Spiritual Motherhood

by Mary Jane Fox

I often tell people that I am the person I am today because of the mercy and love of God, my parents and my husband. My parents have been married 56 years; they are a faithful and loving witness of two persons in love with each other. The fruit of their love bore three children; I being the oldest and the only daughter. It was their love and commitment for each other that gave me a desire to marry and have a family.

My husband, Tom and I have been married 30 years. We have been unable to have children and adoption did not work out for us either. While it has been a sword in my heart; I have needed to depend on the Lord's mercy and the love of my husband. We have often been told we have many "spiritual children" through the years of our ministry. Yesterday, I was reminded of this when I received a phone call from a friend, Barbara, wishing me a "Happy Mother's Day from a spiritual child." Her message touched my heart deeply. I was so happy to have received Barbara's phone call.

There are so many married women unable to have physical children. Next time you meet a married woman who has not been able to conceive - thank her for spiritual motherhood and encourage her to "give life through her gift of herself as woman and by praying for others".

Happy Mother's Day to my "sisters in Christ who choose to live a spiritual motherhood"!

"Spring Cleaning for the Soul" by Sarah Stravitsch, Conference Coordinator

Many people take time in the spring to clean the house. When I was younger, my mom would have all of us clean the house for an entire weekend to make it "spic and span". I hated it. Afterwards, though, it was nice to have a very clean house. The sun seemed to shine a little brighter through the windows. The house was more spacious, and the air seemed crisper.The same can be true for our souls. It isn't too late to do a little "spring cleaning" for our souls if we have fallen lax in our Lenten disciplines.

Take time this Holy Week to draw close to the Lord. You could read from the Bible each day about the passion and death of Jesus. Pray a rosary or part of a rosary each day. Save the desserts and treats for Easter. Attend daily Mass or at least the Holy Thursday and Good Friday services. By contemplating the mystery of this Holy Week and uniting with Jesus in his passion and death, you will enter into the mystery of His resurrection. As the light of Christ fills your soul, Easter Sunday will seem a little brighter.

Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus

by Deacon Tom Fox

In the Gospel of Luke, we read these words of the child Jesus to his parents as he was found teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem. "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's House? But they did not understand what he said to them."

Even as Mary called Joseph Jesus' father, so would have Jesus called Joseph his father. But now that He has come of age, he speaks of God as His Father and His wisdom surprises the religious teachers. Even though Mary and Joseph know Jesus is the Messiah, they don't understand when for the first time He reminds them of His origin. They have been accustomed to Jesus being their son. But now He reminds them of His Heavenly mission.

We can become accustomed to Jesus being our friend, our brother, our food, but do we accept Jesus' call to take up our cross and follow Him ? How do we respond when He reminds us He is our Lord?

Jesus, Lord and Master, help my unbelief!
St. Joseph, pray for me to respond to the Lord's call to follow Him.

Childlike Trust in Jesus

by Sarah Stravitsch, Catholic Women's Conference Coordinator

“Mommy, fix it.”

These are the words I hear everyday, all day long. My 2 year-old son thinks I can fix anything and everything. He is lucky that between my husband and me, we can fix most things he needs. (Except for last summer, when he broke a lamp in someone else’s house. That was something I wish we could have fixed.) Last week he found my husband’s glasses and had them twisted before I could stop him. He looked at me not knowing he had done anything wrong and simply said, “Broken. Mommy, fix it.”

Today as I was untangling some string, he repeated over and over, “Fix it, Mommy.” It doesn’t occur to him that perhaps there are some things we can’t do. He is completely trusting and unquestioning.

It was in this moment that everything was so clear. This is the childlike trust Jesus wants us to have in Him. “Jesus I’m in need. I trust you. Please fix it.”

Heal us Mary!

This evening I heard Father Ishmael speak about the love of the Mary, mother of Jesus has for each one of us. He invited us to "sit on Mary's lap and be her child; tell her everything, tell her your needs, your desires and give her your wounds, your hurts." Father continued to invite us to enter this Season of Advent with Mary, to consider our 'spiritual home' with Mary; to spend time with her. It was consoling to hear this message; as elementary as it may sound for some; for me, it reminded me that Mary is my Heavenly mother who also knows me and all the 'junk or wounds' I carry. And she loves me! This Season of Advent will be an opportunity to remind myself each day of her presence, her love for me and for those I love as I meditate on her journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Joseph. As I think about how she and Joseph, simple and humble, asked for a place for her Son to be born. And Mary was full of hope and peace - she was carrying the Savior of the world in her womb and trusted in her chaste spouse, Joseph.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, pray for us! Mary of Nazareth, pray for us! Mary, Mother of of us all, pray for us!

Our Encounter with Mary,Mother of God

Mary Jane & Tom Fox

We are both cradle Catholics. Both Tom and my family were faithful and obedient to the Church. My father chose the U.S. Army as a career and so the family moved often and lived in various states and countries. While it was a good experience and educational; my brothers and I hadn’t the chance to attend Catholic Schools. However, my parents always made sure we were attending Catechism classes and involved in the Church. Tom was raised in a small town in Iowa and attended Catholic Schools through the 12th grade. We share this part of our life to give you a background on how both of our families were indeed committed to living the faith.

Mary Jane's Story
I am the firstborn of three. My parents married when my mother was 18 after a lengthy courtship with my father. I was born in their first year of marriage. Well almost….my mother became quite ill during the pregnancy and almost lost the baby – me. She and her mother have a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of San Juan (Our Lady of St. John). In discovering that she may loose the baby; she and my grandmother made a “promise” a “promesa” (in Spanish) asking our Lady of San Juan’s intercession and consecrated the baby to her. Well, behold I was born! In my adult life, I became more attracted to Mary. One of my favorite prayers to Mary is called the Hail Mary.

Eventually, Tom and I were attracted to a religious community founded in France in 1975 called the Congregation of St. John consisting of priests, brothers and sisters. We became Oblates of St. John (similar to a Third Order ). I don’t think it is coincidental that I become a member of this community. After all, they are named after their Spiritual Father – St. John the Evangelist.

Tom’s Story
When my mother was pregnant with me, she had Uremic poisoning and received the Last Rites, however, I was born premature on Mother’s Day, May 13th, Feast of Our Lady of Fatima and then all was well with my mother. In my adult life I discovered the power of Mary’s intercession. My favorite prayer is the Memorare. By the way, Mary Jane and I discovered Mother Teresa’s ‘express novena’ – praying nine Memorare’s. At times we choose to pray this “express novena”, trusting in our Lady’s prayers, in the prayers of our Mother, the Mother of God.