Catholic Homeschoolers...Tell Your Story?

[Pink Fairy]

Can Catholics do that? Just pick and choose which Pope they want to follow or not.

 

No. At least, not if they are practicing Catholics (although I'm sure that, human nature being what it is, some would beg to differ).

[Murphy101]

it seems that all of these favor the Tridentine (Latin, at some date prior to 1965) mass, but none are in communion with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome. Is that right?

 

Yes, that is correct

 

Can Catholics do that? Just pick and choose which Pope they want to follow or not.

 

Free will does occassionally stink. People *can* do whatever they want. Whether they *should* is a whole other issue.

 

No. At least, not if they are practicing Catholics (although I'm sure that, human nature being what it is, some would beg to differ).

 

:lol: Yep. In a nutshell, what she said.

 

The latin rite in and of itself is NOT out of communion with Rome or the B16. For those that are interested in it, there is the Confraternity of St. Peter.

[camibami]

Hey! I just now read this thread, sign me up for misfit Moms!

 

Not Catholic enough for Catholic groups, not sola scriptura (obviously) for Christian groups of Protestants, not unschooly enough for secular groups. Just plain don't fit.

 

We're as Catholic as can be, really! But I don't use only Catholic hsing stuff, we don't do novenas, scapulars, etc, both DH and joined the Church as adults from Protestant backgrounds and are the only Catholics in our families, we don't do daily Mass, I could go on....

[cathmom]

I found this thread very disturbing! I am sorry that so many of you have been subjected to judgmental attitudes by fellow Catholic homeschoolers! Is it possible that even though they do certain things, they don't expect others to do them?

 

I know that for me, I had to go through a long period of explaining to myself why daily Mass was not possible. I wanted to go so much, and every Seton publication says you need to go/ should go to daily Mass. I always wondered if I was just making excuses to myself. But I finally settled it in my mind and realized that for us, daily Mass is just not possible. However, I do need to do what is possible (and also what is required. Daily Mass is not required!)

[Murphy101]

Is it possible that even though they do certain things, they don't expect others to do them?

 

 

It's not the diffferences. It's the attitude. For example, I don't care if they think skirts are the only way to go. Come on over for coffee - I doubt I'll even notice that they have a skirt on at all. But when I can't have a conversation without them telling me how much better I'd be in a skirt - that's a problem for me. Same goes for many other things. I've had a mom tell me point blank that putting academics before daily mass is wrong. That I'm saying God is less worthy a priority than their schooling. Um, no. I'm saying there's only so many hours in the day and my kid has to learn math at some point and it's just as much my job to teach the math as to teach about God. they often say things like homeschooling is about educating for heaven not harvard. Well I don't think it's an either or situation. No support other than "you should pray about that", which I found to be rather condesending. The implication is that we're not praying already? Or that if we just prayed a bit more we'd agree with them?:confused:

 

Again, it wasn't the differences. It was the attitude that they are doing it the "right" way, the holier way, and the rest of us were ....???

[HRAAB]

I think I see myself in this post, and it's not comfortable. I have been viewing myself as separate from God and His Church. And because I've been judged, I've been much too quick to judge in return. Much for me to ponder and prayer about here.

 

Thanks,

Janet

 

I prayed about this thread while at Mass tonight. I have seen these issues as well. Going both ways, though, not strictly in one direction. Both positions having sides.....their way is the right way.

 

What spoke to me was that no matter what the position, if viewed as 10,000 rules or as you need to do this, this, and this or patting yourself on the back b/c you are.......all are missing the heart of the truth.

 

Knowledge won't save you. But knowledge can help form your conscience to act correctly. Even then, unless every act is in complete submission to God in love, it is all for naught. St. Therese of Liseaux is a perfect example. She was not esteemed by her fellow sisters, but she did every small act of daily duty in a love offering to Jesus. Her small way is a testimony to heroic virtue through love.

 

In essence, it is submission to the will of God. "He brought us into existence, and except for His sustaining hand, we would lapse into nothingness. The problem is that we tend to forget who God is and who we are. The most fundamental form of pride, therefore, is to think of oneself independently of God. The further problem is that we not only tend to take other people for granted, and forget how much we owe to everyone whom God has put into our lives, but we are slow to recognize the good qualities of others, and become preoccupied with ourselves."

