There is no more powerful human bond than a mother’s love for her child. And yet so much of the mystery of motherhood is a letting go—surrendering back to God this child whom God has entrusted to you, whom you’ve given birth to and nurtured and taught and comforted and sacrificed for. Even Mary, the mother of the Son of God, had to experience that surrender. ~ Dr. Mary Healy (Lesson Six Reflection)
The first question this week got me thinking about my adult children who are far from the faith. I know I need to surrender them to the Lord and I do say those words. But I also wonder, “what does surrender look like?” How does this surrender alter my relationship with my kids? How do I make myself available for their questions about faith, but not push them away from faith?
Hello, Lisa; my heart goes out to you in your beautiful surrender of your adult children. From my perspective, I would imagine that this surrender looks like your constant prayers for your children in their conversion. My husband often says that he just places a particular person in need of converstion in The Sacred Heart of Jesus and The Immaculate Heart of Mary and just allows Them do Their work. By living your faith and remaining a witness to Christ, you are speaking volumes to your children without words.
A spiritual director once told me that when correcting someone who is not in communioin with Church Teaching, say the correction only once; Gon’t ever repeat it. I believe it was St. Monica who heard God tell her to speak more to Him about Augustine and less to Augustine about Him. God Bless you in your love and perseverance!!
Thank you for your encouraging words, Barbara. It means a lot to me.
Similar to Lisa, I, also, saw this surrender from a maternal perspective. It is not the same circumstance, but I have had to unite to The Blessed Mother in regards to the “letting go” of my three daughters, as from deep prayer I recognize that they do not belong to me, but rather they belong to God. God has His own plans for them that involves being away at school, or moving away from home to pursue their God-given vocations. Trusting and surrendering them to God with my intentions for them is a daily part of my prayers, especially at Mass and Communion. Throughout their young years I have turned to The Blessed Mother for whatever has been the need, as She, truly understands the heart of a mother. Now I can turn to Her to help me obtain that Grace to, truly, “let go” and surrender them to Him.
Additionally, this reflection was a wonderful way to really ponder this beautiful scripture in new ways. In viewing my relationship with Jesus; however, I just can never see myself as “sister” to Christ, but rather as servant, daughter, child, and even a sheep needing to be in His Holy Arms.
Question #3 got me thinking about sibling relationships and the characteristics of a sibling. I have 7 siblings, so I wrote down the things we do for one another: recreate together, comfort one another, share traditions, rejoice together, affirm one another, suffer together, protect each other, tease each other, share sibling intimacy, share family history and humor, resemble one another, share mannerisms… the list goes on. In the end I asked myself, “Am I being the best “sister” I can be for Jesus?”
I have the book walking with Mary by Edward Sri I m on chapter 6 it’s powerful.