Binding: Digital
Format: HTML
Label: Thomson Gale
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
Number Of Pages: 4
Publication Date: 2007-06-01
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Release Date: 2007-07-11
Studio: Thomson Gale

This digital document is an article from Catholic Insight, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1074 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Heart of Motherhood: Finding Holiness in the Catholic Home.(Critical essay)
Author: Donna O'Boyle
Publication: Catholic Insight (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 15 Issue: 6 Page: 44(2)

Article Type: Critical essay

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Rating:
Summary: The Heart of Motherhood in the Heart of my Home
Comment: "The Heart of Motherhood: Finding Holiness in the Catholic Home" by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle is both encouraging and inspirational. A mother of five, Donna has weathered the storms and inspires me (as a new mom) with her experience and wisdom.

Peppered with inspirational quotes from Mother Teresa, among others, Bible passages and heartfelt prayers, The Heart of Motherhood, inspires from within. Donna-Marie begins the book with the statement that motherhood is, indeed, a truly ordinary and yet extraordinary vocation. By being mothers and by welcoming, loving and teaching our children, we are truly doing the Lord's work. She explains,

"A mother's day is filled to capacity with many ordinary tasks, not unimportant, but rather works of love that may be overlooked or unnoticed. Changing diapers, doing laundry, schedule keeping, house cleaning, planning and cooking nutritious meals and helping with homework are just some of the ordinary tasks in a mom's repertoire. Her own family family may take these loving acts for granted. Although these tasks may seem mundane, or even monotonous, they are the nitty-gritty details that keep the family going and together. . . . A mother's deep inner faith affirms that a day's sacrifices and seemingly ordinary tasks please our Lord because they are done with extraordinary love."

And later reminds us that "love is not merely a feeling or emotion. Love is also a decision . . . at times, this decision may be an enormous sacrifice."

Donna-Marie notes that today's society, unfortunately, rarely respects the woman's role as mother and wife nor the mother's domestic role in the home. However, rather than focus on that, she encourages her readers to bring back the dignity and respect motherhood deserves by being an example of holy mothering to one's family and, ultimately, to society. She continues by explaining how one can focus on holy mothering, the importance of a mother's prayer life, shares inspiration for those times when you feel anything but holy in your mothering, gives inspirational examples of holy mothers (including the most holy mother, Mary) in history and ends each chapter with beautiful prayer.

It is a blessing to me to have read this book. I kept starring and underlining passages and prayers that spoke to me! I couldn't put it down! This is a book that will be an inspiration for years to come. It does not tell you how to run a household, how to clean a sink or how to get your family pulled together each Sunday morning to make it to church on time. Instead, it delves deeper into the holy vocation of motherhood and encourages mothers young and old to keep the faith and to recognize the immeasurable importance of the job to not only their children and families, but to society, the Christian family and God.

I'll be keeping this book handy, by my bedside, on my kitchen counter, in the bathroom (yes, you read that right. You KNOW it might be the only quiet time you get all day!) . . . maybe for a few minutes of refreshing, or even for 30-seconds of inspiration and prayer.

The essence of "The Heart of Motherhood" is love. God is love. "And the greatest of these is love. . . . " We do easy, and difficult, ordinary and extraordinary things for our family and children because we are mothers (and wives) and we do them out of love.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Encouragement for the journey of motherhood
Comment: This book came in a brown paper package a few months ago, and I saved it to be my hospital book (though it nearly killed me to see it sitting there so patiently on my shelf, waiting for the baby right along with me). What a book to read during those first few days with my new baby! As I savored the excitement of my new daughter, feeling much the way I remember feeling on the Christmas mornings of my single-digit years, Donna's book reminded me about the hard work and the bright rewards of motherhood. She doesn't gloss over the difficulty, nor does she make light of the responsibility. In this book, she does what she does so well - she encourages all of us mothers.

In the past few months, I've gotten to know Donna a bit, through her blogs and some emails we've exchanged, and reading this book was just like talking with Donna. Each chapter ends with prayer, the kind that you'll want to copy into your prayer book or post on your bathroom mirror. I felt the same sort of comfort in reading this book that I feel when I'm having a cup of tea with a dear friend. So go and grab a copy of this book and a steaming cup of tea. Donna has some words of encouragement for you!

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Life Changing!
Comment: I am a mother of soon to be 3 children ages 3 and under and have read THE HEART OF MOTHERHOOD and it has truly changed my life! The author's outlook on the vocation of motherhood could only have come from the Holy Spirit....Donna Marie Cooper Oboyle's writings are awe inspiring. I encourage all mothers to read this book. It is easy reading and one you can't put down. The writings of this book are ones you remember in the middle of the night when you are up with sick children and want to break down and cry or the days you don't know how you are going to make it through the day....the voice of this book sticks with you and truly helps you become a better mother and helps you to live a holy life at home. IT is a reminder of the true vocation of motherhood that has been lost in today's society.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: The Heart of Motherhood:Finding Holiness in the Catholic Home
Comment: This is exactly the book I was looking for. I am a stay at home Catholic mom who at times needs a few words of encouragement. It is hard to pray when the 3 year old is up at 5am, the 1 year old just went back to sleep, the 11 and 14 year old need to get up and be ready to go at 7:30 and I am trying to find time for a conversation with God. It is helpful to hear that everything we offer up for our children is a prayer. While I was reading this book I thought of friends and sisters who have and have not given up comfort and wealth to raise souls for God. The Chapter on the Cross made me think of my own Mother who lost my adult sister a few years ago. This book is highly recomended for moms and dads who suspect that there is more to life than what our culture is trying to sell us. God is love and the fullness of his love is in loving our children.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent & Beautiful book for all Catholic Mothers
Comment: I've read MANY books about being Catholic, being a Mom & being a Catholic Mom...but none of them have touched my heart & mind the way this one did. It was SO common sense about how to weave our Catholicity into our daily lives when there are children at our feet before 5 AM (when it's near impossible to get up before them to pray...even if we really, really want to) and at night, we just pass out, not fall asleep. I read this book twice, have MUCH highlighting throughout & even bought a 2nd copy to give to my sil for her birthday this past Feb. Being a Mom can seem to be a thankless job, being a stay-at-home mom is less than respected in today's society and being a Catholic Mom in the truest sense of the word, can be rougher than anything else I could imagine. Using the practical wisdom in this book helped me to see that even though I can't physically be on my knees in prayer, my heart can be bowed down & focused on Our Lord all day, everyday, keeping my focus on the true Heart of (Catholic) Motherhood.

---