feet; he who guides a blind man does him a charity with his eyes; he who carries an invalid or an old man upon his shoulders imparts to him an alms of his strength. Hence none are so poor but they may bestow an alms on the wealthiest man in the world."

READ MORE ABOUT ST. ANTONINUS AND VIEW A MAP SHOWING WHERE HIS RELICS ARE OVER AT ALL THE SAINTS AND PETER AND PAUL

ANECDOTES AND EXAMPLES FOR THE CATECHISM
By: Rev. Francis Spirago       +Imprimatur 1908

Q. Which are the chief means by which we satisfy God for the temporal punishment due to sin?
A. The chief means by which we satisfy God for the temporal punishment due to sin are:-

Prayer.

"HOLY FATHER, PUT IN YOUR HAND."
We ought to pray that not our will but God's will be done. One of the popes ordered a plan for a new church to be designed by an architect. When it was ready, the architect sent it by his little boy for the Holy Father's inspection. The Pop approved highly of the design, and to show his satisfaction at seeing his wishes so well carried out, he called the boy into his room, and opening a drawer which was filled with ducats, said: "Put in your hand, my boy, and take as many as you can hold." The child looked up at the Pope and said: "Holy Father, put your hand in; it is much larger than mine." Let us learn from this child how we ought to act toward almighty God. We ought not to pray that our will may be done, but rather to exclaim: "Thy will be done, O Lord." For God knows far better than we do what is good for us, and He will do more for us than we can ask or think.

Fasting.

LA SALETTE
On September 19th, 1846, on Mt. La Salette, in the south of France, Our Lady appeared to two young shepherds, Melany and Maximin. Her eyes were full of tears, and she complained that her Son's arm was getting so heavy she could hardly prevent it falling and crushing the world for its sins. She named three sins especially: blasphemy, profanation of Sunday, and disregard for laws of fasting and abstinence.

Almsgiving.
COMMAND THAT THESE TONES BE MADE BERAD
The superfluous ornaments of the rich would relieve much distress. Louis, duke of Burgundy, a grandson of the French king, Louis XIV, who was educated by the celebrated Bishop Fenelon, displayed from his earliest years great kindness of heart. At a time when provisions were very scarce in Paris, he was one day coming from Versailles when he was followed and beset by a hungry crowd, begging for alms. He gave away all the money he had with him, but still the people came flocking up in ever increasing numbers clamoring for bread. Then he detached from his breast the decorations, set with precious stones, which he wore; and handing them to his attendant, said: "Sell these, and command that they be made bread."

A BEGGER SHARES WITH OTHERS THE BREAD GIVEN HIM
In a manufacturing town both parents of a certain family worked in a factory; they were out the whole day and only returned home in the evening. Thus the children were left alone in the house all day. One morning there was a knock at the door. One of the children ran to open it, and saw a beggar who asked for an alms. The child replied: "I have nothing to give you; we are poor ourselves and often have nothing to eat." The mendicant went away on hearing this. In the afternoon of the same day there was again a knock on the door. The same child went to open it, and saw before him the self-same beggar. He repeated what he had said in the morning, but the beggar said: "I have not come to ask anything of you; on the contrary, I have brought you something/" He then took from his pocket several slices of bread and butter wrapped in paper, together with a few coppers, saying: "Give those to your mother. I have begged them for you." The poor are often more liberal in giving than the rich.

THE EMPEROR LUDWIG II AND THE VILLAGE PASTOR
Almsgiving earns an eternal reward. One day, in the year 855, when the German Emperor Ludwig was out hunting, he lost his way. Toward evening he heard a bell, the Angelus, ring out from the steeple of the village church. He bent his steps in the direction whence the sound came, and reached a village of the name of Katzenhausen. He went to the presbytery and begged the worthy priest, Pastor Wulfhelm, to give him a night's lodging. The priest made the unknown but distinguished guest, welcome; he entertained him hospitably, and had a bedchamber prepared for him. The next morning the stranger heard Mass, expressed his thanks to his host, and asked what he was indebted to him. Wulfhelm answered: "You are a sportsman; some time or other send me a piece of leather for a girdle." The stranger promised to do so, and took his leave. Weeks and months went by, and the village priest thought no more of his high-born guest. One day a messenger on horseback stopped at the gate of the humble presbytery, and handed in a large envelope bearing the imperial seal. This letter contained the announcement of Wulfhelm's appointment to the bishopric of Munster. God deals with us in much the same manner as this emperor did. When we have long ago forgotten acts of kindness which we performed toward the needy, He rewards them with eternal felicity.

