An Indispensable Vocation

Dear Friends in Christ,

            In this month of May, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary- she who was conceived without sin, who conceived the Son of God through the power of the Holy Spirit while remaining ever virgin, and was assumed into heaven when her earthly life was complete- we also honor our earthly mothers for the gift of life.  For my family, this is our first Mother’s Day without our holy matriarch.  While we feel Mom’s absence in so many ways, we also sense her presence and her soul communicating with us.  Personally, I sense Mom in certain situations when I retrieve the many words of wisdom she spoke to me, which conveyed her grasp of the human condition and her ability to be both honest, consistent, humorous, and merciful.  Often, these were the attributes Mom had to show towards me!  While we wished we could have had more time to say goodbye to Mom before her sudden passing, our hearts are filled with gratitude for her indispensable role in our family as mother of seven, grandmother of 18, humble servant, and prayer warrior- in love with Jesus and Mary.  

            From the beginning, God’s plan for marriage and the family has remained unchanged:  man and woman joined us one, open to the gift of life, distinct yet complementary in their roles within the family, helping each other and their children to pass through the narrow gate that leads to heaven.  My friends, despite the confusion, chaos, and sinister plan of the devil who seeks to destroy marriage and the family just as he attempted in the Garden of Eden, we know that through the grace of the sacraments and the unchanging truths of our faith, the family, rooted in Christ, will prevail.  In this month of May, let us entrust our families to the care and intercession of Our Lady of Fatima.

            To our beloved mothers here at St. Joseph Church & School, thank you for witnessing to the truth of motherhood, marriage, and the family.  It is you who give life to your children, serve them in many hidden ways, and love them with the love that only a mother can give.  May your husbands and children love you and honor you not just on Mother’s Day, but every day, as you deserve.  Our Sunday Masses will be offered for those mothers, living and deceased, whose names have been included in our Mother’s Day offerings.  May the Blessed Virgin Mary cover our mothers with her mantle of protection and may we heed her words spoken at Jesus’ first public miracle at the wedding feast at Cana, “Do whatever He tells you.” 

In Jesus and Mary,