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A Rule of Life

by Filed Under: Meetup, MROL, Rule of Life Leave a Comment

Here’s the deal….the upcoming RULE OF LIFE meet-up that I’ve scheduled is not only for others but for myself as well.

I desired to prepare for Advent (11.27.22) and knew, from the recent questions that I’ve received, many others were desiring some refinement of their own. 💜

As I continue to plan for the meet-up to discuss all things Rule of Life, I’m reflecting on all the encouragement that I’ve received from the saints. 🔥

I’m of the temperament that likes straight talk. I do not take offense easily and try to use it all to refine me. The saints that prick me the most are my best friends. 😉

I’d love to hear what has helped you along to establish/live a Rule in your life. If you haven’t established a rule or need some guidance to living it, share your questions. 🙋🏻‍♀️

And to all, I invite you to the online meet-up! 💻

Message me if you missed the official invite and I’ll send you the info. 🗓

May we work to sanctify our days as we journey home. 🙏🏼

3 of my boys and I before Holy Mass at #sanjuanbautistamission prior to the the start of our #carmelpilgrimage
Sign-up here for the invite or to be added to a the list for future meet-ups.

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Spiritual Duties

by Filed Under: Morning Offering, Rosary, Rule of Life, Spiritual Duties, St. Padre Pio 1 Comment

Holy shepherds, religious, traditional Catechisms, and the saints will all lead us to form a solid Rule of Life. This includes spiritual duties.

In a sermon on the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, I reheard the maxims of Padre Pio (from the article, Saint Padre Pio, by Rev. Father Jean, OFM., Cap.)

Here are five habits that Padre Pio believed all Catholics should practice, based on advice he gave to his spiritual children.

I. Weekly Confession
“Confession is the soul’s bath. You must go at least once a week. I do not want souls to stay away from confession more than a week. Even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week and you will see that it needs dusting again!”

II. Daily Communion
“It is quite true, we are not worthy of such a gift. However, to approach the Blessed Sacrament in a state of mortal sin is one thing, and to be unworthy is quite another. All of us are unworthy, but it is He who invites us. It is He who desires it. Let us humble ourselves and receive Him with a heart contrite and full of love.”

III. Examination of Conscience Every Evening
“Every experienced merchant in this world not only keeps track throughout the day of whether he has lost or gained on each sale. In the evening, he does the bookkeeping for the day to determine what he should do tomorrow. It follows that it is indispensable to make a rigorous examination of conscience, brief but lucid, every night.”

IV. Daily Spiritual Reading
“The harm that comes to souls from the lack of reading holy books makes me shudder…. What power spiritual reading has to lead to a change of course, and to make even worldly people enter into the way of perfection.”

V. Mental Prayer Twice Daily
“If you do not succeed in meditating well, do not give up doing your duty. If the distractions are numerous, do not be discouraged; do the meditation of patience, and you will still profit. Decide upon the length of your meditation, and do not leave your place before finishing, even if you have to be crucified. Why do you worry so much because you do not know how to meditate as you would like? Meditation is a means to attaining God, but it is not a goal in itself. Meditation aims at the love of God and neighbor. Love God with all your soul without reserve, and love your neighbor as yourself, and you will have accomplished half of your meditation.”

We print and hang in our children’s bedroom or school area.

We have always tended to our family prayers & devotions. The children also begin to take reign of their own spiritual lives from their earliest days.

We have seasons where we work to encourage this by helping them keep an “inventory” of their promises to God & spiritual duties. The start of a new school year is usually one of those seasons foe us.

At the request of many, I’m sharing our printable.

You are invited to download and use the Spiritual Duties printable. It can be adopted for all ages. I’ve also included a printable of some of the prayers that can help one get started with implementing spiritual duties with their children and family devotions.

Download the Spiritual Duties Printable

Files are not to be shared — only share the direct link to the original posting.

