The older I get, the higher priority I place on spending quality time with my parents and the more I realize the profound role I have in shaping my own children.Perhaps it’s because I now have a middle schooler in the house and I see time slipping away. I’m beginning to understand what it means to prepare your children to fly.Or, maybe it’s because I know that uninterrupted time with my mom is like gold. I have five children 12 and under, so uninterrupted time is a bit of a foreign concept these days.
Recently, as Pope Francis reflected on Christ’s resurrection, he poignantly spoke about the fundamental role of women in carrying on the message of Christ. What is it about this Pope? With every message, every tweet, every homily, something touches my heart in a way that is transformational. I think it’s because he’s meeting people where they are. He touches on our fundamental need to be loved, just as we are. More importantly, he’s inspiring Catholics and non-Catholics alike to live their faith in everything they do. He encourages us to be unafraid, bold and compassionate in our love for self, for God and for others.
“In the Gospels, however, women have a primary, fundamental role. Here we can see an argument in favor of the historicity of the Resurrection: if it were a invented, in the context of that time it would not have been linked to the testimony of women. Instead, the evangelists simply narrate what happened: the women were the first witnesses. This tells us that God does not choose according to human criteria: the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus are the shepherds, simple and humble people, the first witnesses of the Resurrection are women. This is beautiful, and this is the mission of women, of mothers and women, to give witness to their children and grandchildren that Christ is Risen! Mothers go forward with this witness! What matters to God is our heart, if we are open to Him, if we are like trusting children. But this also leads us to reflect on how in the Church and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord, in following him and communicating his face, because the eyes of faith always need the simple and profound look of love.”– Pope FrancisGeneral Audience, April 3, 2013*
At about the time I read his inspiring words, above, I saw a notice for a Mother’s Day retreat here in Central Texas, led by the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Providence at its best. My mom just joined the Catholic church this Easter. I can’t think of a better Mother’s Day present than a day together, focusing on and celebrating the dignity and vocation of women in the church.
The day retreat, held at Cedarbrake Retreat Center on Saturday, May 11, from 10am-3pm, is for daughters (middle school and older), mothers, grandmothers, aunts and best friends. The day includes Mass, lunch, small group time, quiet time and witnesses about our vocation as women in the Church. No doubt, the Sisters will invite all of us to gain a deeper understanding of the gift of our femininity and how to live it beautifully in today’s world. Just what does it look like to be an authentic Catholic woman?
To register for the retreat, visit the Diocese of Austin website. Cost is $35/person and includes lunch.*The full text of his message
