Mary, the Perfect Mother

Good morning and a joyful Saturday to you! Last week we talked about May being the month of Mother Mary, and it the theme of motherhood continues! Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and, although it’s a Hallmark favorite, our Catholic Faith embraces the role and importance of mothers as well! 

God showed us the dignity of a mother by sending His Son to us through a woman—a mother! Jesus understands our need for a mother and He gave us His own as He died on the cross. So, Cause of Our Joy this morning will focus on mothers. Whether you happen to be a mother or not, there’s something here for everyone. (After all, we all have a mother!) 

So, without further ado, let’s get into this!

QUOTE: “The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother,” ~Saint Therese of Lisieux. 

Mary, the Perfect Mother
Think about it: if you were to create your own mother, you would take care to make her perfect in every way. God did create His own mother, Mary, and she is the model for all Christians and in a special way the model of motherhood. Here is an article on how imitating Mary can increase your faith. 

Some Mothers Fall Short
For many, a loving relationship with their mother is something they don’t have. Because of our fallen human nature, all mothers, even the best of them, sin and fall short. Some struggle more than others. For those of who have a strained relationship with their mother, Jesus gave us His own. This article tackles the tough subject of the failures of our mothers and how the Blessed Mother can help

Mother’s Day Can be Difficult
Let’s face facts: for some, Mother’s Day can be a difficult day. Some of us have lost our mothers, some of us are estranged from our mothers, some of us are mothers who have experienced the loss of children, some women deeply desire to be a mother but are not. 

For those of us who feel a twinge of pain on Mother’s Day, this piece speaks into that hurt. You are not alone. If you are a mother who has gone through the loss of children, or if you have a close friend who has experienced loss and you don’t know how to help, this article from Catholic Exchange is for you

We ourselves have experienced loss—both of a mother and of children. If Mother’s Day is difficult for you, we understand and if we could we’d come right through this email and give you a hug! Know that our prayers are with you. 

Spiritual Motherhood
Not every woman will be a biological mother, but spiritual motherhood is a calling that every woman can answer. This piece by Alice von Hildebrand has a lovely perspective on the power and need for spiritual mothers. 

Prayer for Mothers
We know the power of prayer. This prayer for Mothers from CatholicCulture.com offers a beautiful prayer for all moms. If you have time, take a moment and pray it for your mother! 

Encouragement
No one disputes that motherhood is one of the toughest jobs out there. One of the hardest things for a busy mom is finding the time for personal prayer. We struggle with this ourselves! There always seems to be so much that distracts and pulls us away from quiet time with the Lord.This article has some great suggestions for this and was exactly what we needed! 

We know well that being a mother comes with its fair share of insecurity. Are we all that our kids need us to be? Why can’t we be more patient? Some of our greatest joys and heaviest crosses come from having children. This article from Mary Haseltine does a wonderful job discussing what it means to be “just a mom.” 

This link has 15 Marian quotes that are perfect for Catholic mothers.These are so good—we want to frame some of them for our homes! 

Marian Minute
This week marks the 102nd anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. This article offers a summary of twenty things that you should know about Fatima.

The messages of Fatima are still as pertinent today as they were then—actually, even more so! In fact, Sr. Lucia said that the final battle would be over marriage and the family, and don’t we see that today?? Let us pray for the protection of family life and for an increase in strong, holy marriages! 

Saint Spotlight
Although their feast days don’t happen this week, we thought we’d take this time to talk about the Fatima children, Sts. Jacinta and Francisco Marto. These children, along with their cousin, Lucia, showed maturity and holiness far beyond their years. This article tells of the life of the siblings, Jacinta and Francisco

Sr. Lucia, lived a very long and virtuous life, entering the Carmelites ultimately and passing to her eternal reward at 97 years of age in 2005. The diocesan phase of her sainthood cause concluded in February of 2017, and now is under study at the Vatican, where the cause for her beatification continues

Sunday’s Readings
This Sunday is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The readings tell of how Jesus, the Lamb of God, becomes the Good Shepherd by doing the Lord’s will. Jeff Cavins has a great video in which he reflects on this Sunday’s readings, “I know my sheep and they know me.” 

Marian Center Update

Community Potluck & Family night – Friday, May 17th, dinner starts at 6:00 
Marian Consecration preliminary class – Thursday, May 23rd @ 7:00 
Paint a Saint – Saturday, May 25th 6:00-8:00 
Eucharistic Retreat – Saturday, June 8th 

To Christ Through Mary, 

Katie Moe and Lori Mercer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.