Mother Church

05-08-2016Weekly ReflectionFr. Brian Jazdzewski

I hope each and every one of us take some time today and pray for our mothers, whether she is living or deceased. Our mom has chosen to make months, then years, then the rest of her life making sacrifices for us. I continue to admire the moms who can hold a growing child in their arms, often for hours, and not complain about how their back, arms, nor legs get sore. The connection and affection moms have to their children reap great dividends in the lives of those who claim to have good moms.

On a related note, in a culture where we are often weighed down by the burden of anti-human life decisions, there are two recent encounters which illustrate our love for life. The first: I was gathered at a regional women' s meeting where a public statement was made about a new grandchild; needless to say, those in attendance applauded the reality that a new life was going to be part of this woman's life and ours. The second: I was recently greeted by a set of grandparents who announced to me, before greeting me, that they were proud of another addition to their family because a newborn came into their lives over the weekend. I hope and pray that you have experiences like these and we continue to rejoice, support and work to preserve the dignity ofhuman life.

I'd also invite you to consider mother with another connotation. The Oxford Dictionary defines mother as: denoting an institution or organization from which more recently founded institutions of the same type derive. The reason considering this definition on this Mother's Day is because of the news and conversation about religion. More specifically, we as Catholics, continue to make the news because of the actions and words of Pope Francis. As Catholics, we often speak of the Church as Mother Church. We belong to an institution or organization which has our religion as its foundation. As Catholics, we exist because of the work of Jesus and the Church which He established.

Sometime soon, I'd invite a careful read of the Acts of the Apostles. The book is easy to read and does flow in a clear chronological order. The text illustrates how the early church began to operate after Jesus departed from this planet. We see the foundation of prayer, including the scriptures and Eucharist, and the foundation of leadership. Along with the prayer and leadership is the important work of evangelization and catechesis. Countless numbers of Christians were living the good life of Christianity while countless others became inspired and wanted the same peace and joy for themselves. Those faithful witnesses desired to learn more about Jesus and His ministry and how to live as better Christians each day. So the work of catechesis continued to provide sound instruction to the members so they could deepen their understanding of what they already believed.

Often, in times like our own, we ought to consider our connection and faithfulness to Mother Church. We continue to follow the tradition of evangelizing by being more faithful witness to our faith. From our baptism we are on mission, and we need to remember that command from Jesus. Further, the work of catechesis is important for each one of us. Religious instruction is not limited to the years preceding Confirmation. No matter our age, there is always more to learn about what Mother Church teaches and how that instruction may aid our deepening faith.

For most of us, no matter our age, we have a need deep within our hearts to know, love and serve our mothers. Consequently, those human desires may all appropriately be applied to our Lord and His Church. Today and always we are in a position to honor our mother. Perhaps a prayer to our Blessed Mother might benefit us on our ongoing conversion. May the intercession of Saint Mary always lead us closer to her Son and His Church so that we continue to find our way to the everlasting life He promised to His faithful disciples.