Thank God for Our Holy Mothers

…and Our New Holy Father!

There is an old expression on the farm: “If Mamma ain’t happy…ain’t nobody happy!”   

It is a funny quote which stresses the reality of the matriarch in our families.   Our mothers and grandmothers, by and large, are the ones who hold things together in the family, take care of everybody and keep the peace!  They are also the primary teachers of Faith within the family.  

On Mother’s Day, we voice the gratitude to God we feel in our hearts that we are so blessed to have a mother.  And then, if they are still living, to voice that to our mothers, to give them a gift and a hug!  And if they are already with the Lord, we still thank them and tell them we love them…as they will still get the mail.  

Today is also Good Shepherd Sunday, a day on which we remember the gift of our priests and pastors, the Sisters who taught us the faith in Catholic School, and any others who were shepherds to us, bringing us closer to Christ.  

As I was writing this on Thursday, the news came in that the Cardinals had elected a new Holy Father, the Chief Shepherd of the Church.  Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was born in Chicago, and is the first ever American pope!  The event of a papal election each of us will experience only a handful of times in our lives, and we give thanks to God that the Seat of Peter has been filled.   As always, there are many problems in the world: wars, poverty, hunger, great injustice, religious persecution, suffering and death.  The Pope is the Vicar of Christ (the representative or deputy of Christ) in the world, and he has great power and authority to lessen some of these evils through his diplomacy, prayers and intercession.  Still, the main duty of the Holy Father is to be the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, and to do everything in his power that all people will know and love Jesus Christ.  

Of course, every priest is charged with leading God’s people to Christ.  As my spiritual director in the seminary always said: “The purpose of a priest is to bring people to Jesus and Jesus to people.”   Priesthood is the sacrament which brings the sacraments to others.  You will find our bi-annual vocations newsletter inserted into the bulletin.   Please remember our seminarians and candidates in your prayers.  These men, please God, will be coming soon to a parish near you!  

The Catholic Church is “Mater et Magistra.”  She is Mother and Teacher.  As our mother, she takes care of her children, and she teaches us that “Jesus is the answer to which every human heart is the question.”  Please don’t forget to wish the Blessed Mother a happy Mother’s Day today during the May crowning. 

Remember: “If Mamma ain’t happy…ain’t nobody happy!”  

Fr. Brett Brannen

Pastor