Dear Mom,

Please let us begin this time together with prayer.

Lord, we come to You this afternoon to intercede for our dear sister in Christ. Lord, she is Your faithful and loving daughter. She strives to answer the call to do Your will in her life and to bring her family closer to You. Lord, we praise You and thank You for the holy witness that this dear woman provides in her day to day work. Please, we ask that You in Your infinite mercy and love for each human being, surround her at this moment with the strength of Your embrace. Empower her with the skills necessary to go forward into the work that You have yet for her to accomplish. Lord, we ask that her health be fully and completely regained and that she be able to experience the peace of mind that ensures each of us a productive and healthy life. Lord, the gift of Your peace is the gift we ask for our dear sister. Inspire her with the wisdom that is of the Holy Spirit. Keep her loving husband capable and able to provide and allow that he be able to sort through all the demands of family to address only those demands that are priorities. Lord Jesus, we love You and long with a child-like spirit of anticipation to see Your face. Amen.

It is important to remember that as humans there is a limit to the amount of mental and physical work that we are able to do. Think about your washing machine and dryer. If yours is like mine it seems to run constantly, chugging away at the mechanics of washing and drying the clothes. The piles of laundry seem to remain ever on the floor and the task of keeping our house caught up with the laundry is ongoing.

This last week our son has been helping his dad do some repair work in our home. Messy, dusty work. Though our furniture is old (the sofa is 16 years old) I covered it to maybe help keep it a little cleaner. Late one night I was washing the blankets I had used to cover the sofa. I put the blankets in the washing machine and then put them in the dryer. I didn't give the dryer a second thought. Who would? :)  After the blankets had tumbled in the dryer for 2 hours (!) I realized something was wrong. The element of the dryer was completely burned out. The blankets were as wet as when I put them in the dryer.

Humans can run on empty with little or no energy. Our work can appear to be fruitful and we can even appear to be busily active in tasks. However upon closer inspection we can see that we have been running on empty. All the effort with no heat and certainly drained from the effort.

Whether your dear children had been in public school or homeschool they would have experienced the effects of lost productivity due to the situations that surrounded them in your home. I trust (because I sense in you a mom who understands that people are more important than goals) that though you may have not been working at 'schooling' you were doing something far more important. When our families are going through a crisis it is vital to the well being of all the members of the family that we address the issues that need addressing. Talking with children about the issues that the family is facing, spending time caring for the physical needs of one another, patiently working through the challenges as they arise and above all allowing the Holy Spirit to lead all your efforts is holy work. It is so holy that its importance is often times undermined by a society that seeks to place the focus upon those issues that are not important.

Let's say that you failed to put people first this past year, though your school work may have been up to date, believe me the people issues that did not get addressed would come to task sooner or later. I feel that is always better to address people issues when the opportunity is present. School work, housework, and such can certainly wait, but the people needs (emotional and physical) can not.

I believe with all my heart that the Holy Spirit desires to help you through this present challenge. If I did not believe this I would not say so. I believe with all my heart that the Holy Spirit has a plan for each of us when it comes to the challenges that we are facing through the holy and perfect will of the Father. Jesus is going to honor your hard work and your desire to get back in the groove with school, etc.

Take one whole day and think about your priorities as you see them. Is it teaching a young child to read, getting a firm math foundation implanted in the brain of a reluctant student, perhaps it is some discipline issues that have gone wanting? Look at the list and ask the Holy Spirit to help you address each of these issues with a firm purpose and a realistic heart.

Though we purchase curriculums, self help books, research on line for better ideas or go to a website to get an opinion, the greatest and the best help is available without question. Jesus longs to enter into our lives and help us. He longs to show us a better way. He loves us beyond our human ability to understand such a love. He asks that we come to him with the heart of a docile child and listen to His instruction.

Please sit before the Blessed Sacrament and allow the good and sweet Jesus to inspire and empower you. Know that you are in my prayers each day on the 4th Glorious mystery. Remember that it is better to do one thing well than to poorly do many things.

I want to share with you a story that I think will express why I feel this way. When dear Pope John Paul II was asked to address the students of Boston College for graduation he urged them to go forward into the world and make a difference, however he added one important statement. He told them that no matter what they do they should 'Study Christ'.

In a family that has undergone the challenges that yours has, I believe that the loving attention of family members as you worked through the issues was an example of taking the Pope's advice. Through your holy witness of caring love your family not only 'Studied Christ,' you were Jesus' hands in action.

I admire you greatly and will be praying for you.

Sending out a prayer,

Rita Munn