Message for Easter III – Sunday, May 1, 2022

Brothers and Sisters,

This past week I shared with some persons how, in watching the funeral service for the late U.S. Secretary of State, Madeline Albright, I reflected on how her faith as a member of our Church, impacted the quality of her service.  I further shared how the understanding of the Church as our mother was  impactful because although she is not a perfect mother, she is a wonderful mother. 

In recent times, we hear very little about the Church as mother church.  There was a time when in our Cures, we were always reminded that the main Church was referred to as the mother church.  While some constructs become outdated and are not practiced in real terms, the guiding principles informing these constructs are still of value.  I suggest that the principle of the Church as our mother is of value.  The nurturing and caring roles we associate with mother, should always be seen in our ministry as Church.  The type of understanding we know  our mothers provide, should always characterize how we do Church.  The Church’s ministry to provide moral direction and ethical clarity I suggest should be informed by and defined by understanding, and caring.  The challenges, struggles, and issues being experienced by many people cause them to live with pain, hurt and episodes of depression.  In this context,    our capacity to care, to support, to understand is of the  essence.

While it is not my intention to downplay or avoid the struggles and challenges we face as the Church, we should not allow  them to deter us from our ministry to become mother church   to the wider community, then we will discover that we are not struggling in isolation but struggling along with the family of humanity.

Today we thank God for giving to us mother church.  We thank you for her love.

Love profound,

Fr. Eddie