My husband and I have a lofty endeavor to make saints of our children. Obviously, we can’t do that without a mighty helping of God’s mercy and grace, but we do like to collect resources that we pray will lead our children in the right direction.
I like to think that God leads me to resources to that end.
I can’t remember exactly how we stumbled upon Holy Heroes, but their Glory Stories CDs are one of our favorite Catholic resources.
These audio CDs are dramatic retellings of the lives of saints complete with sound effects that make you feel like you’re in the middle of the story.
We’ve been collecting Glory Stories for a few years now and have about 7 of them in our collection. (Keep your eyes peeled for periodic sales.) Our children love them, plus my husband and I learn so much from them that they’re an excellent investment.
The first we added to our collection was Saint Joan of Arc and Saint Anthony. My daughter loves all things Middle Ages and her very first favorite saint was Saint Joan of Arc. My son loves Saint Anthony and always names himself Anthony during make-believe games they play.
During their Lenten Adventures, Holy Heroes shared their entire The Children of Fatima Glory Story with their email subscribers.
It is my favorite of the Glory Stories we have heard so far. In fact, I loved it so much that I purchased it so I could listen to it again and again.
Glory Stories aren’t just for kids. I’ve learned right along with my kids. We learned fortitude from Saint Joan of Arc along with generosity and selflessness from Saint Katharine Drexel.
Listening to her story, we learn that as a child, Saint Katharine Drexel is asked by her mother to give up a doll for a destitute child in their yard.
Katharine wants to give up her oldest, least favorite doll. Her mother challenges her to give up her newest, favorite doll. Katharine rises to the challenge.
This example of generosity sure hit home with my seven and five year old who know how hard it is to even share their most special toys with each other. To hear about a child being able to do this is truly inspiring.
The Children of Fatima have a special spot in my heart because they taught me how to let go of my grief over losing our twins at 19 and 23 weeks of pregnancy.
The Fatima children went through much persecution; yet through it all, they offered up their sufferings for the conversions of sinners and reparations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
By emulating them and offering up my grief and depression when those waves come strong, I feel slightly better.
Now, when my migraines hit and the pain is so unbearable, I try to remember to offer up that pain. Every time I remember, God responds.
When my children are unhappy about some trouble they were going through, I can remind them of the Children of Fatima and how they offered up their tribulations. Often, my children choose to go pray upon such reminders.
I recently lent our copy of The Children of Fatima Glory Stories CD to a friend. At the end of the week, when she returned it, I asked how she had liked it. She replied she had listened to it three times in just one week!
Do you want your children to grow up to be saints? Then I encourage you to get your hands on one of these moving, faith-building stories of the saints.
Have you listened to Glory Stories? Which one is YOUR favorite?
Julie is wife of one amazing husband, and mother of two beautiful living children. She attempts to nurture the learning of truth, beauty, and wisdom in her family’s daily life. Her premise is that every parent is capable of nurturing learning through talking to their children, reading them books, and playing with them.
This post is part of the 31 Days of Resources for Catholic Moms: tools to inspire and challenge you in your Catholic faith. Check out all the posts or sign up to get them delivered in your email.
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