May we help our children’s spiritual growth by our personal example, including habits of daily prayer, Holy Mass attendance, rosary devotions, etc…

Oh my Jesus it is for the love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

An Account of Your Time

by Filed Under: Lent, MROL, Rule of Life Leave a Comment

I meditate on the last four things, regularly and most of the time different promptings are placed on my heart.  But there is one that is steadfast, the account that I will have to give for my time.  

Make no mistake about it — I do not have it all together!  I have many responsibilities as a homeschooling mama of 7 with a married daughter, health ailments, bouts of overwhelmedness that lead to a paralyzation of sorts, my battle of the flesh, and more…so much more.

I give thanks for it all because it brings me to my knees and makes me more dependent on God.  Yet, I know that I must do better with the time that continues to be gifted to me.  

Do you meditate regularly on the Last Four Things? Are you able to give an honest & favorable account of your time?

These necessary reflections lead to my final suggestion for #comingtotradition this Lent (always).

The Rule of Life (ROL) is a must!  It’s not something new or something reserved for religious orders.  It’s for all!  

All the saints and many holy laities will speak to their ROL.  I’ll leave you with the following direction from Monsignor P. Lejeune in his Counsels of Perfection for CHRISTIAN MOTHERS.  

“You must have a (written) rule, otherwise your life will be squandered in a thousand follies and futilities…

…unless you are bound by a rule, your lives will drift unceasingly; …float along guided only by caprice, and the sense of duty will be almost entirely lost. In that case it is your own will that you have followed…and not the will of God.

…what a sad life is that which is not regulated. It is a life which, from a worldly standpoint, may have a certain respectability, but which, from the supernatural side is a mere farce. Will you tell me what that day weighs, in the divine balance, during which you follow your own will with never a thought for the will of God?

I have no hesitancy in saying that a life without a rule, is a life wherein the supernatural, that is, the part of God, has little or no importance.

…first determine the hour of your rising and retiring…place in your rule: morning and evening prayers should be said kneeling…there is hardly one among you who cannot spend a quarter of an hour each day in spiritual reading. Those of you who have the time, and who are unwilling to be satisfied with merely earthly piety, ought to make a meditation every morning, and also to attend Holy Mass each day, or at least several times during the week.

Give your attention, above all to the most important duties. I mean those of your interior, and station in life. Then attend to the less important duties; the remainder of your time may be spent on duties of pure decorum–if any more time remains.

Since your rule has been made for God, it is for God that it should be followed out. This rule is the expression of the will of God in your regard, which must of necessity be very dear to you. Bring, then, to the accomplishment of each of these articles, a true spirit of faith, and a truly supernatural motive, and place yourselves a hundred times daily under the eye of God, saying frequently to Him and love: “All for you, My God.”

Let us meditate on the Four Last Things through Lent and tend to our Rule of Life in efforts to properly order our days throughout the year for the time that God gifts us!

You can find more, here or here.

Summer Checklists

by Filed Under: Prints, Rule of Life, Summer Leave a Comment

It’s officially Summer in my home — it has been for the past few weeks.

We shift gears a bit and continue to school. We almost always get on the same schedule for Summer.  We all prefer to have checklists.  It makes my job much easier — no constant reminding or fuss.  Everyone knows what is required before any special privileges will be granted.



Here’s one of my favorite reflections for keeping order in my home:


“Let me call your attention to the advantages of a rule of life.  First, it saves you from yourselves, so to speak; from the spirit of caprice which finds its way so easily into your actions, and robs you of the greater part of your merit.  We all are tempted to do only what pleases us, and to avoid sacrifices as much as possible.  An act needs but to take on the appearance of duty to become an object of aversion to us.  The result is that unless you are bound by a rule, your lives will drift unceasingly; they will float along guided only by caprice, and the sense of duty will be almost entirely lost.  In that case it is your own will that you have followed from morning until evening, and not the will of God…..”

Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers

You’re welcome to share & download any of the printables for your personal use.

