9 minute read
JOYFUL LITTLE CATHOLICS
BY BONNY VAN
West Chester Father Creates Catholic Books for Young Children
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When it comes to ABCs and 123s, stay-at-home dad Zach Hinger hopes young children are able to add a little more faith to their early education. That’s why he’s written and illustrated a board book perfect for tiny hands, titled My First Catholic Words. Based on the concept of other “first words” books, Hinger said the project started out with just his own family in mind.
“I never intended for it to be anything bigger than that,” said Hinger. “I wanted something for these two- and three-year-old kids, to help them start to learn the faith. And I know there are a lot of great resources out there, but a lot of them are targeted to kids slightly older than that. And I felt like there was a hole, especially in that very first step.”
Hinger knows about those first steps into the Catholic faith. He graduated in 2010 from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a double major in theology and catechetics with a focus on youth ministry and a minor in business. Following college, Hinger landed a job as director of Children’s Formation for St. Patrick Church in Taylor Mill, KY, guiding the faith of children from pre-school to eighth grade, and eventually taking on junior high and high school students. During Hinger’s four years in Covington, he married his wife, Amanda, whom he met when both were involved in youth ministry at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Liberty Township. Family illness brought the couple closer to home in West Chester, and Hinger said “a nudge from God” got him back in youth ministry at his old church. Within a year, he was the pastoral associate for evangelization and catechesis and his first child, Lillian, now 5, was born. By the time Hinger’s second daughter, Theresa, now 2, arrived, there was a change in Amanda’s schedule. Instead of working from home as a consultant, she would have to return to full-time work outside the home at a position that also required travel. Hinger’s job required “a lot of evening and weekends,” and after much prayer and discernment, the decision was made for him to stay home with the children.
Hinger said he spent his first year at home enjoying time with his children, but by the second year, he started working parttime for his family’s construction company and creating a children’s book for his daughters.
“I just kind of started it as a pet project for our kids and over this last year, in prayer as I was finishing it, God was nudging me and telling me that he wanted me to do something more with it,” said Hinger.
Hinger said in January, he decided to self-publish the book, tapping into his business degree to create his own company,
Joyful Little Catholics, LLC, and build a website for people to purchase the book. Then a funny thing happened on the way to the printer: His wife was due to give birth to the couple’s third daughter the same week 1,500 books were to be delivered to their home. The quarantine, however, stopped everything, except the arrival of baby Cecilia, and the books were delivered two months later in June.
Hinger said just by word of mouth and social media, 100 books sold within the first month. Now, packing and selling books has become a family affair, and Hinger said he and Amanda take turns praying for those who have made purchases.
“It has been incredible to see how this venture has brought our family together,” said Amanda. “The kids love helping us count out books and fill orders. All along, Zack’s whole mission has been to bring families closer to God and closer together. I love seeing the fruit of his work and hearing from people it has impacted.”
Hinger said a second book is already in development, one aimed at slightly older children, and proceeds from the first book will pay for that one. With a built-in test audience, it shouldn’t be hard to complete. Now that the family is back in church physically, Hinger said he has used the book to re-introduce his daughters to things in the church, like the sanctuary lamp, altar and baptismal font.
Included in the book is an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is also used for the company logo. Hinger said he and his wife were drawn to the image when they were praying about branding for the business. Little did he know the significance of that image with this new direction from God.
“God’s timing is always different from our own,” said Hinger. “I was thinking this thing was going to happen two months earlier, and God put us on hold for a while, and then it all fell in place and we were ready to run on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, which was really cool.” Jaime’s Tree Service
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St. Thomas More
As a young man, Thomas More was fascinated by joining the monastery in the English hillside, but God called him to be a husband and father instead. He and his wife, Jane, had four children before she passed away at a young age. Thomas remarried a woman named Alice, taking her daughter in as his own. He was known as a loving father who wanted the best for his children, making sure that his daughters received the same education as his son.
Thomas was also an excellent writer, lawyer, and politician who was known for his honesty and integrity. He rose to the high and powerful position as Lord Chancellor of England in 1529. King Henry VIII trusted Thomas as his political righthand man.
