"A Mother's Rule of Life"

Because this blog really got going because of a desire to learn about what my "job" is and the majority of my posts are on this topic (Homemaking and Motherhood) I just had to share this book that someone just introduced me to. I've joined a yahoo group title Orthodox Classical Homeschool and someone brought up the question about the mundane and sometimes boring life of homemaker...wanting to know if they were alone in feeling this way from time to time. Someone replied with a book suggestion called "A Mother's Rule of Life" by Holly Pierlot. The author is Roman Catholic, wife, mother of five and homeschooling mom. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful this book is and I'm only on chapter 3! (She even has a website/blog.) My hope is to wet your whistle with quotes from the book today and in future posts. It is very Orthodox in it's thinking in many ways and really has given me a new perspective on my role and homemaker and mother. I hope to learn a lot from it. I know it won't "cure" the mundane or the sin for that matter but it's a hope, a new way of looking at my role that God Himself has given me.

Excerpt from the Introduction
"What does it mean to seek Christian perfection? A long time ago, I thought it meant perfect behavior---that if I just did what I was told, strictly followed all the rules, fervently prayed all the paryers, and spent a lot of time on aching knees in a quiet chapel somewhere, then I'd be "perfect"....
Later I developed a totally new concept of Christian perfection. It meant being a "saint"...
At another point, I thought Christian perfection meant being a nun...
But somewhere along the way, I realized Christian perfection had to mean something else. It had to be something just anybody could do, because Jesus said, "You...must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect," and he addressed this to all of us.
In my study, I came across a definition of perfection that finally made sense to me. Perfection is "union with God, which is possible in this world..."
To seek perfection in this life is really to seek union with God through love.
Perfection is for all of us, even for busy mothers stuck inside four walls, because all of us are called to love, We are all called to be saints, (although we are not all called to be canonized). We are all caleld to holiness, which is nothing more that the perfection of love within us. And as mothers, there are lots of people we can love!


More to come...because I just have to share.