DOWNLOAD SUMMER CHECKLISTS

**USAGE TIP**
Print on card stock
Laminate or use clear binder sleeve
Use wet or dry erase pen
Start new each day!

I’d love to see how you use the lists, share in the comments or tag me on IG – #joyffsummerlist

Traditional Catholic Calendars {FREE to under $20}

by Filed Under: Liturgical Calendar, Liturgucal Rhythm, Rule of Life 1 Comment

The traditional Catholic Liturgical Year is filled with great reverence, symbolism, and beauty just like the Latin Tridentine Mass.  Each month and each day of the week is named for a special devotion.  We can join in the richness of our Catholic faith by following the days, weeks, seasons and feastdays of the traditional calendar in a natural rhythm that brings us ever closer to God and our Holy Mother Church. 

This is a list of the resources that I have found to be the most helpful for us, a Traditional Catholic Family of 10 on a tight budget.  I hope you find some resources to help you along as you work on living the Liturgical Year within your home and observe your Rule of Life.  I’d love to hear what you are using or plan to use.  Leave a message in the comments.

 (Updated links 1.2024 – We follow the pre-1955 Liturgical Calendar but have opted to keep calendars listed here that we have used to various degrees over the years.  My inclusion of any group/publisher is not an endorsement of all their works or stances.)

  • Traditional Catholic Wall Liturgical Calendar to print at home was created using Saint Andrew Daily Missal published in 1945 and the Father Lasance missal published in 1945 with no revisions. The traditional holy week remains intact. Has color images of a saint or each month with a nice explanation.  FREE to view/print
  • This Traditional Catholic Wall Calendar follows the 1962 Temporal and Sanctoral cycles AND includes many elements from the pre-1955 liturgical calendar.  It has a wealth of info packed into it.  Fatima Center –  $12.99

  • Online Liturgical Calendar – The FSSP provides this simple listing for easy and quick reference of the 1962 LIturgical Calendar It is updated each year. (Currently, they only have Jan – Aug 2024 available) not for print
  • Digital Liturgical Calendar – Digital download, ready to be used in your Outlook, Google Calendar, Mac Calendar and more! This calendar contains all the same information as their standard 1962 calendar, but with the added benefit of a short explanation of that day’s feast or saint! Start your day at your desk – or on your phone – with the Church’s teaching. Angelus Press –  $4.99
  • Digital Liturgical Calendar 1962 — If you use Google Calendar, you can add the 1962 liturgical calendar by going to this link and clicking on the “+” sign in the bottom right corner (it will say “Add to Calendar” when you mouse over it). This will populate all of the 1962 feast days to your Google Calendar, which you can sync with your smartphone calendar. FREE
  • Online Ordo, Blessings, and Rites – This is a full 1962 liturgical calendar available for FREE. You can access this calendar on all devices: PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones. It includes all liturgical instructions for Mass and the Breviary. Built as a web app, the calendar is primarily built for handheld devices. The SSPX is proud to offer this as a service to the Church, for all, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Angelus Press – FREE
  • Saints Calendar & 16 Month Daily Planner Spiral Bound – This is a favorite printable calendar/planner. I keep one at home for daily reference and my husband keeps one at work. TAN calendars contain special feasts and fascinating Catholic traditions. They are marked with days of Fasting, special Saints Days, and the Sundays of the Liturgical Year for both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Calendar. I generally don’t mix the calendars or recommend sources that combine them but this is good for reference and one of the most complete options that I have found.  $18.95

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  • Catholic Home Wall Calendar* for use for home educating, family with children, or anyone desiring to leave the liturgical life in the home.  This Wall Calendar printable includes saints from the Traditional Calendar of the Latin Mass Liturgy with occasional Historical (H) feast days noted and has moveable pieces to follow the 1962 or pre-1955. – $15

*Sharing of these calendars/links is not an endorsement of all the sites, creators, or their contents offered.

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