LSA: Vocation of spiritual motherhood for priests [Catholic Caucus]

WDTPRS ^ | October 11, 2008 | Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

[NYer]

I was alerted to this very good item on the website of the Diocese of Tulsa. 

Bishop Slattery continues to impress. 

You will remember his statement after pro-abortion Catholics Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) and VP candidate Sen. Biden (D-DE) made their scandalous gafs about the Church’s teaching on life.

You will remember his strong instruction about sacred music.

Now there is this spiritual approach to give support to priests of the diocese.

Potential Spiritual Mothers Join to Pray, Learn About Roles

Sheila Michie, at center, joins in praying the rosary with other women who are discerning whether to become spiritual mothers to the priests of the Diocese of Tulsa.

10/10/2008 – EOC Staff

Nearly three dozen women of all ages will spend the next three months discerning whether God might be calling them to the vocation of spiritual motherhood to the priests of the Diocese of Tulsa. If they believe He has given them this vocation, they will spend the month of January in spiritual formation, deepening their prayer lives in preparation for their blessing by Bishop Edward J. Slattery on Sunday, Feb. 1.

The women who will begin their discernment traveled from across the Diocese on Oct. 7 for a Night of Reflection at Holy Family Cathedral offered by Father Mark Kirby, o.Cist. The focus of the evening’s prayer and reflection was the relationship that exists between Our Lord and his Blessed Mother, who was privileged to share in a unique way in her Son’s paschal Mystery. Father Kirby explained that from the cross, Our Lord, the Eternal High Priest, entrusted his disciple John into Our Lady’s maternal care, even as St. John assumed his new role of priest of the new covenant.

The vocation of a spiritual mother, Father Kirby said, is to sustain and support the Church’s priests in the same way Our Lady loved and supported her divine Son and her adopted sons like St. John. Spiritual motherhood “has nothing to do with doting on or mothering a priest,” Father Kirby said. Rather, a priest’s spiritual mother would offer herself to God, praying in intercession and reparation for him, spending time in Eucharistic Adoration and becoming “a point though which an abundance of God’s graces might flow to bless the priest and sanctify his work.

“This is the vocation being offered to you this evening. It’s not something that should be taken on lightly or without solid preparation.”

The program of spiritual motherhood is part of a Vatican effort proposed by Cardinal Claudio Hummes of the Congregation for the Clergy to draw on the link between the Eucharist and the priesthood – first, by establishing diocesan centers of Eucharistic Adoration and – secondly, by fostering the vocation of spiritual motherhood, in the example of Our Lady. Cistercian Father Mark Kirby gave two notable examples of consecrated feminine souls who lived out the vocation of spiritual motherhood. The first is the most popular saint of the 20th century, St. Therese of Lisieux. The second is the relatively obscure Margaret Mary Mathers, a widow, who offered herself as a spiritual mother for Padre Pio.

In discussing the program’s practical details, Father Kirby said that the women might never know the identity of the priest or seminarian they adopt, but emphasized that the hidden nature of the women’s commitment adds to its power. “Most likely, you will never lay eyes on the priests you are praying into holiness, but I promise you that you will see their faces in Heaven.”

In discerning the question of whether God has given them this vocation, the women will meet with Father Kirby on each of the four Tuesday nights of January to pray and reflect on the meaning of this life of prayer, penance and loving reparation. Thereafter, the spiritual mothers of the diocese would likely meet “ no more than three or four times a year.”

Among the women present Oct. 7 were Sister Christine Ereiser, O.S.B., prioress of St. Joseph Monastery with Sister Eugenia Brown and Sister Veronica Sokolosky, from St. Joseph’s Monastery, Tulsa.

“A couple of the sisters are interested, and so I came along,” Sister Christine said. “I’m very open to it; we’ll see what God has in store.” Father Kirby stressed that any mature woman could become a spiritual mother, including single women, married women with children, widows and consecrated religious. For information on the nights of formation to be offered in January, please call 307-4955 or divine.worship@dioceseoftulsa.org

 

This is the first I have heard of this type of program in a diocese in the USA.   Perhaps there are others, but I have not come across them.

I must say I am grateful for such a powerful initiative.

[NYer]

This is truly an awesome and grace filled ministry! Some bishops have brought in contemplative nuns to pray for the priests of their respective dioceses. This, however, is a program that any diocese can implement. Perhaps you can begin by copying and pasting this article into your word processor and sending it to your diocesan office. No doubt, Bishop Slattery will mention the program at the next USCCB meeting but here is an opportunity to get the ball rolling, locally.

[Tax-chick]

Sheila Michie, at center, joins in praying the rosary with other women

I know Sheila. She's a very holy woman, extremely hard-working in parish ministries and the Charismatic Renewal.

[Salvation]

It is Father Mark at Vultus Christi who was brought to this Diocese by Bishops Slattery. Here is his article from Vultus Christi. BTW, I post most of these on the Daily Readings threads.

Spiritual Maternity of Priests

By

Father Mark

on October 11, 2008 12:18 PM

Our diocesan webpage published a news article about the evening of recollection I gave in the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Tulsa on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. In the photo, Sheila Michie, at center, joins in praying the Rosary with other women who are discerning whether to become spiritual mothers to the priests of the Diocese of Tulsa

10/10/2008 - EOC Staff Nearly three dozen women of all ages will spend the next three months discerning whether God might be calling them to the vocation of spiritual motherhood to the priests of the Diocese of Tulsa. If they believe He has given them this vocation, they will spend the month of January in spiritual formation, deepening their prayer lives in preparation for their blessing by Bishop Edward J. Slattery on Sunday, Feb. 1.

