Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day

Which directions can I take this post? I'm certainly going to include an amazing quote from Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty, but I could also talk about Bl. John Paul II's Encyclical on the Dignity and Vocation of Women (or just link it). I could also talk about Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of Mercy Incarnate. I could also talk about my own mother, and a situation one of the students and a dear friend of mine is facing with his own mother and family. Let's start there and see where it goes.

So, one of the student's moms is in the hospital. The doctors aren't quite sure what's going on with her. They thought it was her heart, but now they don't believe it is. All of the family is really worried...except for the student. A few years ago, his dad passed away, which, tragic as it was, brought an even greater good from it: the student's conversion to the Catholic Church!! He is now serving the Lord as sacristan in charge of the altar servers for the Mass and other liturgical events. This summer, he'll even be joining me on a month long summer immersion course in North Dakota. The point is, since reverting to the Church, he's be growing in faith and love by leaps and bounds. I've reassured him many times that this is just another trial and an opportunity to continually grow closer to Our Lord. We're praying that this current situation can be a similar opportunity for the rest of his family. Yet, there is tension amongst his siblings who don't seem to understand. I simply pray that he can be a shining example of Christ for his family and I hope that you join with me in that prayer.

I'd like to talk about my own mother at that too. I won't reveal all the details out of respect for her, but I hope she knows that I am thankful for all that she's done for me...truly. Yet, that does not make her a saint. There are things that she's doing that I can't turn a blind eye to and say some magic touchy-feely words and make everything okay, make it all right... and the sad part is not that I'm bitter or not grateful or anything like that.... the sad part is that she doesn't realize that if she proceeds this way, it's going to be bad news for her and for other parties involved. In my opinion, it stems from society's unrelenting desire to ignore sin...

Sigh. Well... I think I'll just leave you with the quote I mentioned before I heard it from Barbara McGuigan earlier this past week. It really is beautiful... and that's what people don't understand about the Church. She is truly beautiful and only teaches what She does in Her great wisdom because She knows that what we can get ourselves into will only hurt us. So... while we can and should honor our own mothers, there is One Mother who is often under-estimated, under-looked, and quite simply, misunderstood. Let's honor Holy Mother Church this Mother's Day by maybe spending an hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament and praying for our own mothers respectively.

The Most Important Person
on earth is a mother. She
cannot claim the honor of
having built Notre Dame
Cathedral. She need not. She
has built something more
magnificent than any
cathedral-a dwelling for an
immortal soul, the tiny
perfection of her baby's
body…The angels have not
been blessed with such a
grace. They cannot share in
God's creative miracle to bring
new saints to Heaven. Only a
human mother can. Mothers
are closer to God the Creator
than any other creature; God
joins forces with mothers in
performing this act of
creation…What on God's
good earth is more glorious
than this: to be a mother?

God bless all mothers through His Mother Mary and Holy Mother Church!!