Holiness for House Wives by Dom Hubert Van Zeller

Holiness for Housewives: And Other Working Women is a gem of a book that I ordered after I saw it reviewed on a blog. I can't remember whose blog, but thank you! Instead of the chatty self absorption of some contemporary books dealing with motherhood, this one had simple practical advice with surprising insight into the daily distractions of motherhood. I say surprising because the author is/was an English Benedictine monk at Downside Abbey. If you like reading Christian classics such as The Practice and Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, you'll find this spiritual guide to be a bit similar in it's simple direct instruction....sort of a "rule of motherhood " within the domestic monastery. This is conforming to God's will rather than uniformity among man; the agenda is God.

Each chapter should be absorbed and considered as a whole, otherwise his writings can be taken out of context. Zeller rounds out his thoughts in this manner, unlike like contemporary authors who are more likely to follow a predictable pattern. Zeller's points are clear, just meaty and layered.

From a Dom Hubert van Zeller Review, "Holiness, he writes, isn’t about being better than or superior to someone else, it’s about being closer to God, a closeness that comes only through prayer, trust and obedience."

Holiness for Housewives was published in 1951, and abridged in 1997(modernized). It is written for a Catholic audience with a Nihil Obstat, but could be read by other denominations as its reference to Catholic devotional practices are not the focus, merely implied or assumed for the most part. The focus is an "effort to show the compatibility, indeed the essential unity, of the two calls" that of the "vocation of the interior life" and "the cares of the household; how to find God amid the dishes, the diapers, and the dirty laundry". This guide is helpful to new mothers, experienced mothers, and Christians along all points of their spiritual journey.

There are some wonderful prayers for housewives at the end of the book, as well as further reading recommendations.

Review of the Day Prayer:

Even if today has been only routine. Lord, there is a great deal to be thankful for. With each successive day, You give me new graces, and for these I now give thanks. I give thanks, too, for having been spared the evils that might easily have come my way. I regret most sincerely the occasions when I neglected Your grace, and I hope, by the help of even more support from you, to make a better thing of tomorrow. Amen.

Contents:

Chapter One: Your Special Vocation as a Housewife
- Don't be misled by a false notion of holiness
- Discover God's will for you as a housewife
- See your vocation as your God-given path to holiness
- Draw holiness and happiness even from drudgery

Chapter Two: How to Pray Amidst Your Daily Duties
- Discover the kind of prayer that is best for you
- Learn the two ways to pray and work
- Try to develop an ever-prayerful attitude
- Seek tranquility in God's presence
- Be direct in your prayers
- Pray as God wants you to pray now

Chapter Three: How to Grow Holier Day by Day
- Seek holiness for the right reasons
- Refresh your weary soul with spiritual activities
- Beware of the temptation to run away
- Learn to obey authority
- Remember that God calls us to self renunciation
- Let God enrich your leisure time
- Choose God
- Learn to pray by praying
- Resolve to pray always

Chapter Four is prayers

Dom Hubert Van Zeller is also the author of Holiness: A Guide for Beginners, Holiness for Housewives, and Spirit of Penance, Path to God.