Pope Francis in his Wednesday Audience of Jan.7, 2015 quoted the saintly Archbishop Romero:
Quote:
...Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero said... mothers live a maternal martyrdom. In the homily of the funeral of a priest killed by death squads, he said, echoing Vatican Council II: We must all be ready to die for our faith, even if the Lord does not grant us this honor to give ones life does not only mean to be killed; to give ones life, to have the spirit of martyrdom, is to give in duty, in silence, in prayer, in the honest fulfillment of ones duty; in the silence of daily life; to give ones life little by little. Yes, as a mother gives it who, without fear, with the simplicity of MATERNAL MARTYRDOM, conceives a child in her womb, brings him to life, nurses him, helps him grow and attends to him with affection. It is to give ones life. It is martyrdom. The quotation ends there. Yes, to be a mother does not mean only to bring a child into the world, but it is also a choice of life. What does a mother choose, what is a mothers choice of life? A mothers choice of life is the choice to give life, and this is great, this is beautiful.
A society without mothers would be an inhuman society, because mothers are always able to witness, even in the worst moments, tenderness, dedication, moral strength. Mothers also often transmit the profoundest meaning of religious practice. The value of the faith is inscribed in the life of a human being in the first prayers, in the first gestures of devotion that a child learns. It is a message that believing mothers are able to transmit without explanations: these will come later, but the seed of the faith is in those first, most precious moments -- and the Church is Mother, with all this, she is our Mother! We are not orphans; we have a Mother! Our Lady, the Mother of the Church, is our Mother. We are not orphans; we are children of the Church, we are children of Our Lady, and we are children of our mothers.
Dearest mothers, thank you; thank you for what you are in the family and for what you give to the Church and to the world. And to you, beloved Church, thank you, thank you for being Mother. And to you, Mary, Mother of God, thank you for having us see Jesus. The full text is HERE
Mary is the Mother and Model for all of us. Together as her sons and daughters in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we build up His Body in Love. The Church needs this spirit of "maternal martyrdom" -- the willingness to give freely and without fear, little by little, in the silence of daily life.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your Faithful. Kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. Form Jesus in us as you did in Mary.
Origin: master-of-pentagram.blogspot.com