Pictorial Lives of the Saints with Reflections for Every Day in the Year
Compiled from "Butler's Lives of the Saints"
+ Imprimatur 1887

April 12.—ST. JULIUS, Pope.

ST. JULIUS was a Roman, and chosen Pope on the 6th of February in 337. The Arian bishops in the East sent to him three deputies to accuse St. Athanasius, the zealous Patriarch of Alexandria. These accusations, as the order of justice required, Julius imparted to Athanasius, who thereupon sent his deputies to Rome; when, upon an impartial hearing, the advocates of the heretics were confounded and silenced upon every article of their accusation. The Arians then demanded a council, and the Pope assembled one in Rome in 341. The Arians instead of appearing held a pretended council at Antioch in 341, in which they presumed to appoint one Gregory, an impious Arian, Bishop of Alexandria, detained the Pope's legates beyond the time mentioned for their appearance; and then wrote to his Holiness, alleging a pretended impossibility of their appearing, on account of the Persian war and other impediments. The Pope easily saw through these pretences, and in a council at Rome examined the cause of St. Athanasius, declared him innocent of the things laid to his charge by the Arians, and confirmed him in his see. He also acquitted Marcellus of Ancyra, upon his orthodox profession of faith. He drew up and sent by Count Gabian to the Oriental Eusebian bishops, who had first demanded a council and then refused to appear in it, an excellent letter, which is looked upon as one of the finest monuments of ecclesiastical antiquity. Finding the Eusebians still obstinate, he moved Constans, Emperor of the West, to demand the concurrence of his brother Constantius in the assembling of a general council at Sardica in Illyricum. This was opened in May 347, and declared St. Athanasius and Marcellus of Ancyra orthodox and innocent, deposed certain Arian bishops, and framed twenty-one canons of discipline. St. Julius reigned fifteen years, two months, and six days, dying on the 12th of April, 352.

We will be replacing our weekly meatless recipes with some spiritual food for the soul by sharing some wonderful points on the Catholic Catechism and stories to go with them. Previous meatless recipes may be found in our Feria Friday archives.

Anecdotes and Examples Illustrating the Catholic Catechism
By: Rev. Francis Spirago
Imprimatur 1908 by: John M. Farley, D.D. Archbishop of New York

ON THE ATTRIBUTES AND MARKS OF THE CHURCH
Q. Which are the attributes of the Church?
A. The attributes of the Church are three: authority, infallibility, and indefectibility

A CONGRESS OF DIVINES
A Catholic priest and a Protestant minister were one day walking together when they happened to meet a Jewish rabbi. "Here we are," cried the minister laughing, "three men of different creeds. Now I wonder which of us is he who has been really authorized to announce the truths of religion with certainty for all time." "I will tell you," said the rabbi. "If the Messias has not yet come, I am the man. If Jesus Christ was really the Messias, then our reverend Father here is the only true priest among us. But whether the Messias be really come or not, you, Mr. Minister, are certainly in the wrong."

Q. What do you mean by the authority of the Church?
A. By the authority of the Church I mean the right and power which the Pope and the bishops, as the successors of the apostles, have to teach and to govern the faithful.

