The Domestic Church: Room By Room: A Study Guide for Catholic Mothers
...[This book] is so much more than a mother's study guide for women who want to deepen their understanding of their vocations. Is is an exploration of Catholic teaching as it relates to our roles as women, wives, mothers, and citizens of the world at large. Referring back to Scripture, papal encyclicals, apostolic letters, theCatechism of the Catholic Church, and the words of the great saints, Donna weaves together the life story of every Catholic woman, regardless of her age, background, family situation, or career choice. Through stories from her own life, including the personal friendship she shared with Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Donna demystifies the domestic church, offering concrete ways to find joy and spiritual fulfillment in the nitty-gritty, humble work of our daily lives. --Mary DeTurris Poust,Our Sunday VisitorThough an individual would benefit from reading, this book is arranged as a study guide for a group, with discussion questions at the end of each section. (And, pssst ... don't worry, busy moms -- the answers are there, too! So don't worry about passing class.)The Domestic Church, like all of Donna-Marie's books, backs up its exhortation with solid sources such as quotes from Scripture, encyclicals and saints. I love Donna-Marie's realism, too. In this book, she includes a beautiful quote from Blessed Teresa of Calcutta:"A living love hurts. Jesus, to prove His love for us, died on the Cross. The mother, to give birth to her child, has to suffer. If you really love one another properly, there must be sacrifice."And she honestly addresses temptations to abandon the heart of the home," noting that mothers can get discouraged, or feel unrecognized and unappreciated. She writes: "A mother who is fighting this interior battle may feel, or even state that she is 'just' a mother. I have heard this so often, and I will tell the mom that she is 'not just a mother!This is the heart of Donna's message, and this is her mission: to help other moms realize that their work is a vital, vibrant, holy vocation.I highly recommend Donna-Marie's books to newly married women and new mothers, and to moms of any age who seek encouragement and affirmation in their vocation.And so, dear moms, if you have any doubts about the worth of your daily struggles, sacrifices and joys, dig into these books. When you've finished, you'll close them with a contented sigh, knowing that someone out there understands your worth and knows what you're going through...that you are storing up treasures in heaven. --Karen EdmistenThe Domestic Church: Room by Room by Donna-Marie Cooper O Boyle is an excellent study guide for mothers and mothers-to-be on the vocation of motherhood. Donna-Marie guides us room by room quoting the Catechism, papal encyclicals, Scripture, and the saints to illustrate the dignity, joy, and the importance of our roles as wives and mothers. By offering an overwhelming Yes to God, even through sacrifice, sufferings, and frustrations of our day-to-day tasks, we fulfill God s will in our lives.The Domestic Churchis designed for a group study with questions at the end of each chapter, a Leader s Guide and answers, but can also be appreciated as an individual retreat. --Susan Haggerty,Faith and Familymagazine