*Pictured above is baby St. Carlo Acutis and his mom Antonia.

Raising Saints

This past Sunday I was gifted with the opportunity to witness two young families bring their new babies into the Catholic Church. The liturgy was beautiful, the church was packed, and we participated with the parents and said “I do” to Father’s litany of questions from the Baptismal Rite. Finally, Father asked the last question—“Do you understand what you are undertaking?”—and as those new parents were eagerly answering “I do,” I paused and thought to myself, Did I really understand what I was undertaking, when I baptized my children?  

Both Shawn and I grew up Catholic so baptizing our children Catholic was non-negotiable. The Catholic faith has always been a part of our lives, in the Southern Louisiana sort of way: Sunday Mass, the Sacraments, Mardi Gras, Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas, family rosaries, and Marian devotions. I wanted all of this for my children, but as a new mom, I’m not sure that I had a plan beyond that. What I didn’t understand at the time was that raising my children Catholic would go way beyond weekly Mass and a prayer before meals. Raising my children Catholic, I came to learn, would be a decision I’d have to make every morning and a battle that must be fought every day. Saying “I do” to those baptismal promises meant that I had said YES to my most important work, to constantly point my children to Christ!

“Do you understand what you are undertaking?”

-celebrant at the Rite of Baptism

Paragraph 2225 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “Through the grace of the sacrament of marriage, parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children.” Paragraph 2226 tells us that “Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child’s earliest years. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other form of instruction in the faith.  Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God.”    

When we hold our new babies in our hands, we love them and commit to shelter and protect them. We see them for the first time and our heart's desire is to help them reach their greatest potential. But we must understand that their greatest potential goes far beyond the best baseball team, cheer squad, top university, or high-paying job. Our children are called to be holy, and their ultimate potential is heaven – they are ALL created to be Saints!  The question I now ask myself is “If heaven is my child’s ultimate potential, as their parent, what am I doing to help them achieve it?”

“Holiness is a call for everyone, not just a special few.” At the Canonization of St. Josemaria Escriva, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the Universal Call to Holiness and how every soul is called to live out this mission. “Holiness,” he said, “is being open to God, becoming a friend of God, letting Him do the work, in and through you. And we are all called to open ourselves up to this friendship with God”.    

As parents, we are given the “privilege” to walk alongside our children as we make the journey towards heaven! I do not have all the answers of life, but what I am equipped with is an experience of all the ways God has helped me, healed me, and forgiven me. I can tell my children about the ways that God has worked in my life and ways that he has answered prayers through me. The most impactful thing that I can do for my children’s faith is to create opportunities for them to BE STILL so that they can hear God’s voice and recognize that God IS working in their lives and has a plan and a purpose specifically for them.

The beauty of the home is that it is the perfect environment to “practice” all that our Catholic faith teaches us ... emphasis on the word PRACTICE. We are not born saints, but our call to holiness begins in the home as we learn to live in community, to pray, to love unconditionally, to forgive and to show mercy.  We can show them what it means to be good stewards of the gifts that God has given to us. Our dear friend Dr. Holly Taylor Coolman says it best: “Families are not intended to be simply launching pads for individuals to take up their own personalized ambitious projects or to sit alone with their own sadness and heartbreak. Everyone within the family is called to be for others. Service is learned within the home.”    

My children are now young adults, and God is STILL revealing ways that I might be a better Mom and “teacher” of the faith for them. I have learned that the best thing that I can do for them is to grow in my own holiness and then to bring them along with me. I’ve also come to realize that my vocation will not end when my children graduate from high school, move out of the house, or get married and have children of their own ... it just looks different. I will forever be called to share with them my faith and love for God, but now that they are no longer under my roof, most of the heavy lifting is done in adoration as I am praying and interceding for them. My vocation as parent is my mission and privilege, and I thank God every day for the blessing of raising these souls who are called by HIM to become Saints.

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Always praying for you and your families,

Jennifer Usher

Project Coordinator, The Dominus Project

Practice Makes Perfect

All Saints Day is right around the corner, and reading about the lives of the Saints is a great way to celebrate and inspire holiness in your children! Personally, I love this book Voices of the Saints: A 365 Day Devotional, which focuses on a different saint every day. For our younger readers we also love Saints Around the World by Meg-Hunter Kilmer and Saintly Creatures by Alexi Sargeant.  

Most importantly, celebrate the feast day by going to Mass and doing a Litany of Saints as a family!

What We’ve Been Up To

Haley Stewart delievered an incredible talk you can find on our webpage resources!

Last month, Haley Stewart spoke to our families about the importance of choosing good literature for our children. Not only did we have a beautiful evening listening to her insights, but everyone also enjoyed the Catholic Imagination Book Browse and Cafe Dominus!

You catch the video of Haley’s talk on our website under resources.

A Cup of Coffee a Month

The Dominus Project comes from a 5-year grant awarded to FranU’s theology program to help parents and caregivers be the first witnesses of the faith to their children. We’re amazed at what God gas done in the past couple years. But we’re also thinking ahead: we have a little over two years left on the grant. We’re looking for people who have been impacted by our ministry or believe in our mission to become partners with us by joining our Patreon at the lowest paid membership setting for $5 a month, the price of a small latte. We trust that, if the Lord wants this to continue, he will find a way. Say a prayer and ask him if he might be calling you to support us.

Stay Tuned…

The Not So Late Show

Back by popular demand, another Not So Late Show is in the works for the beginning of the new year. We’re excited to have a very special guest!

Run with Us!

The Dominus Project is fielding a team for the Born to Run 5k and 1/2-mile walk & fun run on November 8th to support Woman’s New Life Clinic. WNLC does important work supporting moms and dads through difficult pregnancies and beyond. To join our team, register here and search for “The Dominus Project” when asked if you want to join a team. And check our fun video if you need a little inspiration!

Join Our Mission: Spiritual and Financial Discipleship

The Dominus Project is run by Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, a non-profit, small-but-mighty Catholic university in Baton Rouge. We care about the community. We care about families in our land. We would love for you to join our mission by praying and sacrificing for us and by asking the Lord if He might want you to contribute financially to us. We also want to pray for you! We have a team holy hour and Mass every week for our Dominus family, so let us know whom and what we can offer up.

How Can We Pray for You?

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