"Preserve order and order will preserve you"
St. Maximilian Kolbe

I find these words from my dear mentor, most helpful, especially when I spin like a weather vane through my day. A plan, a little schedule, a routine, in one word "order" help to direct me when I am left dizzy or numb. Being able to look at the clock and say - its Angelus time. We've finished lunch, it is Eucharistic meditation time. Or when evening has arrived, it is time to think of St. Joseph. These little prompts add "order" to my day. (See Castle of the Immaculate Family Prayer for our family's prayer schedule.)

Because of original sin, no one will ever have a completely ordered day. It is impossible. Even nature has been thrown out order by our parent's first disobedience.

"To the man he said: "because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,
'cursed be the ground because of you!"
Gen 3:17

My job is simply to try to order the chaos. To strive to tame the chaos in one small area at a time. I am trying to achieve "tomorrow will be slightly more ordered than today."

It helps me to have a little order in reading to my children.There are so many good books to read, so many topics to pursue, that I have a little routine in helping me start my reading with the children.

Mondays: Science/geography
Tuesdays: Art/music
Wednesday: Poetry
Thursday: History

If I find myself in 'weather vane' mode, I just have to determine what day it is and the time, and I can begin taming the chaos. Sometimes, I only read from the one subject, but most times, this little schedule, gets me started.

I have also finally learned to have several books going at once. We have such varied interests, true of most larger families, that I now let everyone pick a book, and we will read short sections of each book. This has really helped in keeping interest level high.


The context from which "preserve order" is taken:

A RULE OF LIFE FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONSECRATED TO THE IMMACULATE VIRGIN
St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
1. I must be a saint and a great saint.
2. For the glory of God, I must save myself and all souls, present and future, through the Immaculate.
3. Before anything else flee not only from mortal but also from deliberate venial sin.
4. Do not permit: a. that evil remain without reparation and destruction; or b. that good be without fruit or increase.
5. Let your rule be obedience-the will of God through the Immaculate, I am nothing but an instrument.
6. Think of what you are doing. Do not be concerned about anything else, whether bad or good.
7. Preserve order, and order will preserve you.
8. Peaceful and benevolent action.
9. Preparation_Action_Conclusion.
10. Remember that you belong exclusively, unconditionally, absolutely, irrevocably to the Immaculate: Whoever you are, whatever you have or can, whatever you do (thoughts, words, action) and endure (pleasant, unpleasant, indifferent things) belong to the Immaculate. Consequently, may she dispose of them according to Her will (and not yours). In the same way it belongs to Her all your intentions; therefore, may she transform them, add others, take them away, as She likes (in fact, She does not offend justice).