Since it is Mother's Day, I thought you might enjoy this list of things our mothers taught us:
 
Our Mothers taught us LOGIC: ''If everyone else jumped off a cliff would you do it too?''
 
Our Mothers taught us HUMOR: ''When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.''
 
Our Mothers taught us GENETICS: ''You are just like your father!''
 
Our Mothers taught us ANTICIPATION: ''Just wait until your father gets home.''
 
Our Mothers taught us RELIGION: ''You better pray that will come out of the carpet.''
 
Our Mothers taught us about STAMINA: ''You'll sit there until all that liver is finished.''
 
Our Mothers taught us THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: ''I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.''
 
And the all-time favorite thing our Mothers taught us, JUSTICE: ''One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you. Then you'll see what it's like! I can't wait!''
 
Well, as a celibate male on that score I guess I never really gave my Mom the satisfaction of seeing me suffer through parenthood, but enough of that cynical humor on this Mother’s Day.  Let me take a more gracious approach and express our gratitude to all the Moms in our midst today for all the love you have bestowed on us, your children.
 
On this Mother’s Day, I have a deep sense of gratitude for having been blessed by the love of Irene Mary Ragan.  My Mom lived her life immersed in love, a love for God and a love for others, exemplified by the love she showed her family and friends.  She was a woman of faith who was blessed in so many ways and blessed so many others with that faith.  As my Mother she blessed me with the gift of life twice.  She gave birth to me in the natural world and as she taught me to pray and brought me to the Sacraments and helped me to keep my heart open to a priestly vocation she gave birth to me in the supernatural world.
 
So, to the women in our Faith Community who have given their children this double birth, into the natural world and into the supernatural world, we offer thanks to our Creator this day.  In a special way this weekend as we honor the Class of 2019, we give thanks for all the Moms (and Dads) who have prepared their children to step out into the world with confidence and a sense of compassion. 
 
And so we offer hearty congratulations to all those in our faith community who will be graduating from high school in the next few days.  Our prayers go with you as move on to new beginning in life. May your journey be filled with many blessings and the grace of perseverance when the blessings seem few and far between.  And don’t forget your faith family when you are home visiting.
 
 
Our Graduates
 
Robert Frankosky, Georgia Gillen, Ella Murphy, Bailey, Smith, and Gracie Watkins
 
 
Praise God that medical emergencies are few and far between in our faith community.  Nevertheless, I have concerns about parishioners reaching me when the Office is closed, and I am not in the Rectory.  So, please put my cell # 706-267-1073 in your phone so that you have it at hand if you ever need to call me in an emergency.  I trust folks will use good judgment in using this number.  Respecting boundaries is important but do feel free to use it to invite me to dinner.

Fr. Jerry Ragan