Holiness and Character Formation

John told the kids tonight during prayer time a wonderful story about his Uncle Tom. His uncle had the opportunity to meet Mother Teresa while he was a seminarian. She walked with him for some time while holding onto his arm. This is what she told him.

"Be a HOLY priest. There are a lot of good preachers, educators, and teachers, but there aren't many HOLY people." 
This made me think so much about all that I may be trying to be.  I am trying to be a lot of things, but HOLY has been off my radar for a while.

Oh, SMACK. I know these life lessons are more for me and not the our chickens. I have been way off for a while now. I have taken my eyes of holiness. I have been so busy trying to be a good mother, good wife, good sister, good cook, good teachers, and get in great shape that I forgot to be HOLY. Do I even understand the difference? I am not quite sure where I even should start because I know right now, I am not holy. I know that I am good person like most people, but HOLY??? nope.

I know that holiness consists in a lot of humility and accepting what God sends you each day and seeing it as such, but I have fallen into a lot of management instead of holiness.

For the past three days, I attended a homeschool practicum which always propels me deep into thought about homeschooling and where we are headed. This year, one resounding theme keeps running through my mind.

I told John tonight while cleaning up dinner, "For school this year, I think we need to focus on their and our character." Most years, I am so occupied with curriculum choices and extra-curricular events that I haven't given much specific thought to our main focus which should be character formation of each of our people.

My mind has been running wild the many things I want to focus on with their character formation, but John landed the plane tonight when he told that story about holiness.

In reflection on last year, I am realizing that more and more I have become increasingly concerned more with their physical and educational formation as a person and less concerned with their character formation. It is not that we weren't concerned about their character, but it was falling secondary to academics, sports, music, plays, friends, and social events. All those are important, but not at the expense of their character. Meaning, Are we teaching them to establish prayer time in their life every day apart from our family prayer time? Are we teaching them to examine their conscience each night? Are we teaching them time management skills in their school work or are we teaching them to wait until the last minute? These are a few things I've been thinking about and all relate to the character of a human being. So, this coming school year our main focus above academics will be on character formation. For example, I have noticed during swimming lessons this year several character issues that have arisen in several of our children. The teacher would be talking to them and they would be busy bobbing under water, looking around at the other kids, and not giving the teacher the attention she deserves. She would ask them to do specific things i.e. like the American crawl and they would do it, but I noticed an increasing frustration with the teacher asking them if they heard what she asked them to do. So I said to the kids today before class, "I want you to look at your teacher in the face while she is talking to you. I want you to stand against the wall patiently waiting your turn. This is a time to learn, not to play. Most importantly, I want you to acknowledge what your teacher asks you to do with a response like "Yes, Mrs. Bailey, I will work on that" so she knows that you heard her. At the conference this week, our older four children were at day camps downstairs while I attended the conference upstairs. Dominic's teacher spent a good amount of time teaching them how to shake hands with someone. You give a firm grip, look the person in the eye, and say "Hello. It is nice to meet you." Upon leaving, you shake again, look them in the eye, and say "It was nice to have met you." My parents use to have us stand when an adult entered the room as a sign of respect towards them and ourselves. Manners aren't only important for your relationship with others. Manners bring dignity to you as a human being.

Once again, a leaf has been turned over in my life and I need to ponder the thought of holiness namely for myself and secondly how God is asking us to cultivate that virtue in our children. I am grateful for this awareness as my compass has not been pointing towards that virtue.