INDIVIDUAL EXPOSITION OF SCRIPTURE
The true Church cannot permit private interpretation of Holy Scripture. The principle that everyone is free to put his own interpretation on the words of Holy Write, is utterly false; otherwise two or three conflicting opinions would each and all be correct, which is a moral impossibility. Truth is one; no one can prove that two and two do not make four. So it is with the truths of our faith. The following instances show the result of putting the Bible into the hands of the people, and allowing them to expound it at will. 1. A man stole his neighbor's cloak. When charged with the theft, he defended himself by saying he had only carried out the scriptural admonition: "Bear ye one another's burdens." 2. Again, the doctrine of private interpretation is responsible for the almost endless multiplicity of the so-called Christian sects, for their bitter opposition to one another, and their apparently hopeless disunion. This principle may justly be charged with all the graver heresies ever put forth and the absurd vagaries of the Scientists, Adventists, Zionists, ect. 

Q. What do you mean by infallibility of the Church?
A. By the infallibility of the Church I mean that the Church cannot err when it teaches a doctrine of faith or morals.

BETTER TO BE SURE THAN SORRY
Henry IV, king of France, having fallen away from the true faith, was led to abjure his errors in the following manner: Having called before him a conference of Catholic priests and Protestant ministers, he demanded of the latter if salvation were possible in the Catholic Church. "Certainly, sire," they replied, "provided a Catholic lives well." "And you," said the king, turning to the priests, "do you admit that the only requisite for salvation for a Protestant is that he live well?" "Certainly not," they answered. "If God gives him the light to know the true Church, he is bound to submit himself to her infallible teaching authority, and discipline. Otherwise he will surely be lost." "Then," said the king, "prudence demands that I become a Catholic once more. By such a step I lose nothing, and gain much. If hereafter it shall appear that the Catholic is not the true infallible Church of Christ, I shall be no worse off than had I remained a Protestant. But if she is the true Church, I shall have gained everything, - my soul's salvation."

Pictorial Lives of the Saints  and Anecdotes and Examples has now been reprinted and is available for purchase over at All the Saints Books.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. 1894

December 30.—ST. SABINUS, Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs.

THE cruel edicts of Diocletian and Maximin against the Christians being published in the year 303, Sabinus, Bishop of Assisium, and several of his clergy, were apprehended and kept in custody till Venustianus, the Governor of Etruria and Umbria, came thither. Upon his arrival in that city he caused the hands of Sabinus, who had made a glorious confession of his Faith before him, to be cut off; and his two deacons, Marcellus and Exuperantius, to be scourged, beaten with clubs, and torn with iron nails, under which torments they both expired. Sabinus is said to have cured a blind boy, and a weakness in the eyes of Venustianus himself, who was thereupon converted, and afterward beheaded for the Faith. Lucius, his successor, commanded Sabinus to be beaten to death with clubs at Spoleto. The martyr was buried a mile from that city, but his relics have been since translated to Faënza.

Reflection.—How powerfully do the martyrs cry out to us by their example, exhorting us to despise a false and wicked world!

Another wonderful book which I recently discovered has been reprinted by Refuge of Sinner's Publishing. Not long ago I was on the hunt for an original of this copy which can be difficult to come by and very happy to see it reprinted for such an affordable price!

Anecdotes and Examples is one of the books that was used in our previous Jesse Tree Study guide which is no longer in print. It is a catechism book and along with each question and answer (as most catechisms are formatted) is a little story to go along with it. They are for the most part short stories consisting of a few paragraphs but always paint a very good picture of what the lesson is trying to teach. This is one of my favorite books at the moment and it seems there is always a little treasure hiding in the next story. I believe it was written for a older children but as an adult I enjoy it very much and it is easy to understand as well as a great book to pick up and read for 5 minutes without having to have a whole lot of time to concentrate. You will find more information about this book HERE. Sign up at a chance to win a free copy of this wonderful book! May you have a blessed Sunday!

Abortion

My Catholic Faith; A Catechism in Pictures
By: Rev. Louis LaRavoire Morrow   Imprimatur 1937

What is murder?
Murder is the voluntary and unjust killing of a man. It is a great sin. A murderer violates the rights of God and, besides taking a life, robs his victim of the opportunity to gain merits for heaven, and to prepare himself for death.

