On Mother's Day

The Role of the Mother in the Family

From The Teachings of Pius XII on Marriage and the Family by Sister Paulette Huber, Ad.PP.S.

As Pope Pius XII writes, the mother is the “sun” of the family because her self-sacrificing generosity is ever operative in diffusing love which brings cheer to her husband and children. In this way, she diffuses “light and warmth about herself.  The woman, born as she is with the instinct of a mother and the wisdom of the heart, is like the sun that cheers the cloudy morning with its light and gilds the clouds with rays at its settings.”

She is the “sun” of the family because she possesses the superior though delicate power of softening the tumult of passions. Her eyes shed a light and her voice gives forth a melody that have a thousand flashes in a single glance and a thousand affections in a single sound. They are flashes and the sounds that spring from the heart of a mother that create and bring to life the paradise of childhood and always radiate goodness and gentleness even when they admonish or reprove.”

Tremendous, then, is the mother’s power to determine the tenor of the home.  This truth is strikingly pointed out by Pius XII. “When, to the bride the Lord in His bounty will have granted the dignity of motherhood to the side of the cradle, the crying of the infant will neither lessen nor destroy the felicity of the home; but rather it will increase and elevate it into that divine circle, where the heavenly angels shine and whence descends a ray of life that conquers nature and regenerates the sons of men into sons of God.”

But a mother’s dignity further arises from her structuring the supernatural fabric of the home and of the society. For, precisely in her maternal mission of childbearing lies the secret to the mother’s salvation and sanctification. Accordingly, with St. Ambrose, Pius XII considers a good mother the foundation of all virtues. A cradle, he asserts “consecrates the mother; and more cradles will sanctify her and glorify her in the eyes of the husband and of the children, in the eyes of the Church and of the country.”

It is at once apparent that such a quality of life shares the sublime consecration of the cross. Down to its deepest roots her life is a life of sacrifice. Yet, though the maternal sacrifices be painful, the powerful graces of the Sacrament temper it, “The love of God, that raises her in her sacrifice beyond herself, opens the heart to all piety and sanctifies her.”  Of it are born to the children piety, modesty, purity, and fear of the Lord — all learned immediately from the mother.

Prayer to Be Recited by Catholic Mothers O Mary, “full of grace and blessed among women,” stretch out the hand of thy motherly protection, we beseech thee, upon us who gather round thy queenly throne as thy handmaidens, obedient to thy command and resolved with thy help to bring to realization in ourselves and our sisters the ideals of truth and Christian perfection. Our eyes are fixed on thee in admiration, Immaculate Virgin; thou who art loved by the Heavenly Father above all others! O Virgin Spouse of the Holy Ghost! Tender Mother of Jesus! Obtain for us from thy Divine Son the grace to reflect thy sublime virtues in our conduct, according to our age and condition of life. Grant that we may be spotless and pure in our thoughts and in our behavior; gentle, affectionate, and sympathetic companions to our husbands; to our children solicitous, vigilant and wise mothers; prudent administrators of our homes; exemplary citizens of our dear country; faithful daughters of the Church, ever ready to allow ourselves to be guided by her in thought and deed. Help us, loving Mother, to be truly devoted to the duties of our state of life; help us make our homes true centers of spiritual life and active charity, schools where consciences will be rightly formed, gardens where every virtue will flourish. Give us thy help that in social and political life we may be patterns of deep faith, of consistent and gracious practice, of incorruptible integrity, and of well-balanced judgment based upon the solid principles of religion. Bless these resolutions which thou hast inspired us to make and the trials thou hast helped us to bear; may we with thine aid come to see their abundant fruits in time and in eternity. Amen. — Composed by Pope Pius XII, May 26, 1957

The Light of Truly Believing Souls

The Light of Truly Believing Souls

                At Easter it was the Lord's resurrection which was the cause of our joy; our present rejoicing is the Lord's ascension into heaven.  We are commemorating that day on which our poor human nature was carried up, in Christ, above all the hosts in heaven, above all the ranks of angels, beyond the highest heavenly powers to the very throne of God the Father.  In this act, the grace of God shows itself still more marvelous when, in spite of Christ's withdrawal from men's sight, faith does not fail, hope is not forsaken, charity does not grow old.

                Such faithfulness could never be born in our hearts, nor could anyone be justified by faith, if our salvation lay only in what was visible.  Instead, through the grace of God, great minds and the light of truly believing souls put unhesitating faith in what is not seen with the bodily eye.

                 Even the blessed apostles, though they had been strengthened by so many miracles and instructed by so much teaching, took fright at the cruel suffering of the Lord's passion and could not accept his resurrection without hesitation.  Yet they made such progress through his ascension that they now found joy in what terrified them before.  They were able to fix their minds on Christ's divinity since their bodily eyes no longer hindered them from turning all their attention to the realization that he had not left his Father when he came down to earth, nor had he abandoned his disciples when he ascended into heaven.

                Our Redeemer's visible presence has passed into the sacraments.  Faith is nobler and stronger because sight has been replaced by a doctrine whose authority is accepted by believing hearts, enlightened from on high.  This faith was increased by the Lord's ascension and strengthened by the gift of the Spirit; it would remain unshaken by fetters and imprisonment, exile and hunger, fire and ravening beasts, and the most refined tortures ever devised by brutal persecutors. 

                Let us follow the example of those throughout the world- women no less than men, tender girls as well as boys-who have given their life's blood in the struggle for this faith.  It is a faith that has driven out devils, healed the sick and raised the dead.  And for this faith, over 200 young girls in Africa have been kidnapped and held, this month, this year.  What do we do for our faith?  Are we truly believing souls?  (gleaned from a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope)  kvs

SABAT MATER

Stabat Mater

           Tradition holds that our Blessed Mother daily visited the scenes of our Lord's Passion.  She would walk the one half mile of the via Delarosa (way of sorrows) or via crucis (way of the cross) and stop at each site.  In fact this stopping gave us the words "The Stations of the Cross," from the Latin statio (to stand still), for Mary would contemplate the events of each location, considering/pondering in her heart their meaning. 

The first stop is at the Fortress Antonia where Pilate washed his hands and the crowd called for crucifixion.  This very same crowd that a few days ago was spreading their cloaks and palms along the way of Christ into Jerusalem, now sees her son crowned with thorns, bleeding from cruel lashings by whips and hooks that tear the skin and calls “Crucify Him.”  And Pilate.  He knows her son is innocent of any crime worthy of death, yet is forced to do something to keep peace in Jerusalem. Pilate refuses to make the final decision.  He isn't strong enough to go against the crowd, the mob, he lets them win, lets them choose to have a rebel released and to kill this gentle man who speaks of a Kingdom not of this world.  Mary knows this all has to happen, this is God's plan to save mankind from the cost of their sin, but as a mother she feels the pain.

The crowd is appeased by the sentence of death, Her Son is given the cross to bear, the weight of His wood of death, but the Tree of Life for mankind.  He struggles.  He falls.   The soldiers force Him up, secretly cursing those who whipped and crowned Him.  The whipping was to make the dying faster, but this Man is so weak he may die on the way to His death.  Mary is able to follow her Son, unaware of those who clear her way- her sister, Mary Clopas, and friend, Mary Magdalen, and John who follows to protect her from the jeering crowd.  Where is the humanity now?  They have their way, Jesus is on His way to punishment for daring to be the Messiah, but still they call out, "Save yourself."  Is there no compassion for those destined to die this horrible death.  What evil did He do?  He only healed, cast out demons, raised the dead, restored children to parents and the ill to their family.  What evil did He do?  He fed thousands and preached love of God. He forgave some sins.  What did He do to be so horribly punished?

Mary remembers so clearly the moment when she looked into her Son's eyes on His journey.  Suddenly there had been a clearing in the mob, and there she was, face to face with her Son, her baby, her God.  She shared His human pain.  She shared the willingness that He should die for the salvation of the many alive now, of those who had died, and for those yet to be born.  Mary knew this was "Just and Right," but inside her mother's heart she mourned her loss, His pain of this moment.

The soldiers were really frightened now, this Jesus looked as if He would crumble at any moment, and there was still a quarter of a mile to go.  He could never carry a cross that far.  Then, there in the crowd, a strong man.  And so Simon of Cyrene was forced to help carry the cross.

Then compassion at last.  Veronica, amid the crowd, comes forward.  In her eyes is a man, weakened by torture, blood streaming down his face from the thorn crown, and salt sweat stinging his eyes from the strain of moving.  She feels she must act.  She removes the veil from her hair, there is nothing else to offer, and hands it to the man.  He takes it and wipes his face, a bit of relief, not just from the sweat and blood, but from the compassion.  From the crowd yearning for his death, here is one who sees a man in need.  She may not recognize God, but she is charitable to the man.

Despite this momentary relief of kindness, and this help from a strong man, Jesus falls again.  The soldiers are angry with Simon, but he couldn't support the full weight of the cross and keep the weak man ahead of him from falling.  As He rises, women come forward weeping for His pain and suffering.  Jesus knows what he is doing.  Though His human body is weak, His Wisdom is strong.  Knowing the reason for his painful journey, He tells them not to weep for Him but for themselves and for their children.

He falls again, this time it was the soldiers fault.  They were so close to Golgotha, they hurried Him along.  They had to get Him there before He died on the way.  Despite falling this third time, they had arrived.  Jesus was lain down on the cross, His hands and feet nailed to the wood.  The agony of the nailing was little in comparison to the moment his full weight strained against the nails once the cross was placed upright.  Now the soldier's job was done.  His clothing was divided amongst them, but His cloak was fine, and so they gambled for it.

Mary would never forget seeing her baby about to die in the same naked state in which he was born, only she would not be allowed to wrap Him in swaddling clothes.  Instead, she would help wrap Him in a shroud and not lay Him in a soft manger of straw, but in a cold slab in a tomb.  She would always see herself and Jesus.  Their eyes meeting.  A knowing passing between them.  This was God's will, and the pain would be only  for a time, death for a time, then He would arise, having beaten Death and Satan.  His death and resurrection would be the salvation and redemption of the world.  Justice would have been served.  Man would be free, if he would only accept the gift.

Each day she walked the half mile.  Each day we are asked to walk our paths, and journey as her Son did doing the will of God.

Katherine Stevens