Excerpt: Ven. Anne de Guigne, 'the Apostle of the Nursery'

[Shin]

Ven. Anne de Guigne... her biography calls her 'the Apostle of the Nursery' in where she would help her brothers and sisters in holiness.

In fact I think that biography is a great example of the spiritual life of children and gives some idea of how to raise holy children. So important to know..

She was very small for her age. She was not holy from the start either.. on the contrary.. Very strong willed.. did some bad things.. described as jealous.. bossy.. yelled at her doctor.. one day rubbed sand in the face of her new baby brother's, in his eyes because she was jealous her mother had kissed him.. but then she had a conversion..

At age 5, for her first Communion preparations, a Jesuit especially examined her. He did not keep to the order of the catechism but asked her questions out of order to make sure she knew the material.

Here are her answers. I'll quote the book of her biography (on sale cheap from Tan Books I still believe.)


"What is your chief fault then?" he asked.

"Pride," answered Anne promptly, "and disobedience too."

"Humility here," thought the priest, but he pretended to be very stern and told her that a little girl who wanted to receive Our Lord must obey at once and do whatever she was told. Then with a quick turn he asked: "When does Jesus obey?"

"At Mass," answered the child without any hesitation.

"What words does He obey?"

"He obeys the priest when he says: 'This is My Body, this is My Blood.'"

Then the examiner tried another subject: "What Sacraments have you received?"

"Baptism and Penance," she replied.

"And which are you hoping to receive?"

"The Holy Eucharist and Confirmation."

"No more?"

"Perhaps someday I shall receive the Sacrament of Matrimony," she suggested.

"Holy orders too, eh?"

"Oh no, Father, how could I? That's your Sacrament!" The little maid was not to be caught tripping.

Outside, Mother St. Raymond was getting more and more anxious but at length they both appeared smiling to her great relief. "I wish you and I were as well prepared to receive Our Lord as this little girl is," was the examiner's verdict.

All obstacles being now removed, Anne joined the first communicants' retreat at the convent. It was given by one of the Jesuits who took for his text: "Obedience is the sanctity of children." All those little one's listened with good will no doubt, but as in Our Lord's time, "the seeds fell, some on thorny ground, some by the wayside and some on the good ground."

For Anne the Father's words were a revelation. Being a saint, then, for a little girl, meant being obedient. Being obedient meant pleasing Jesus; and as she wanted to please Jesus, she must therefore be obedient. The logical little mind had put the matter with a clarity worthy of St. Thomas. All that remained was to carry it out; and with Anne to know was to act, so it was done."'

[RachelKH]

I want to find a book about her for my girls, and me too.

[Shin]

Tan Books has her biography on sale right now I believe for about four dollars.

[RachelKH]

I ordered the book!  But the page said it would be $4 shipping -- and when I submitted my order, it suddenly changed to $8 shipping!!!!!  I'm not happy but I don't know what to do about it.  I like shopping face-to-face so much better.  Well, we will be glad of having the book anyway.

[Shin]

Hmm, I'd email them about it!

It's a great book Rachel. 

[RachelKH]

Yea!  I called them and got the shipping changed.  Thanks!  Now we will finish some other books while we wait.

[Shin]

Glad to hear it.

I was reading it just the other day, and have it open before me now.

Hearing the stories of her taking care of the other children in the family at her young age is truly inspiring.

[Shin]

I read someone say,

"Our Faith is essential to our everyday lives, but sadly, most Catholics we know are 'cafeteria' or Sunday-only Catholics. I find it a little disturbing that our fellow parishoners are shocked that our teenager enjoys attending things like Stations of the Cross and has built his own alter in his room, our two year old knows most of the basic Catholic prayers by heart, and our five year old says the Rosary on her own daily. I always want to say, "Your children don't?!""

Yes you can raise holy children, especially if you yourself live that life and provide the holy example from the heart.  

Your little children can be little saints!

Something to aspire to, whatever place you are in life!