1. A mother bearing a child should be very careful to protect and preserve the life of her child. As the soul is created the very moment of conception, anything willfully done which results in the death of even an unborn child is murder.

Is birth control in accordance with divine law?
No. Artificial birth control is immoral, contrary to both natural and divine law. It contravenes the primary purpose of marriage and prostitutes it for other ends. God severely punishes even in this life those who practice birth control. It results in sterility, vice, weakness of the will, etc., besides physical diseases. "therefore the Lord slew Onan, because he did a detestable thing" (Gen. 38:10)

Marriage
My Catholic Faith; A Catechism in Pictures
By: Rev. Louis LaRavoire Morrow   Imprimatur 1937

THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY
Who insituted matrimony or marriage?
God instudted matrimony in the Garden of Eden, when He created Adam and Eve. He asid; "Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh" (Gen. 2:24).
1. The first purpose of God in instituting marimony was to populate the earth, and raise up souls who would fill heaven with saints. He said to Adam and Eve: "Increase and multiply and fill the earth."
2. God also instituted marriage for the mutual support of husband and wife. Before Eve was created, God said: "It is not good for man to be alone; let Us make him a help like unto himself/" (Gen 2:18).
2. Before the ocming of Christ, matrimony was a sacred contract, but not a sacrament. Our Lord raised matrimony to the dignity of a sacrament. At the marriage feast at Cana Christ worked His first miracle, thus manifesting the holiness of the married state.

What is Matrimony?
It is a sacrament that unites a Christian man and woman in lawful marriage. The sacrament confers upon the couple an increase of sanctifying grace besides special graces they need to accomplish the duties of the married state.
1. Christian marriage is a union between only one man and one woman.
God created only one man and one woman in the beginning, and thus then there was unity of marriage. As time passed, however, God tolerated polygamy, to avoid greater evils. When Christ came, He forbade polygamy, and restored marriage to its original unity. He said, "Every one that putteth away his wife and marrieth another committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultry" (Luke 16:18).
2. Christian marriage is indissoluble. Divorce is absolutely prohibited. When the husband and his wife have lived together in Christian marriage, only the death of one of the spouses permits the other to marry again. "Ad Jesus said to them: "Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her; and if the wife shall put away her husband and marry another, she committeth adultry" (Mark 10:11,12).
3. Under the Mosaic Law, the Jews were in some cases permitted to divorce their wives. Christ withdrew this permission absolutely, saying: "What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder... Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart permitted you to put away your wives. But from the beginning it was not so" (Matt. 196-8).

Read more on Christian Marriage, Marriage Legislation, Civil Marriage Law by Pope Leo XIII, Christian Marriage by Pope Pius XI

On Christian Democracy by Pope Leo XIII

Socialism By Pope Leo XIII

On the Right Ordering of Christian Life by Pope Leo XIII

Christians as Citizens by Pope Leo XIII

Capital and Labor by Pope Leo XIII

Pope Pius IX Syllabus of Errors

Reconstruction of the Social Order by Pope Pius XI

Introduction of the Feast of Christ the King by Pope Pius XI

Two encyclicals on Christian Education here and here by Pope Pius XI

On Freemasonry by Pope Leo XIII

On Virtue, Grace and Americanism by Pope Leo XIII

A great book Papal Encyclicals in this Historical Content

The Great White Shepherd of Christendom;
His Holiness Pope Leo XIII, his life, poems, encyclicals and public documents

Anecdotes and Examples for the Catechism
By: Rev. Francis Spirago
Imprimatur 1903

Lesson Twenty - Sixth
On Matrimony

Q. What is the Sacrament of Matrimony?
A. The Sacrament of Matrimony is the sacrament which unites a Christian man and woman in lawful marriage.