The women who will begin their discernment traveled from across the Diocese on Oct. 7 for a Night of Reflection at Holy Family Cathedral offered by Father Mark Kirby, O.Cist. The focus of the evening's prayer and reflection was the relationship that exists between Our Lord and his Blessed Mother, who was privileged to share in a unique way in her Son's Paschal Mystery. Father Kirby explained that from the cross, Our Lord, the Eternal High Priest, entrusted his disciple John into Our Lady's maternal care, even as St. John assumed his new role of priest of the new covenant.

The vocation of a spiritual mother, Father Kirby said, is to sustain and support the Church's priests in the same way Our Lady loved and supported her Divine Son and her adopted sons like St. John. Spiritual motherhood "has nothing to do with doting on or mothering a priest," Father Kirby said. Rather, a priest's spiritual mother would offer herself to God, praying in intercession and reparation for him, spending time in Eucharistic Adoration and becoming "a point though which an abundance of God's graces might flow to bless the priest and sanctify his work.

"This is the vocation being offered to you this evening. It's not something that should be taken on lightly or without solid preparation."

The program of spiritual motherhood is part of a Vatican effort proposed by Cardinal Claudio Hummes of the Congregation for the Clergy to draw on the link between the Eucharist and the priesthood - first, by establishing diocesan centers of Eucharistic Adoration and - secondly, by fostering the vocation of spiritual motherhood, in the example of Our Lady. Cistercian Father Mark Kirby gave two notable examples of consecrated feminine souls who lived out the vocation of spiritual motherhood. The first is the most popular saint of the 20th century, St. Therese of Lisieux. The second is the relatively obscure Margaret Mary Mathers, a widow, who, inspired by Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, offered herself as a spiritual mother for priests, and lived as a Franciscan hermit in San Giovanni Rotondo.

In discussing the program's practical details, Father Kirby said that the women might never know the identity of the priest or seminarian they adopt, but emphasized that the hidden nature of the women's commitment adds to its power. "Most likely, you will never lay eyes on the priests you are praying into holiness, but I promise you that you will see their faces in Heaven."

In discerning the question of whether God has given them this vocation, the women will meet with Father Kirby on each of the four Tuesday nights of January to pray and reflect on the meaning of this life of prayer, penance and loving reparation. Thereafter, the spiritual mothers of the diocese would likely meet "no more than three or four times a year."

Among the women present Oct. 7 were Sister Christine Ereiser, O.S.B., prioress of St. Joseph Monastery with Sister Eugenia Brown and Sister Veronica Sokolosky, from St. Joseph's Monastery, Tulsa."A couple of the sisters are interested, and so I came along," Sister Christine said. "I'm very open to it; we'll see what God has in store."

Father Kirby stressed that any mature woman could become a spiritual mother, including single women, married women with children, widows and consecrated religious. For information on the nights of formation to be offered in January, please call 307-4955 or divine.worship@dioceseoftulsa.org

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

Mary, the Virgin Who Leadeth the Lamb

By

Father Mark

on October 11, 2008 8:03 AM |

Listening to Saint Bernard at Matins in the pre-dawn darkness, I was moved by his meditation on the obedience of the Son to the Virgin Mother. The obedience of the Incarnate Word to Mary is the pattern of our consecration to her. Subjection to Mary is the secret of growth in virtue. The rule of Mary, Immaculate Queen, is the rule of peace in the soul. One led by Mary will, necessarily, follow the Lamb wheresoever He goes.

Lord of Angels and Son of Mary

"Son, why hast Thou dealt thus with us?"
Mary called God, the Lord of Angels, her Son.
Which of the angels would have dared to do so?
It is enough for them, and they reckon it a great thing,
that, being naturally spirits,
they should receive the grace of being made and called angels,
as witness David: "Who maketh spirits His angels."

God Subject to Mary

But Mary, knowing herself to be His Mother,
doth boldly apply the word "Son" to that Majesty Whom the angels do serve with awe;
neither doth God despise to be called what He hath made Himself.
For a little after, the Evangelist saith: "And He was subject unto them."
Who to whom? God to men.
I say that God, unto Whom the angels are subject
and Who is obeyed by the Principalities and Powers,
was subject to Mary.

The Obedience of God: the Exaltation of Mary

Marvel thou at both these things
and choose whether to marvel most at the sublime condescension of the Son,
or at the sublime dignity of Mary.
Either is amazing, either marvelous.
That God should obey this woman is a lowliness without parallel;
that this woman should rule over God an exaltation without match.

She Leadeth Me

In praise of virgins, and of virgins only, is it sung that
"These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth," (Apoc 14, 4).
Of what praise then thinkest thou that she must be worthy
who even leadeth the Lamb?
O man, learn to obey.
O earth, learn to submit.
O dust, learn to keep down.

If you are not familiar with the Fraternité de Marie, Reine Immaculée, today would be a good day to visit their beautiful site. I had the joy of meeting members of the community both at Knock in Ireland, and in Paray-le-Monial