Our Journey Has Begun
Our journey of spiritual motherhood at St. Vincent de Paul has begun. The first meeting of the Catholic Moms Group on September 24 was well attended. There were 8 mothers out of the 12 who have signed up. All the Moms were excited to have an opportunity to meet at a local Parish and be among other women who are striving to raise their children in the Catholic Faith. They were very happy to have some time to chat and share with new friends and enjoy a cup of coffee in a friendly and non competitive environment.
The Mothering Full of Grace DVD on Friendship was very engaging and interesting to all the mothers and set the stage for a good discussion. The topic of friendship touched upon new and familiar issues for these mothers who had children in preschool, elementary, secondary and postsecondary institutions. The importance of fostering positive friendships for each member of the family was discussed.
Every woman could relate and identify to the isolation and exhaustion that motherhood can often bring with a newborn or a big family and the demands of a busy schedule. We discussed how a woman’s natural inclination toward self-giving is both a blessing and a burden. We all reflected upon how mothers need to care for themselves in order to care for others. A mother’s needs for physical, emotional and spiritual rest and nourishment cannot be ignored. It was beautiful to hear how some women shared their special prayers and devotions and echoed how they each turned to Jesus and Mary or another Catholic Mom.
All the women expressed their gratitude for the Catholic Moms Group meeting. I am grateful that Father Daniel Utrecht has given us the space to meet in the Parish Hall. I am blessed with this opportunity to be of service to God in this mothering ministry and after this first meeting I can say that Catholic Moms need other Catholic Moms and that we are a gift to each other. We all need encouragement and support in genuine friendships.
Brenda Ezman
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