Habemus Papam!!! Happy Mother's Day!!!

We have a new Holy Father--Pope Leo XIV. May he be a true shepherd of the flock, a shepherd after the heart of the Good Shepherd. May the Holy Spirit guide him all the days of his life. 

He's the first pope from the US. I confess I didn't know anything about him until now, but I am certain I will learn more over the years. I really like this picture of him meeting Pope St. John Paul II, considering that May 18th, the day of Pope Leo XIV's installation is the birthday of JPII. 

How fortuitous that on this Mother's Day, it is also the third Sunday after Easter, with my thoughts upon the Holy Father and fatherhood, that traditionally, it is a feast honoring St. Joseph as protector of the Church. I tell you, the riches in The Liturgical Year are inexhaustible.

Wishing all mothers a very happy Mother's Day. I still miss my mom, but not as much now that I have Mary in my life. She's the BEST Mother and I'm so grateful she has made herself known to me, mothered me. Her Magnificat is one of the most beautiful prayers. This is my favorite arrangement, by Palestrina, sung by Voces8. 

Motherhood and More

Bittersweet Mother's Day. Max would've been flying out to go on his mission trip to Calcutta, instead he's home with us. I'd scheduled Mass intentions for Dagny for her birthday (best gift ever), instead we were only able to have our little domestic church. Still, we are blessed.   

My reflection for Thursday's Gospel--washing of the Disciples' feet--is up on CatholicMom. I wrote it last September, not realizing that Catholics worldwide would not have access to Mass due to the pandemic. How we hunger for the Real Presence of Christ amongst us. How we long to receive Him. How we miss Him. One of the blessings has been no sacrilege--but with churches slowly poised to reopen, I am appalled at some of the suggestions of dropping the Sacred Host into people's hands. Better not to distribute the Holy Eucharist than to do this. The risk of abuse is too much.

I am equally distressed at the lockdowns continuing. Do they actually save lives? Perhaps. Take a look at these two articles: Lockdowns Don't Work by Lyman Stone and The Worldwide Lockdown may be the Greatest Mistake in History by Dennis Prager. I hope and pray that it's people like these who are advising our governments about policies because it's one thing to be under emergency orders for a month or two (that have already destroyed many small businesses) but quite another if civil liberties are suspended for months on end.

There is always a trade-off between risk and security and unfortunately most people do not estimate risks very well. Every year, we have 1,000 people who die in car accidents just in the state of SC. Do we ban driving? We take a risk every time we hop into the car. We take precautions, like having a vehicle in working order, wearing seatbelts, and driving defensively, but we drive at our own risk. We risk becoming a nanny state, or worse, under totalitarian rule if we do not think for ourselves and our families. We are praying, praying, praying for our leaders to make wise decisions. I also loved this article by Msgr. Pope: Coronavirus, Where is Thy Sting? Why This Gripping Fear is Useless because yes, we want to live abundantly, both physically and spiritually. 

So here's my birthday girl--19 years old! Still a teenager but maturing into a lovely young woman. She's the same age as i was when I met Michael, but the biggest difference is that she's God's girl and knows it. That's her true identity. I pray she continues growing closer to God. I still remember how upset she was when she learned that there was no St. Dagny--I told her she can be the first. After all, that's what she, and all of us, are made for. Heaven!   

Here are some scenes from our little patch of paradise and it wouldn't be complete without a couple of book recommendations: Ultimate Makeover by Carrie Gress and A Mind at Peace by Christopher Blum. Be well. Pax Christi!

      

Happy Mother's Day

This was a busy weekend -- rugby match (semi-finals ... Bishops won so we'll go to the state finals this coming weekend), extra choir practice, fighting traffic (Michael said more people go out to celebrate Mother's Day than Easter), plus a birthday girl in our family. I love that she shares her birthday month with one that honors Mary, who is also our Mother. For those of us who've lost our mothers, Mary is especially close. I often imagine my mother in heaven enjoying her company! I like that we sing Salve Regina at the close of every Mass in May and October. I wish we sang Ave Maris Stella more often, especially since our Church is named Stella Maris!

Max is 2 yrs, Dagny is 2 mo old

5 yrs later: Dagny 5, Max 7

10 yrs later: Max 17, Dagny 15

See how the years fly? The next time I blink, they'll be flying the nest. How I love being a mother! I cannot truly express my joy. I am grateful I've been able to stay home with my children, watch them grow, have a hand in shaping their character. I am deeply grateful for my husband, who made a mother out of me (it's not called Holy Matrimony for nothing) and supported me. He was delighted that I wanted to stay home and didn't push me to work. I know several of his colleagues who thought it was the stupidest thing because I could've been raking in 100K a year working at a biotech company. But they don't realize that being with your children is more important than money.

Alright, since I'm feeling far too sentimental, it's probably a good idea to read BABIES: An Unsentimental Anthology by Iona and Peter Opie. This is a book that will make you laugh and let all parents feel better when they discover that the baby you so longed for isn't a little angel all the time. Here's one of the tamer traditional poems:

Oh! let me kiss the baby
Once more before I go;
Oh let me kiss the baby
And bite his little toe.

I've known this phrase for the longest time: The Hand that Rocks the Cradle is the Hand that Rules the World. But I never knew it was a poem by William Ross Wallace (1819-1881) until now. To all mothers -- this is for you with all my best sentiments!

BLESSINGS on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace.
In the palace, cottage, hovel,
Oh, no matter where the place;

Would that never storms assailed it,
Rainbows ever gently curled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Infancy’s the tender fountain,
Power may with beauty flow,
Mothers first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow—

Grow on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Woman, how divine your mission,
Here upon our natal sod;
Keep—oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!

All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Blessings on the hand of women!
Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
And the sacred song is mingled
With the worship in the sky—

Mingles where no tempest darkens,
Rainbows evermore are hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.