Image: Francisco de Zurbarán, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
Written by Marian Le Grelle
AMDG
“But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandals.” Matthew 18:6
On pilgrimage, I asked God to show me His will for my life within the vocation of marriage and motherhood. The answer was a clear, “Take the children to daily Mass.” Confirmation came in writing with the words that followed explaining that children console Him for the ingratitude of others.
Homeschooling was a decision to follow my conscience. My conscience said, “Don’t hurt the children by having them lied to by people in authority over them.” Parenthood entails culpability; we are responsible before God for our choices in our children’s education.
The greatest gift of homeschooling is being in relationship with God as a family. It’s a privilege to get to know and to love each child. It’s a privilege to watch them grow while growing closer to God and to each other day by day.
His curriculum is holiness. Virtues and gifts of the Holy Ghost cover most topics and the assignments consist of loving one another while juggling pregnancy, moving, sickness, birth, death, daily duty, study, acts of charity to others, and recreation. These crosses and joys are part of the graduation program and are far more powerful than academics in shaping our families into His image.
Today there is much support for homeschooling in online schools and in homeschool groups. We’ve been blessed to have the help of our priests and religious as well as Mother of Divine Grace School, an American online school which allows us to be the primary educators of our children. They know why we are homeschooling and want to help us teach the faith of the apostles to our children that they may know their faith. They know we aren’t perfect and help us on our way.
Many assume that we must be patient because we homeschool. We aren’t naturally patient, but we get a lot of practice in that virtue and a lot of reasons to approach the sacraments. We can’t control what happens in our relationships with each other, but as principals of the school, we can set the house rules and choose our responses to what God allows in our relationships. We can teach love and truth and leave the rest to God.
St.Thomas Aquinas once asked St. Bonaventure in which books Bonaventure had learned his “sacred science.” St. Bonaventure pointed to the crucifix and answered, “This is the source of all my knowledge.” The saints give every homeschooler confidence and hope that he or she will turn out okay and much better than okay. They become the saints they are called to be because they know themselves and discern the will of God in their lives.
