Happy Mother’s Day: Reflecting with Pope Francis

“A life without challenges doesn’t exist,” and that is one reason a child needs a mother, Pope Francis suggested in a speech this month. Mothers fulfil a vital role by helping children “look realistically at life’s problems,” without getting “lost in them,” the pope said. A mother helps her children “to tackle” problems courageously and to become strong enough to overcome the problems they inevitably confront.

Of course, in this role a mother walks a fine line, seeking a “healthy balance” for a child, Pope Francis said. That means a mother “does not always take the child along the safe road, because in that way the child cannot develop, but neither does she leave the child only on the risky path, because that is dangerous.” A mother, said the pope, “knows how to balance things.”

Pope Francis talked about mothers’ roles during a May 4 visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the oldest church in the West dedicated to Jesus’ mother. May is observed in the church as a month of Mary. During his visit Pope Francis accented Mary’s motherhood. In her own life, Mary “saw many difficult moments,” he noted. And “like a good mother she is close to us, so that we may never lose courage before the adversities of life” and “might feel her support in facing and overcoming the difficulties of our human and Christian journey.”

May God bless you all, Fr Denis

RETREAT: This week the priests and deacons will be away on retreat with Bishop O’Regan. Please pray for us as we will pray for you.

STEWARDSHIP RENEWAL:

During the months of May and June a Renewal of our Stewardship Program will take place. The success of this renewal will be crucial for the project to build our church and parish offices. I ask all parishioners to give every assistance to the renewal of our parish stewardship program, to join if you have not previously joined, and together to make real the building of our church. This is first of all an act of faith, hope and love, and so more than anything I urge you to pray for its success.