Celebrating our Earthly and Heavenly Mothers

As the celebrations of the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima and Mother's Day approach, Tina Mayeux reflects on the love of our earthly and heavenly mothers.

Several of my close friends have faced the hardship of losing their mothers. Witnessing the grief they experience over this piercing loss reminds me to give thanks for the gift of having my own mother alive and present to my family and me. Although I am fortunate enough to still enjoy my mother’s love and companionship, I realize that the greatest maternal presence in our lives will always be that of our heavenly Mother Mary. Whether you are still blessed to have your own mother here, or if she has passed on to eternity, every one of us should turn to our Mother Mary above all for guidance, protection, and love. She is a mother to each of us and loves us more than our earthly parents ever could.

Seven years ago, our family made the difficult decision to move four hours away from our own home state—the place where we had been born and raised—because my husband was offered a new job. The move was, to me, an exciting adventure full of possibilities. Indeed, we have met so many wonderful friends, and the memories we have made here have been amazing. The one drawback of relocating away from our families has been the fact that we don’t see them as often as we did before the move.

With Mother’s Day being celebrated this Sunday, I am reminded of the miles between my mother and me and I am missing her tremendously. Some of the things I miss most are my mom helping me power clean my home; the frequent, spontaneous shopping trips; and just being able to run over to her house during difficult times and share the good ones. She is truly the one I turn to for support and advice, and I love being able to spend time with her.

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Being hours apart from my mom has, however, encouraged me to depend more on my heavenly Mother and to call upon her more frequently for aid. Although my own mother is still only a phone call away, I now rely more consistently and trustfully upon Our Lady for my needs and concerns. One way I call upon her is through the recitation of the Rosary. The daily Rosary is a familiar and cherished practice that many of the saints, and Our Lady herself, have encouraged us to commit to. Whether reciting it along with a recording in my car while driving or at home with my family, the Rosary is a comforting ritual that never fails to unite me with our holy Mother and brings consolation and peace, even on the most chaotic of days. I think of it as my special time spent with my heavenly Mother and look forward to the deep communion with her that this most beautiful devotion fosters.

Just as I experience Mary’s maternal love and protection in my own life, I also know that she is an infinitely more perfect Mother to my children than I could ever be. At our Adoration Chapel, there is a statue of Our Lady tenderly cradling the Infant Jesus and gazing upon Him with eyes of deep affection. When I look upon this image, I imagine each of my own children, one by one, safe and snug in that warm embrace of their heavenly Mom. Knowing that they have been consecrated to her, I am confident in the assurance that she is protecting them and holding each one of them close to her Immaculate Heart. I am emboldened to release them into her tender and maternal care, certain that she can provide for them much more perfectly than I.

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The Rosary is a comforting ritual that never fails to unite me with our holy Mother and brings consolation and peace, even on the most chaotic of days. #CatholicMom

This coming weekend is a special one not only for our earthly mothers, but also for our Mother Mary, as we also celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday. The message of Fatima is one that is desperately needed at this time in the history of our nation and our world. Many are familiar with the urgent pleading of Our Lady during her apparitions to the three shepherd children—Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco—to pray the Rosary daily for peace in the world. The message is simple, yet it is important enough to bear repeating so we do not become complacent. In her own words, Our Lady told the children,

“God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.”

Along with the message to pray the Rosary, the children were also shown a terrifying vision of hell, where unrepentant sinners go, and they were urged by Our Lady to make sacrifices to obtain conversions. In her exquisite love, she sends us a warning to reform our lives and follow Jesus.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux said, “The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother.” During this month of May, and especially on this special weekend honoring our mothers, we show our gratitude for our mothers here on earth and in eternity. We can also honor our Mother Mary by presenting her with the gift she has so often and urgently requested—that we fulfill her requests for prayer and penance for sinners and for peace in the world.

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