BISHOP HILARY'S ADVICE TO HIS DAUGHTER
The unmarried state is more perfect than the married. St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers and one of the fathers of the Church, had been married in his youth, and was the father of one daughter. On the death of his wife he took Holy Orders. When on account of his zeal for the Christian faith he was banished to Asia, he left his daughter under the care of a Christian family. As soon as she was grown up, it was proposed to marry her to a Christian youth. This she told to her father, who wrote in reply: "I shall soon be returning home, and then I will show you the portrait of another suitor, the son of a king; he will come himself later on to ask you to celebrate your nuptials with him. You can then compare the two and take whichever of them you prefer." When the bishop came back he showed his daughter a crucifix, and counseled her to consecrate herself to Christ by a vow of life-long virginity. She followed his advice, and died a holy death very shortly after. When she was dying, her father said to her: "See, you Bridegroom has come to conduct you to the eternal marriage-feast."

Q. Can a Christian man and woman be united in lawful marriage in any other way than by the Sacrament of Matrimony?

A. A Christian man and woman cannot be united in lawful marriage in any other way than by the Sacrament of Matrimony, because Christ raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament.

THE MARRIAGE FEAST AT CANA
It was on the occasion of a wedding in Cana of Galilee that Jesus raised the marriage contract to the dignity of a sacrament. In the beginning God had instituted marriage as a union of one man with one woman, for, having created Adam and Eve, He blessed them and said: "Increase and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen. i. 28.), and that Adam understood their union to be one and indissoluble is evident from his words: "Wherefore, a man shall leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh" (Gen. ii. 24). But men soon rebelled against God's law, and carried their contempt for, and abuse of, marriage so far that "All flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth" )Gen. vi. 12), and in consequence God destroyed them with the deluge. Later on, even the chosen people introduced ta plurality of wives and, in certian contingencies, divorce, which God, on account of their hard-heartedness and sensuality, was, as it were, obliged to permit. Among the heathen, meantime, marriage had be robbed of all its dignity, woman had been degraded to a state worse than slavery, and the slightest whim or passion was sufficient cause for divorce. Then it was that Christ came and restored marriage to its original dignity, and, besides, so elevated the natural contract that it became a sacramental union. The Virgin Mother was there, and the virginal John, to show what pure motives ought to inspire the contracting parties. The apostles where there, indicating that the administration of marriage is an exclusive prerogative of Christ's ministers. Jesus changed water into wine to be served at the end of the feast, even as the richest graces attached to the marriage bond were reserved for the last,the Christian, era. He made marriage to be the symbol of the union between Himself and His Church, and hence to be held as sacred and sanctifying, one and indissoluble.

Q. Can the bond of Christian marriage be dissolved by any human power?

A. The bond of Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power.

THE DIVORCE OF KING HENRY VIII

On the 6th of June, 1509, King Henry VIII of England was married by dispensation from Pope Julius II to Catherine of Aragon, widow of Henry's deceased brother Arthur. Henry was then a good Catholic, Defender of the Faith in reality, as well as in name. For eighteen years they lived happily, until Henry began to have scruples of conscience (?) concerning the validity of his marriage with his brother's widow. The real cause of Henry's discontent was, first, that Catherine was childless as far as an heir to the throne was concerned, and second that he was madly in love with Catherine's maid of honor, Anne Boleyn. Henry applied to Pope Clement VII for an annulment of his marriage; and, though the loss to the faith of the whole British Empire stared him in the face, the Pontiff's answer was an unwavering :Non possumus" )"We cannot"). His words were an assertion of the Church's attitude on this matter before and since and always, for no human power can touch the Christian marriage bond. Thus is explained the apostasy of England and the existence of the English Establishment, for the Protestant hierarchy where willing to give Henry as many divorces as he would, in return for the privilege of confiscating the property of the outlawed English Catholics.

Today we are sharing a bit on the Church's teaching on education which also doubles as a blog hop post. Below the encyclical you will find some of our homeschooling plans for this year. God bless!

ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION RAPPRESENTANTI IN TERRA

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XI DECEMBER 31, 1929

To the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops and other Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See and to all the Faithful of the Catholic World.

Venerable Brethren and Beloved Children, Health and Apostolic Benediction.

