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01 Jan 2012 - Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord; Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Cycle B

In the past few years I've been to more funerals than I care to count as my parents' generation crosses the threshold into all that is unseen. One theme that runs constant at the funerals for mothers is "Mom was a good listener." Despite problems they may have had with their mothers, when it came right down to it, their mothers were their close confidants. Like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, when mothers hear or observe things about their children, they tend to hold these things in their hearts and reflect on them. As their children grow, a mother draws on this storehouse of knowledge to help her children understand who they are and who they are meant to be. For this reason, mothers have a trememdous influence on their children. Yet wise mothers, following Mary's lead, know that their job is not to control or constrict their children or deny them their mission. Our children are our offerings to God. The best we can do is love them, teach them of God's love, and send them on their way with a blessing similar to the one Moses offered the Israelites: The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! Amen.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

mothers mother of jesus confidant

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Take Five for Faith Daily

Friday
April 04

Time without measure

Each year as we pass another birthday or significant milestone, we can be thankful for all the time we’ve been given. Yet making it to this moment doesn’t guarantee us one minute more. We could fret about how our days are numbered, but our faith shows us another way to calculate matters. Christians see time measured in love, and love is everlasting. We don’t need to know the hour or the day of our death, because the love we give and receive stems from a never-ending source that is, was, and ever shall be. As we love, we are already tapping into eternity.

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