In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, article 3 — “The Church, Mother and Teacher” — we read, “It is in the Church, in communion with all the baptized, that the Christian fulfills his vocation. From the Church he receives the Word of God containing the teachings of ‘the law of Christ.’ From the Church he receives the grace of the sacraments that sustains him on the ‘way’” (2030).

We know that the faith grows primarily in the context of the family, and in so many ways, it is through the gentle guidance of a mother’s example that children first learn the truth of the faith. Mothers, therefore, are the first missionary disciples of Christ to these little ones, in the same way that Jesus’ mother was the first disciple of her son. What a privilege it is to love and to teach like a mother! 

In St. John XXIII’s encyclical Mater et Magistra, we also learn that the Church was entrusted by God with “the twofold task of giving life to her children and of teaching them and guiding them — both as individuals and as nations — with maternal care.” The Church elevates the sacred act of giving life by pouring graces upon its members. It stands sacrificially by each of us to offer forgiveness, guidance and consolation — just like our earthly mothers. 

No one has embodied the mission of the Church like the mother of Christ. Her Immaculate Heart, triumphant over the sting of her Son’s Passion, is a heart in which each of us can confide — in our joys and in our sorrows alike. I pray that all women who bear their children to the warmth of the Church through education and the sacraments are guided by her example. 

For just as Mary formed the first disciples through her witness and love, so, too, are mothers called to form the faith of the next generation. If we do not teach our children, others will do it for us — perhaps not the way we would intend. In the context of extended family and community, every woman is invited to be a mother catechist to the young people in her life. 

Dear children, young people, thank your mothers for what they do for you each day without asking for recognition. Mothers, listen to the voices of your children with love, and dedicate them to God. I appreciate the sacrifices you make to care for and educate your children despite the many challenges you encounter in that process. I will continue to pray for you, so that you find strength in our savior Jesus Christ.

I wish all of you a Happy Mother’s Day and a blessed month of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother” (St. Cyprian).

In Christ’s love,

Most Rev. Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS

Bishop of Charleston