Representative on earth of that divine Master who while embracing in the immensity of His love all mankind, even unworthy sinners, showed nevertheless a special tenderness and affection for children, and expressed Himself in those singularly touching words: "Suffer the little children to come unto Me,"[1] We also on every occasion have endeavored to show the predilection wholly paternal which We bear towards them, particularly by our assiduous care and timely instructions with reference to the Christian education of youth.

2. And so, in the spirit of the Divine Master, We have directed a helpful word, now of admonition, now of exhortation, now of direction, to youths and to their educators, to fathers and mothers, on various points of Christian education, with that solicitude which becomes the common Father of all the Faithful, with an insistence in season and out of season, demanded by our pastoral office and inculcated by the Apostle: "Be instant in season, out of season; reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine."[2] Such insistence is called for in these our times, when, alas, there is so great and deplorable an absence of clear and sound principles, even regarding problems the most fundamental.

3. Now this same general condition of the times, this ceaseless agitation in various ways of the problem of educational rights and systems in different countries, the desire expressed to Us with filial confidence by not a few of yourselves, Venerable Brethren, and by members of your flocks, as well as Our deep affection towards youth above referred to, move Us to turn more directly to this subject, if not to treat it in all its well-nigh inexhaustible range of theory and practice, at least to summarize its main principles, throw full light on its important conclusions, and point out its practical applications.

4. Let this be the record of Our Sacerdotal Jubilee which, with altogether special affection, We wish to dedicate to our beloved youth, and to commend to all those whose office and duty is the work of education.

5. Indeed never has there been so much discussion about education as nowadays; never have exponents of new pedagogical theories been so numerous, or so many methods and means devised, proposed and debated, not merely to facilitate education, but to create a new system infallibly efficacious, and capable of preparing the present generations for that earthly happiness which they so ardently desire.

6. The reason is that men, created by God to His image and likeness and destined for Him Who is infinite perfection realize today more than ever amid the most exuberant material progress, the insufficiency of earthly goods to produce true happiness either for the individual or for the nations. And hence they feel more keenly in themselves the impulse towards a perfection that is higher, which impulse is implanted in their rational nature by the Creator Himself. This perfection they seek to acquire by means of education. But many of them with, it would seem, too great insistence on the etymological meaning of the word, pretend to draw education out of human nature itself and evolve it by its own unaided powers. Such easily fall into error, because, instead of fixing their gaze on God, first principle and last end of the whole universe, they fall back upon themselves, becoming attached exclusively to passing things of earth; and thus their restlessness will never cease till they direct their attention and their efforts to God, the goal of all perfection, according to the profound saying of Saint Augustine: "Thou didst create us, O Lord, for Thyself, and our heart is restless till it rest in Thee."[3]

7. It is therefore as important to make no mistake in education, as it is to make no mistake in the pursuit of the last end, with which the whole work of education is intimately and necessarily connected. In fact, since education consists essentially in preparing man for what he must be and for what he must do here below, in order to attain the sublime end for which he was created, it is clear that there can be no true education which is not wholly directed to man's last end, and that in the present order of Providence, since God has revealed Himself to us in the Person of His Only Begotten Son, who alone is "the way, the truth and the life," there can be no ideally perfect education which is not Christian education.

8. From this we see the supreme importance of Christian education, not merely for each individual, but for families and for the whole of human society, whose perfection comes from the perfection of the elements that compose it. From these same principles, the excellence, we may well call it the unsurpassed excellence, of the work of Christian education becomes manifest and clear; for after all it aims at securing the Supreme Good, that is, God, for the souls of those who are being educated, and the maximum of well-being possible here below for human society. And this it does as efficaciously as man is capable of doing it, namely by co-operating with God in the perfecting of individuals and of society, in as much as education makes upon the soul the first, the most powerful and lasting impression for life according to the well-known saying of the Wise Man, "A young man according to his way, even when he is old, he will not depart from it."[4] With good reason therefore did St. John Chrysostom say, "What greater work is there than training the mind and forming the habits of the young?"[5]

