Holiness for Housewives: And Other Working Women

by Hubert Van Zeller

This unique spiritual guide will help you grow holier and more prayerful as you perform the most menial household chores -- not in spite of those chores, but in the midst of them. Written especially for women in charge of households, Holiness for Housewives will help you better understand and respect your vocation as a housewife -- and discover in it your own God-given path to sanctity. This handy guide will show you how

Genres: Christian, Catholic, Nonfiction, Faith, Spirituality, Religion, Christian Living

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Dom Hubert van Zeller lived a life of spiritual adventure and holy renunciation. He was born in Egypt when that nation was a British protectorate, and entered the Benedictine novitiate at age nineteen. His soul thirsted for an austere way of life; at one point he even left the Benedictines to enter a strict Carthusian monastery. However, he soon returned to the Benedictines. A talented sculptor as well as a writer, his artworks adorn churches in Britain and the United States. He was a friend of the great Catholic writers Msgr. Ronald Knox and Evelyn Waugh, and is the author of Holiness: A Guide for Beginners, Holiness for Housewives, and Spirit of Penance, Path to God.

Reviews

[Pete Caccavari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gem of a book. Most every page I am wowed by some nugget, some insight. Although geared toward women, it is an excellent spiritual work for men as well. Can't recommend it highly enough.

[Jean Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Reread.

[Danielle Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I'm not giving it give stars is it was too short! 🤣 Just as I was grasping what he was saying, he had moved on to something else.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure I completely resonate with the presumed scenario of the frustrated housewife, and I find his writing tone a bit pedantic (I’d prefer these ideas coming from a fellow housewife, probably), but I concur with his prescription. Learning that we do not need to sanctify the daily chores but allow the daily chores to sanctify us makes a big difference. And understanding that prayer mitigates our disappointments and unites our desire to serve the Lord with the practical acts of service at hand is precisely what I’ve found to be true. Short enough to be read during a nap time, this book might offer enough helpful reorientation to be worth your time!

[Grace Mello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I randomly picked this up at the adoration chapel and was not expecting it to be so impactful! The writing was very straight forward and it felt like the perfect timing for a lot of stuff I needed to hear at this stage in life. Not sure how I feel that it’s written by a man but we can’t win them all

[Jenny Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated this short book. Lots of good wisdom that I should probably reread every day. It could have been organized a little better maybe (or been more thorough), but the content was very good.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. My favorite takeaway was the promise that “There is nothing that you are up against that God has not given you the grace to surmount” I found that phrase to be so comforting ✝️


⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Julia]

This author's writing style didn't resonate with me.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book correcting the discontented heart that says the homemaking life is too unspiritual and/or hectic for pursuit of God. I can't relate to the book's assumed audience, the wife who's so distressed and disappointed by her station. I also think Van Zeller embraces renunciation for renunciation's sake, especially toward the end, as if renunciation were a good in and of itself (bordering on ascetism?). I feel Joe Rigney's Things of Earth is a helpful counterpoint to consider. Nevertheless, here are some great gems from the book:

-"Religion is recognizing God in His own setting. The setting is provided by Him, not by us" (13). In other words, if we say we want a life designed by God but then insist that we can't glorify Him in the life we have received, we really want an "us-designed" life, not a God-designed life.
-Challenging: "You may be handicapped psychologically from perfecting the work that circumstances force upon you. You may be physically unequal to the strain of it. But you are not at a disadvantage spiritually. So far as prayer goes, you are being given enough grace to render to God the measure He expects from you" (25).
- "If this morning is going to be of any use . . . it must be spent in a way that shows that I accept every moment of it as coming from His hand. It is not so much that I must sanctify it as that I must let it sanctify me" (27).
- Most edifying passage of the book: "If you do not pray, everything can disappoint you by going wrong. If you do pray, everything can still go wrong, but not in a way that will disappoint you. So the more you pray, the less things can disappoint you, because their going wrong or not going wrong is, to you, now, not the whole story. By praying, you have got yourself into the position of being able to draw success out of failure. You now know that you are praying not for success, but for the glory of God. And God's glory can be served just as well in failure as in success.
"But it is even simpler than that. Pray, and do not think of failure or success. You cannot measure either of them anyway, so why bother? Disappointment need not enter into your calculations at all. You have not the least idea what will be the outcome of your prayer--except that certainly it will be pleasing to God" (61).

I love this last idea that our lives aren't ours to measure. This will be a helpful corrective to my constantly striving, measuring tendencies for a long time to come.

[Anne-Marie]

A friend loaned me this book, and so far, it's interesting. It was written in the 1950s, and the writer assumes the reader is frustrated because her vocation as a homemaker is getting in the way of an imagined ideal of the pursuit of holiness.

[Emily Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book.
One I am sure I need to read again.

It's about being happy with your vocation - stay home/homeschooling mom for me.
It's why I pray when I clean the kitchen.

Pray where you are...

Sigh.
It's awesome.

Em

[Sarah Winslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight back on the "to reread" list! So much realistic instruction and inspiration in such a short book!

[Caroline Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite books. Extremely spiritually helpful, gives guidance I’ve needed for so long but wasn’t receiving anywhere. Short enough that I didn’t get exhausted and eventually stop reading because I didn’t have time. So straight and to the point, compassionate, understanding, clear, and blunt at all the right times. 10/10 recommend for all lay women.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but mighty.

Great read.

Beautiful section of prayers for morning, evening, dealing with specific moods (like bad ones haha), etc in the back of the book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book has a lot of great thoughts and ideas. I love the idea of those mundane tasks that we do as mothers being an act of worship to God and using that time to pray. And I love the idea that whatever happens in your day is what God wants you to do that day. Those interruptions are His plan for you.

