Ten Commandments of a Mother

  1. Develop an intimate personal relationship with Jesus. He is your primary love. Allow Him to love you, forgive you, speak to you, guide you, heal you and fill you. Try to keep a Spiritual Journal of the messages you receive from Him.
  2. Keep your priorities in order – Jesus first, husband second, children third etc. The best thing you can do for your husband is to love Jesus, and the best thing you can do for your children is to love their father, just as he is. Try not to work outside the home. If you do work, try to make sure that work does not interfere with your primary responsibilities. Write up a weekly schedule setting aside prime time for Jesus, your husband and each child.
  3. Realize that you are the heart of the home. It is your prime responsibility to work with your husband to make sure his wishes are carried out with love. Love is your greatest gift. Love, Love, Love. Affirm, Affirm, Affirm.
  4. Let your husband know the problems and difficulties that you and your children are experiencing in living a Christian life. Work with God and your husband towards solutions. TV is problematic because of the amount of violence and promiscuity. Work out selective watching of TV with your husband. Sports have become a false god in America. Share your insights with your husband.
  5. Pray with your husband. Share your journal with him. Allow the Lord to sanctify and purify your relationship with Him. Ask the Lord for the strength to love him with His Love and Purity.
  6. Spend quality time with each child – loving them. There is nothing like a mother’s love. You will intuitively know their needs and problems. Share openly with them and allow them to be open with you. Their fears, worries and temptations you should know. Pray for guidance and wisdom. Dare to discipline with love and firmness.
  7. Support your husband in setting up a place for family devotions. Encourage your family at Family Devotions to place everything in God’s hands – their worries, fears, doubts, difficulties and temptations. God is really their Father. Mary is really their mother. The Holy Spirit is really present to each of them. Jesus lives in their hearts, speaking, loving and forgiving.
  8. Try to set the tone in living a simple, humble, non-violent lifestyle. This is a challenge in a materialistic, pleasure seeking, individualistic culture. You are called often to heroism. TV heroes, movie stars, and sports heroes are generally not the best role models. Watch over the songs your children are listening to, and the posters they want to hang up. This calls for real wisdom.
  9. Try to discern with each child the call of the Lord upon their life. All are called to put Him first and serve Him with all their hearts. This is difficult and heroic in today’s world.
  10. With your husband make Sunday the Lord’s Day and a day of family togetherness. Encourage your family to frequent reception of the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation.