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Jesus chose to be born of a mother and because of this, must highly regard motherhood!  As we prepare to honor our own mothers this Mother’s Day, we also look to Mary, the model of all motherhood, whose spiritual maternity encompasses all humanity.  At the foot of the cross, He made spiritual motherhood a reality by entrusting all of humanity to her in three simple words, “Behold your mother!”  But what exactly is spiritual motherhood? 

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (formerly known as Edith Stein), said, “Woman is destined to be bride and mother. Both physically and spiritually, she is endowed for this purpose.”  Women have special gifts they bring to humanity by the very fact that they are women. 

Physically, they have a space inside them, to receive and nurture life, but this physical space points to an even deeper spiritual capacity within the heart of every woman to receive another person, to make another feel welcome, accepted, embraced, and loved.

Consecrated women have a particular vocation to be spiritual mothers.  This motherhood is a fruit of their union with Christ from which everything else flows.  In a religious vocation, a woman is asked by the Lord to love others in a more expansive way, one that is not limited to particular individuals within her family. 

She is asked to love all of those who are placed before her and entrusted to her care, giving each one her attention, her tenderness, her time, and her prayers.

As we prepare to honor our earthly mothers this Mother’s Day, let us also honor those many spiritual mothers in our lives, whose selfless love has helped form and embrace us in countless ways: grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends, godmothers, coaches, mentors, teachers… 

In fact, Catherine’s life was explicitly offered for the good of the Church, which she loved wholeheartedly for the sake of Jesus her Bridegroom. Her letters are filled with appeals to join her in this unmitigated service:

At times it can be tempting to be discouraged by the circumstances we see around us: divisions and conflicts within the Church, polarization in our nation, and wars and violence throughout the world. It can be tempting even to despair that anything can be done in the face of such (so the temptation goes) unprecedented troubles.

But we are not alone in this – our sister Catherine knows the things we face! Her lifetime saw an actual schism in the Church; polarization and feuds to the point of bloodshed in her city-state; wars near at hand and throughout Europe. She was slandered both by strangers and her own family; nearly assassinated in the midst of one of her times’ many riotous outbreaks… 

Indeed, we can say that like her Spouse before her, she is not one “who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way” (Heb 4:15).

And Catherine was not crushed by this! Her heart was on the Cross with Jesus Crucified; her eyes were confidently fixed on Christ the Victorious One. She lived to the hilt the message of the empty tomb: that it is through suffering and death that death itself is conquered, and that we fight on the side of One who has already won the battle.

Brothers and sisters – in the midst of the legitimate difficulties facing us in the world and in our own circumstances, Jesus Christ is ALIVE!

May the confidence of St. Catherine be ours today, and may her prayers help us to be assured of the victory that He has won.

Holy Week begins with PALM SUNDAY. The Church invites the faithful to accompany Christ who rides humbly on a donkey into the Holy City, Jerusalem. People hold palm branches in their hand, echoing the song of the Children of Jerusalem who welcomed Jesus with these words, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Hosanna in the Highest!” The priest’s red vestments are striking as they reflect the story of the Passion of Jesus which is read at the Gospel. 

“The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum—which extends from the evening of HOLY THURSDAY to the evening of EASTER SUNDAY. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery.” (USCCB website) The Paschal Mystery (sometimes referred to as the Passover or Easter Mystery) are the main saving acts of Jesus Christ including His Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension.

Read the full HOLY WEEK reflection here.

Meditate with the Sisters on the Stations of the Cross

Our Lady’s response to the angel’s message teaches us to embrace our Lenten practices and difficulties of life with deep trust in God.

The Archangel Gabriel knelt before the Virgin Mary and announced God’s plan for her to become the Mother of God by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-38). Mary responded to this miracle by opening herself to Him with a whole-hearted “fiat” (“let it be done unto me”) and gave her free and loving “yes” in an act of complete trust in God. Her human eyes could not see ahead to what each day would hold, but she trusted the Father to guide everything now as He had all along. He would not leave her alone to face the task of raising the divine Child without assistance. 

Read the full reflection leading to Easter morning.

Delve deeper with this comprehensive guide to experiencing the Annunciation and Incarnation through scripture, art and reflection.

Announcing Our Newest Mission

With joyful thanksgiving, we are pleased to announce that we will be serving at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Gallup, NM, beginning with the 2023-24 school year, at the request of Bishop James Wall. 

Lenten Almsgiving Ideas

Rates have recently increased for Charitable Gift Annuities, which provide a guaranteed income stream for life and offer the potential for significant tax benefits.  CGAs are ideal for those 70 and older.  Learn more at Planned Giving

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Now you can request a beautiful Easter card be sent to your loved one letting them know of the Sisters’ prayers. Your Lenten gift also supports our work of Catholic education and evangelization. Learn more.

Jesus Himself experienced much pain in life. Scripture tells us that He endured betrayal, arrest, condemnation, rejection and crucifixion.

He was despised and shunned by others, a man of sorrows who was no stranger to suffering. – Isaiah 53:3

Jesus’ suffering was extensive, but it was not the goal. He takes no delight in our suffering or His own. Pain is not pleasing to God. Nevertheless, Jesus embraced a life filled with suffering and accepted a horrific death!

Love was the goal. Suffering speaks volumes to our stubborn hearts because that pain was endured for you. That pain means you are treasured beyond comprehension. No longer can we doubt His love because His suffering makes it most evident.

God is love and mercifully He requires much less from us to demonstrate our love. By small acts of self-denial through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, we willingly offer our hearts to Him. Let us approach Lent this year with the desire to satiate His merciful heart with our love.

Dear Lord Jesus, grant me the desire to love you and the grace to show my love through small acts of self-denial this Lent.

For those 70½ or older, a gift given directly to the Sisters from an IRA – also known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) – may bring significant tax benefits.

Talk to your IRA provider about setting up a QCD, or contact us for more information at 734.930.4233 or plannedgiving@sistersofmary.org.