There was a lot to think about and to challenge me, but not everything here was applicable to my beliefs and my situation.

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with encouragement on being holy in your state in life. I hear the IHMs use it in their formation. Read for a book study and wish that I had implemented it more.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended to me on two occasions in the confessional.
Simple. Practical. I recommend this to all my girlfriends, especially the moms.

[Maureen O'brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about developing a deeper spiritual life through our family duties as wife and mother.

[Robin]

This is the book I recommend over "A Mother's Rule of Life"

[Nitrorockets · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I need to read every year. Very helpful in reminding me about the importance of prayer and the simplicity of finding time in my day.

[Bernadette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive. Wordy for no reason. Clearly written by a man with certain assumptions about women and her role.

[123bex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rot.

[Maryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an accidental find on Amazon. I was looking at a book I saw recommended on social media and saw this in the “you may like this too” section. Holiness for Housewives was a pretty intriguing title and it was fairly inexpensive, so I figured I would check it out. I probably would not have made the same decision if I had been in a brick and mortar bookstore because I quickly realized that it was written from a very Catholic position. However, I in no way regret the read and pulled many nuggets of practical wisdom for my daily life. The author, Hubert Van Zeller, is quite blunt about writing in response to statement of wives and mothers that they would be much stronger in their spiritual lives if it were not for the responsibility of caring for their families. And he says, “Imagined sanctity is no sanctity. A religion that exists in hypothetical circumstances cannot endure the pressure of actuality.” The book itself is not very long and much of the second half is made up of traditional Catholic prayers for the housewives day, so I didn’t pay much attention to those. But the central theme is that wherever you find yourself, that is where you are meant to worship and serve God. “So if God will that you should be bowed over the sink instead of over the pew in your favorite church, then washing dishes is for you, now, the most perfect thing you can possibly do. … It can only be repeated that your whole business is to look for God in the midst of all this. You will not find Him anywhere else. If you leave your dishes, your housekeeping, your telephone calls, your children’s everlasting questions, your ironing, and your invitations to take care of themselves while you go off and search for our Lord’s presence in prayer, you will discover nothing but self.”

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Reading Challenge 2018
Egypt

Wonderful short book! Minus one star because there were frequent sections I could not understand. Which might reflect more on my theology capabilities than the book itself. :-o

Highly recommend to other catholic moms, who take their spiritual life seriously. If you sometimes wish you could be in a convent instead of at home with needy children, so that you could pray properly, this book is for you! It talks about how God desires to make you holy THROUGH your vocation of motherhood, not in spite of it.

Reading this reminded me of Thomas Merton. It had a meditative and prayerful quality. It moved me. I would want to own this book and re-read it periodically.

This was written in the 1950s, but it could have been written today aside from one C.O.D. reference and possibly the mention of obedience to husbands. The spiritual life and trials of a housewife don't change much.

The author was a contemporary and friend of Evelyn Waugh. :-)

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after hearing it recommended by a source I trust (Sarah MacKenzie from Read aloud Revival) during a workshop on homeschooling. While this book has Catholic leanings in some areas, It does a great job of being relatable for any Bible believer. There were 2 or 3 mentions of the saints, and some Catholic prayers in the back but nothing that felt pushy.

I read this slowly over the course of 2 months, and then upon finishing it, I flipped back to the front and started a reread. I spent so long slowly reading it that I had somewhat forgotten some of the stuff from the beginning so the reread helped remind me of the things I found important enough to underline on my original read. I feel like this is good for any Christian mother who is struggling to feel content in motherhood/stay at home mom life. Also, for being written in 1950, it is surprisingly still relatable.

[Laura McAninch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for good reason. Granted, a book broaching this subject matter and being dated as written in the early 1950s, would make one assume it is unrelatable to today's times. The opposite is true. This is a gem for working mom's as much as stay at home mom's. This blends the two sides into one empathetic front and builds all souls for God. It eliminates any of the minor oppositions that are untold but do subtly exist between working away and staying at home. We are all striving for God and a spiritual, prayer life with Him and this thin, easy reading book packs the biggest punch. I wish I had come across this book a decade ago and had the chance to read it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect with this book but I'm so glad to have it as a resource on my bookshelf! The title may be misleading as, though it is addressed to housewives, it is a book written for anyone who seeks to be holier in and among all the things of life. The author writes in a straightforward, philosophical style (think Lewis in Mere Christianity) and I appreciate that so much when compared to all the other "books for women" I've read that tend to favor different versions of "you go girl" over true spiritual exhortation. Some of the prayers in the back I plan to write out to use in my daily life - especially the one "for when you're exhausted by housework"!

[Julie Tegtmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is certainly applicable for housewives and working men or women, all. It calls to mind the daily toils we all endure in some form and allows us reflection on why we endure these daily trials. This quick read not only offers practical guidance to bring God to the forefront of our thoughts during a day, through different forms of prayer, but it is also a clear and thoughtful spiritual urging; this world is fleeting: do not let your trials overwhelm your humanness to a point of inaction. Our trials are of God and it is through them that we are blessed and sanctified.

[Amanda Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a Catholic women's book club and.... I don't know. There were some genuinely insightful nuggets but the tone was very clearly of its era (the 1950s). It was written by a man who I am sure meant well but is a bit patronizing in his tone toward women. It also assumes a certain degree of dissatisfaction among stay at home mothers that I find curious and that hasn't been borne out in my experience.

[Nada Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook, and I feel the need to reread this as soon as I am finished reading it, for there were so many wonderful, practical thoughts and notions within it's pages that I often wanted to pause, to ponder, or to take notes. I believe I will be ordering this text as a physical copy and studying it many times over the years. I also understand that Mr. Van Zeller has many other writings, and it makes me interested to see what else he has written. An excellent tome!