She was late. An important day for me and the Church. You’re only ordained once in a lifetime and she decides to take a walk around the block with a priest friend. They must have walked slowly. The choir was ready, everyone sat silently waiting for the 5 o’clock bells. She’s not in sight or standing next to my dad for the entrance procession. The retired bishop whispers,”Where’s the mother?” and priests shrugged their shoulders. Long minutes pass and she arrives telling me that they “got talking.” The opening song begins, they all stand, the ceremony begins and the task is accomplished, complete with prostration and oiled hands. It all worked out.

Mother. Doesn’t it always work out? Hardly, when you multiple biological mom with life’s other “moms” you’ve either created or learned. There’s the mom of the earth whose nature appears to have destined you toward a fixed purpose. There’s the mother of entitlement to take advantage of whatever society offers or is available to you. There’s life’s mother lode when all appears to others to fall together for you which only creates envy and jealous. There’s the self-nourishing mother you’ve earned only through many years of practice. There’s the mother you attempt to substitute for the biological one which now gives you someone to blame when you don’t get what you want.

Mothers surround our lives daily. Being able to recognize and name her each time may help and assist us in our journey of self-discovery.

She wasn’t late that day. Mother was present all the time. I just didn’t know which mother it was.

Books by Fr. Joe Jagodensky, SDS. All available on Amazon.com

“Soulful Muse,” inspirational reflections on the Catholic Church and U.S. culture
“Living Faith’s Mysteries,” inspirational reflections on the Christian seasons
of Advent/Christmas & Lent/Easter
“Spiritual Wonderings and Wanderings,”
inspirational reflections on the Catholic Church and U.S. culture

Newest books include:
“Letters From My Cats,”
a collection of letters written by my cats over twenty years
“Bowling Through Life’s Stages with a Christian perspective,”
Bowling as a metaphor for religion and growing up