Retreat for Children...

This book is a gem.

It was previously published in 1936 with the title: A Retreat with St. Ignatius: In Pictures for Children. I have to admit, once I read that little note on the inside cover, I was instantly hooked.

Also please note the name of the illustrator.... Caryll Houselander

Pure gem.

Please go here and look at that first illustration. (page 6) (But then go here to purchase the book.)

Now, here are a few excerpts from the first lesson entitled Made For God that accompany this amazing picture:

The young boy at the bottom of the picture is supposed to be just made, or created, by God; that is why two lines come down from God's hands onto his head.

God has told the angels to get him ready to do what God made him for. This is because whatever God makes, He makes it for something- just as we do. If we make a dress, it is to wear, and that settles the shape; if we make a knife, it is to cut. If a knife is well made, it is sure to cut, because it has no choice about it; but the boy in the picture is not sure to do what he is made for, because he has a choice; he is free.

And so the author continues in this vein, explaining in the simplest and most beautiful way the highest mysteries of the faith... from The Best Way of Life to The Incarnation to How to Love God.

I have been using this with my own children as a supplement to our Faith and Life curriculum. I make five copies of the picture and pass it out to my little peanuts. As I read the lesson, I encourage them to find the different scenes that are being explained, and to quietly contemplate what I am reading. The questions at the end further drive the lesson home. For example, during the Best Way of Life explanation, the kids were introduced to the idea that maybe being wealthy was not the best way to ensure a place in heaven. So, that night at family prayer, Sports Fan prayed for "all of the rich people in the world."

:)

This book is a much-needed answer to prayer... literally. I find it very difficult to impart the truths of our beautiful Faith to my children without a lecture or a bit of nagging. And, as much as we love the Faith and Life series, I was finding that my children were separating church.. from religion class.. from life! Of course, I love our Faith, and I have always hoped that my love would shine through first and foremost. This book brings it all together for my kids, and exudes a wonder and a joy that I could not have accomplished on my own.

*suitable for ages 9-12 specifically, but I have seen that little bits of wisdom can penetrate even my own Little Boo.