Mother

Let us then resolve to practice daily devotion to Mary, our life, our sweetness and our hope. In all dangers and temptations we should fly to her protection as the child flies to its mother and seek our safety and consolation in her loving and maternal care. If we wish to share in Mary's happy Assumption into heaven, we must imitate her example, striving always to be clean of heart.

Let our devotion to her be constant and self-sacrificing as was Joseph's. Thus, by striving to imitate the virtues of the Holy Family, we shall bear in our lives the family likeness and in reality become brothers and sisters of Jesus and children of Mary, to live forever with them in heaven.  Fr Thomas Augustine Judge

Lately, while raising two motherless goat kids, I have been reflecting a lot on motherhood. There are so many things I have to take care of that a mother would simply do by her presence. The correct food, the correct warmth and comfort, and the correct stimulus and guiding to new sustainence. It has made me look upwards as I try to patiently stand around while a baby discovers a grass blade and figures out if it is food or not! I want to be more aware of and take advantage of the wonderful gifts Jesus' Mother has for me. I loved her as a little child and then spent many years ignoring her and rejecting her wonderful love. I am now at the threshold of knowing her - for her mother's love forgave me long ago for my neglect and lack of respect. I am humbly grateful. Jesus' gave us his mother for very specific reasons and that is good enough for me. It behooves me to find out what those are. She is not only His mother - carrying perfectly the perfect Word in her womb - she is His perfect first disciple, our model - but so much more than that. She is my mother - and the more I am aware of the lack in my poor little orphans and the trouble I am put through to replace their absent does - the more it has made me understand that I want all that Mary has to give and I want to respect her and serve her as she brings me to her Son.