From birth to adulthood, a loving Mom and a devoted Dad, have the unique opportunity to establish a balance spiritual, mental, moral and practical atmosphere in the formation of their offspring. There are many approaches to a truly Catholic way of life. To my way of thinking, the first requirement is a happy, prayerful attitude, and hearts filled with love, joy, music and song. To bring this about, obviously means the organization and the scheduling of family activities.

LENTO

A way to start it to set aside and faithfully adhere to a day and time for a weekly family meeting. Then, with all the members united in prayer and song, family needs and desires can be addressed, aims and goals set, and the necessary adjustments made to accommodate the chores and activities of the various members. Each session can begin with a hymn, such as "Come Holy Ghost", found in any Catholic hymnal. The tone is then set in place to form a resolution before each meal, before any event, an appropriate hymn or prayer will be recited. A much neglected prayer, "The Angelus" is a salutation with ejaculations and Hail Marys to honor the Mother of Our Savior. The short verses are offered morning, noon and at eventide. Another must-learn invocation, is our daily remembrance and commitment to our Guardian Angel. Please stay on friendly terms with this life-long companion and faithful friend. Be sure to Name him! Talk to him (or her!) How beautiful are the words, "Angel of God, my Guardian Dear....."

MODERATO

Babies and toddlers respond wonderfully to melodious sounds. The simple tunes of "Sleep Holy Babe", (Pius X Hymnal), "I Need Thee Precious Jesus", (St. Gregory Hymnal), are but two beautiful melodies that can lull little angels to dreamland. Also they are easy for Toddlers to learn by rote.

Mothers of active preschool youngsters need some set-aside time each day. Fortunately, there are now many entertaining, educational Christian sing-along tapes that require only passive participation on the part of the child. The return for this is that the child's mind is embedded with words and music easily while Mom gains a period of time to recoup her energy!

PRESTO

Happy and fortunate, indeed, is the child who learns to play a musical instrument, or receive vocal training during middle childhood! Blessed is the family who foregoes the oversized TV screen for a good keyboard instrument. Think of the joy and satisfaction that a family member reaps when he or she can accompany family evenings of song, offer solo renditions, and brings about friendly camaraderie with neighbors and friends! Such evenings offer opportunities for students to become proficient enough to join school bands, orchestras, glee clubs, choral groups. And most rewarding of all, the Catholic Church Choir. To learn to play, (hopefully, the Church Organ), to learn to sing the Ordinary of High Mass in Latin, That is a giant step to the joys of Heaven!

All this multi-faceted growth eventually evolves into the Teen Years!! If the parents have been vigilant and steadfast in the upbringing of their family, the "Tree is Rooted". For the remainder of their lives, children raised in a loving and caring Catholic home will recall family picnics, road trips that began with a prayer to St. Christopher, recitation of the Rosary, and lots of singing. These were all times of close bonding, and a foundation in morality for the day when teens inevitably exposed to pop culture, rock music, and worst of all, today's abominable song lyrics!

Being exposed to evil does not mean acceptance. If a newly acquired driver's license, and the use of the family car required a background of sound, consider looking into the library of folk music, gospel songs, broadway show tunes of the past, and the many recordings of famous composers, such as Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, George Gerswhin and other Jazz composers.

FINALE

Parents who have nourished their family with the depth and breadth of the Roman Catholic Faith, and the children who have been fortunate enough to have been raised in this fruitful atmosphere, will always find it easy to lift their minds and hearts to a loving God, in appreciation for the love, beauty, music and goodness with which He surrounds us.

If you desire a direct link to the Heavenly Angelic Choir, the method is easy. Fill your heart each with heavenly song and make the connection! Remember St. Augustine's words of wisdom,

Mrs. Lucille A. Flynn is a lady of many talents, she is the organist at the Immaculate Heart Mary Chapel in Still River, MA, the mother of 8 children and has been published in New Oxford Review.