 

We can only judge our own hearts. We can't control how others respond to us, but we can control how we respond to them. The verse from Psalms 22:6: But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men and despised by all people. All who see me, mock me. They make mouths at me and wag their heads.......is a constant reminder of what our guide should be.

 

We do have an obligation to understand God's will in order to serve Him completely. What may seem like lots of rituals and rules, if followed through servile fear are in theory inconsistent with the true love of God. If however we submit to them in filial fear, than they become actions of love b/c we are sacrificing our will out of love for God.

 

Only through our own prayer and examination of conscience can we even begin to determine our own motivations, let alone those of another.

[HRAAB]

Beautiful and inspiring story.

 

Janet

 

We started to homeschool because at public school my daughters were both bullied and we could not afford private school.

 

Before that, I was done with the Catholic Church for many reasons. Dh dragged me kicking and screaming down the aisle for our marriage. I had wanted nothing to do with the Catholic Church even then, but he insisted. Thank God.

 

Years ago I started to re-think what I was doing and what I had done to my family especially my girls. Then, Pope John Paul II died. I remembered how I used to feel about my faith. I then dragged dh and my girls to church.:001_huh: Yes, he had to be the one dragged this time. Dd9 was 5 at the time and very interested in God. We would talk about God all of the time, but I had left someone out. Of the 3 of them, she was the only one happy to be going to church. In the middle of the Mass in her loudest whispered voice, she asked, "I thought this was going to be about God. Who is this guy Jesus?":blushing: Everyones shoulders were shaking in laughter including the priest so much so that there had to be a small pause.

 

Neither I or my dh seem to connect with that church. So we kept discussing going back and/or maybe switching to another faith. But, I kept coming back to the fact that I believed in the apostolic church.

 

Dh kept dragging on and on. My mother finally told me how her mother and a few of my aunts had to just put their foot down and say that the family was going and how my grandfather and my uncles became very involved in the church soon after.

 

So, I put my foot down this past Christmas. I informed my family that we were all going to church Christmas morning and then every Sunday there after. I was all set and excited about returning. Everyone else was complaining about going including dh. I thought Christmas would be prefect way to introduce my children to the Catholic Faith. The closer Christmas came the more excited I got and the louder the complaining became. But, I was not going to be stopped. This family was going back to church.

 

On Saturday, December 22nd, dd10 gets the stomach flu at 3:00 pm an hour away from home. She gets it all over her Christmas dress, shoes and coat. We get her cleaned-up in a gas station that was not so clean, but they were so very nice and helpful.

 

We get back on the road again. Fifteen minutes down the road dd9 asks dd10 for the bag. Yup! You got it. She has it too. Our one hour drive home turned into a 3 hour drive home.:ack2: I drove while dh was on his PDA looking for a dry cleaner who could clean their Christmas dresses by Christmas. Keep in mind that it was late Saturday and Monday was Christmas Eve. We were going to go back to church! I would not be stopped. After all the stomach flu only last 24 hours.:glare:

 

By 10:30 pm that night, I joined my girls. After all, us girls must stick together.:001_huh: We are sick for days and days. Christmas came and went. We stayed in our jamies, but the dresses were cleaned. A lot of good that did us.

 

Dec 31st was the last day of illness for us. I had this feeling like someone or something was trying to prevent us from returning. So, I dragged my family into church on Jan 1st. A very nice gentleman approached us and asked if we would bring up the gifts. I declinded saying that this was our first time back in a long while. He insisted. We did. I kept thinking at any moment He was going to strike. He didn't and we have been going every Sunday since then.

 

I am happy to be back.

[Momto5]

I'm trying to post on your message board Martha but it won't let me. I'll work it out but in the mean time - Way to Go!!

 

I live in Minnesota but you're welcome to come for tea anytime.

[Murphy101]

I'm trying to post on your message board Martha but it won't let me. I'll work it out but in the mean time - Way to Go!!

 

I live in Minnesota but you're welcome to come for tea anytime.

 

I think you have to register with yuku, which is free. :)

 

Hope you make it in, if there's still a problem drop me a PM.