9. But nothing discloses to us the supernatural beauty and excellence of the work of Christian education better than the sublime expression of love of our Blessed Lord, identifying Himself with children, "Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in my name, receiveth me."[6]

10. Now in order that no mistake be made in this work of utmost importance, and in order to conduct it in the best manner possible with the help of God's grace, it is necessary to have a clear and definite idea of Christian education in its essential aspects, viz., who has the mission to educate, who are the subjects to be educated, what are the necessary accompanying circumstances, what is the end and object proper to Christian education according to God's established order in the economy of His Divine Providence. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING THE ENCYCLICAL

Religion-The Living in God series is one of our favorite!!! Reprinted by Our Lady of Victory a religion series that is set up similar to a reading primer but teaches the catechism using stories. This first book in the set is 1st grade level, we will also be using Living in God's Law for 2nd grade this year. A set of books worthy of any investment!

Along with these books we will continue to follow the Liturgical Year as a way to learn all the aspects of the Holy Catholic Faith. Sunday's the kids learn their Catechism using some new reprints of the Baltimore Catechism from Refuge of Sinners Publishing.

Reading - Our plans are still formulating for reading as we just discovered both our students are dyslexic. if you have any tips for teaching kids with dyslexia please do pass them along! At this point we are going to use both the Little Angel Readers along with All About Reading (be for-warned with All About Reading, one of their readers has an image in it not sutible for children... we plan to cover this up or remove that one story. This program is not Catholic but suppose to help children with Dyslexia and other reading issues.) Hopefully between the two programs we get both a Catholic perspective and help with the reading issues. All about reading is a hands on approach using colored magnet tiles, a workbook with cutting and pasting and also flash cards along with the readers. I think so far my son enjoys the progress chart most because he can see what is left and what he has done. Its nice as a parent too because its all set up and easy to use.

Writing- For handwriting practice this year we are using the Catholic Child's Daily Journal and as review we are going to go back over the 2nd Grade Handwriting Without Tears to help with the dyslexia (dysgraphia) issues.

Math- With our little guys everything seems to be done hands on and the perfect math program has been Math On The Level.  This is a K-8th grade program that can be used with multiple chidlren. It features a 5-A-Day math review and hands on learning for each of the math subjects. We use living math books from livingmath.net along with board games, and lots of other items we find on Pinterest to teach math. This is one of the only math products that is not workbook based and can be tailored according to maturity of the child rather than grade level. When they need more practice there is no worry and when they are ready to move ahead then they move on ahead. It has been a real blessing to our family and worth every penny! We also use Catholic File folder games to add a Catholic touch to our math program :)

History- Our plan this year was to use Founders of Freedom, the 1st of a 5 vol history set. While it is aimed at a 4th grade level and both our boys are about 2nd grade I decided to make it a hands on approach and add living books. The project turned out to be larger than thought so we will see how it goes. If you would like to see the links and notes for each section, they will be logged away here on the site under Catholic History. Its still in the works so please check back often to see if the password requirement has been removed.

The Land of Our Lady series is a wonderful Catholic History series from the early 50's from Newman press. The books are set up with the history of a Catholic Hymn at the beginning of each chapter, questions at the end of each chapter and a end of unit test. They are easily useable as is. They give a most wonderful Catholic perspective and they are worth every penny!

Science - This year we will be using Science and Living in God's World 2. Another wonderful Catholic book that has been reprinted (the whole set reprinted) and is available at Our Lady of Victory. We will also be adding science experiments to the ones included in the book and some more living books on each of the subjects through out the book as time allows.

Last but not least we couldn't do our planning without our Holy Simplicity Planner! Our planner was created so that we could plan our school year in tune with the Church's Liturgical year all in one place. Last week we shared a guest post over at Forever Always No Matter What, for more details on the planner visit our planner page!

Please make sure to share your homeschooling Curriculum plans at this years "Not" Back to School Blog Hop, it goes on for four weeks. Next week everyone will be sharing their School Room set ups! We can't wait to see what you are up to this year!