However, King Henry decided that the government would not follow the pope anymore and in turn, broke away from the Catholic Church. This did not shake Thomas’s faith and he continued to remain loyal to both the Church and the pope. Thomas also refused to accept King Henry’s divorce and remarriage which made King Henry livid. Despite Thomas’ honesty and integrity, he was arrested and sentenced to death. His last words were: “I die the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”
Pray through the intercession of St. Thomas More that you may always have the courage to stand up for what you believe in, even when others put you down.
BELIEF COURAGE FATHER FREEDOM
HUSBAND
CATHOLIC AT HOME RULES OF ENGAGEMENT FOR SPOUSAL SPARRING
My husband and I had a disagreement a few weeks ago. We were both tense, defensive and in utter disbelief that the other held an opposing perspective. Andrew and I typically see eye to eye, or at the very least we understand one another, so coming to a stalemate made the whole situation even more uncomfortable. In short, we made it, but not without following a handful of guidelines to keep the fight clean.
YOU’RE NOT OUT FOR BLOOD One of my professors at Benedictine said, “My wife and I know that arguments aren’t for either spouse to win or lose; they’re joint efforts for us to arrive at the truth.” If you look at it that way, a fight can quickly dissolve into a more civil discussion, one in which you regard your spouse as a teammate instead of an opponent. Personally, this concept has been transformative. Looking at Andrew as on my side, instead of against me, in an argument helped bring down my defenses. I became a better listener and more interested in hearing how he felt.
BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR CONTRIBUTION When I argue, I think I’m right and not the one to blame. I bet I’m not alone on this one. But over the years I’ve learned to accept the possibility that I could have caused as much pain and confusion as I project onto my husband. Being honest with myself keeps the argument from becoming defensive, since I’m able to see and admit my own faults.
HIT THE BREAKS St. Paul said, “Be angry but do not sin, do not let the sun set on your anger” (Eph. 4:26). I suspect St. Paul wasn’t actually speaking to finishing an argument before the actual sunset. Anger is a powerful emotion, and if we hit the brakes before it becomes resentment or sinful, then we don’t “give the devil an opportunity” to work on us (Eph. 4:27). While we’re upset, it’s still possible to be respectful and charitable. Time apart or a good night’s sleep can yield clarity of thought and the selfcontrol for calm conversation. And, because the wound isn’t as fresh, it’s easier to base words on reason rather than heightened emotions. In the light of day, Andrew and I better see that we’re on the same team, and whatever caused the rift between us isn’t important enough to threaten our marriage.
DON’T ADD INSULT TO INJURY Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” A current argument isn’t the time to unearth old wounds, seasoned grudges, character flaws or name-calling. To speak plainly, it’s not nice. Taking jabs will make you lose focus and stir up more pain and issues unnecessarily. If you’re tempted to roast your spouse in the heat of an argument, call for a time-out until you can keep a civil tongue.
APOLOGIZE & FORGIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT From honest lips, “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you” are paramount to reconciliation. For sincere apologies and forgiveness, I have to let go of my grudge, hold myself accountable for my mistakes and move forward. God Himself is quick to forgive, and we should imitate Him.
Arguing carries countless pitfalls along with it, and if charity doesn’t rule the day, we might find ourselves in pain over more than the original issue. If we focus on respecting the inherent dignity God gave each of us (even through clenched teeth), an argument won’t turn ugly.
Marriage is 10 times bigger than selfishness, fights and faults. “What God has joined, let no man turn asunder,” and that includes the two of you. Regardless of how deeply rooted arguments are, holding your tongue or considering yourselves as a team goes a long way. It takes just one person’s calm to disarm the other’s unnecessary defenses.
The family – the domestic church – is the building block of society, and that building block is formed around the relationship between husband and wife. With these rules of engagement in your pocket, the whole family will feel the difference, and the resulting peace will make its way into the world.
KATIE SCIBA is a national speaker and Catholic Press Awardwinning columnist. Katie and her husband Andrew have been married for 11 years and are blessed with six children.
