Modern day ‘Little Flower’ suffers for all priests

A mother’s story of her daughter’s suffering for priests remains inspiring to all.
Carolyn Haar submitted Carol Klotz’s letter:

Dear Carolyn:
On the feast of the Good Shepherd, I thought I had better sit down and write about
how my daughter offered her bout with brain cancer up for priests.

On December 19, 1987, Karen came home from LSU with an extremely bad headache.
We thought it was due to exams, or eye strains or just a migraine and would go away in a few days. It did not. We went to the doctor and he said he did not think it was anything serious. On December 25, Christmas day, Karen was in her bed upstairs.
The pain was intense. She was praying and had read her little Pieta book that someone had given her. She said she read in the book that most souls are released on Christmas Day, so she was praying for a dear friend, a priest who had died. She dearly loved this priest and she told me she knew that the pain she was experiencing was so intense that he would surely get out of purgatory that day.
That was the beginning of Karen’s offerings.

You can read the rest here.

Thank you Mary Jane for sharing this inspirational story.

New Blog for the Spiritual Moms Apostolate in Hawaii

In order to get the word out on the Spiritual Moms Apostolate in the Diocese of Honolulu, Easter and I have started a new blog. Be sure to check back daily for prayers, resources, updates and messages regarding this Apostolate.

Diocose of Honolulu Spiritual Moms Apostolate

If you are a Catholic woman in this diocese and feel called to this apostolate, please contact one of us and we will gladly sign you up.

Right now, there are a few seminarians and priests waiting spiritual adoption.

New Blog for Spiritual Moms of Priests

Please check out this new blog created in answering the call for spiritual motherhood.

Spiritual Mothers of Priests

H/T to Fr. Mark of Vultus Christi

My Short Talk on Spiritual Moms Apostolate

Today I gave a short talk about the Spiritual Moms Apostolate. I was asked by Fr. Dariusz of St. Stephen's Church in Paterson to share this information with his parishioners. Father wanted his parishioners to learn more about spiritually adopting a priest during this Year for Priests. He would like to start such an apostolate at St. Stephen's, Paterson, NJ.

I thought I would share the main points of my talk as well the history how Easter and I started this apostolate. I am getting more an more inquiries on how to go about starting a Spiritual Moms Apostolate in other diocese. I thought it would also be helpful to those of you who feel called to either spiritually adopt a priest or seminarian and/or to start a spiritual moms apostolate in your parish or at the diocese level.

The seed for spiritually adopting priests was planted in my mind after reading the Zenit Article dated December 11, 2007, Vatican Seeking Spiritual Moms for Priests

That particular article offered the link for the Congregation of the Clergy's resources for Spiritual Motherhood

It was on or about that time that I contacted Easter of a Tribute to Our Priests to see if she felt call to join me in this apostolate. I do not remember exactly but I do not think Easter hesitated for a second to wholeheartedly agree.

On January 22nd, 2008 at the March for Life, Easter and I approached Bishop Larry Silva right there and then, and briefly explained what we envisioned and asked him for his permission. We had to provide more details on this prospective apostolate to our bishop. Not too long after we had permission from Bishop Silva, and the Spiritual Moms Apostolate was formed.

The next stop was to get the word out on this newly formed apostolate. It was with the help of our mutual friend Steve Odo, as well as Fr. Peter Dumag, Fr. Pascual Abaya, Fr. Marc Alexander, and other devout Catholics, that word was spread via the Adoration Chapels, the Diocese of Honolulu e-letter and maybe the diocesan paper the Hawaii Catholic Herald. On that one I am not 100% sure.

Then we started to collect names of both priests and seminarians who belonged to the Diocese of Honolulu as well as prospective spiritual moms.

Easter was the "recruiter" and she did a fantastic job of spreading the word to Catholic women to consider becoming a spiritual mom.

Once we had the two separate lists completed and re-checked for accuracy, the matching of the spiritual moms and their spiritual sons began. I was in charge of actual matching up the Spiritual Moms and the Spiritual Sons.

Although the matching done randomly we know we had heavenly guidance. Easter and I prepared for this important step by prayer and a Holy Hour of Adoration beforehand.

Then again before choosing names from the two separate piles, I prayed to the Holy Spirit and our Blessed Mother for guidance.

When we saw some of the matches that were made, we had no doubt that the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother had indeed assisted us.

I shared the foregoing in in my post dated October 11, 2008

On April 22, 2008, the Holy Father Benedict XVI gave his support for the search for spiritual moms for priests. Zenit article

From my post dated April 24, 2008, it appears by that day all priests and seminarians in the Diocese of Honolulu had been spiritually adopted.

After my short talk this morning there was a questions and answers time:

- I was asked what was expected from these spiritual moms.

I explained that we were to focus on prayers and sacrifices.

Some of the recommended prayers would be the Holy Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Holy hours of Adoration were highly recommended as was daily Mass and reception of Holy Communion for their intention.

- Father Dariusz asked me to give examples of sacrifices we should make.

I could only speak for myself so I mentioned mortifications whenever possible. For example, eating whatever is served in front of you without complaining, whether you like it or not. Not adding salt even if the food really needs it. If it is hot, suffer the little discomfort. If it is too cold, do not put on anything to be warm, If someone corrects you, keep quiet, If an "inferior" directs you to do something, obey without question, etc., These are little things yet at the moment, there is a strong temptation to add the salt, to put on the fan, etc. Remember you are making a sacrifice for your spiritual son. Just maybe it was that little sacrifice that will keep him close to God not not fall when Satan tempts him.

- I was also asked if the spiritual moms and sons should know about each other.

Here I used Easter's quote once more when I explained that "ours was a quiet apostolate". It was up to the spiritual mom to contact the spiritual son and let him know. But I did mention that from experience, many priests I have talked to are pleasantly surprised and grateful that they have a spiritual mom and dedicating their prayers and sacrifices for them.

At that point I added that if the spiritual mom chose to let her spiritual son know, then it would also be a very good idea to remember him with a gift or a card on special occasions such as birthday, anniversary of his ordination or simply just to invite him to her home for a family meal.

- One lady asked me if this was open to deacons since they were ordained ministers of the church too.

I explained that this apostolate was specifically for priests and for the seminarians who would one day be ordained priests.

- Fr. Dariusz asked if we could provide financial assistance to our spiritually adopted seminarian.

I honestly told him that Easter and I had not considered that previously but that I would bring it up in the future. Of course, if the spiritual mom would like to do that, it would be a nice gesture but not a requirement.

Well, that is about it.

When I get back to Hawaii, Easter and I will be meeting regarding the SMA. Again, if there are any of you who live in the Diocese of Honolulu, are a devout Catholic woman and feels called to this apostolate, please contact one of us and we will gladly give you the name of your spiritual son.

This spiritual adoption is a commitment. It is not be taken lightly. Your spiritual son is depending on your prayers and sacrifices.

In the event, you are a spiritual mom but feel you can no longer spiritually adopt, please contact one of us immediately and another spiritual mom will be assigned to that priest or seminarian.

YEAR FOR PRIESTS - Spiritual Moms Apostolate

...Spiritual mothers of priests have additional concerns, although not in ways all that different from those of biological mothers. She prays that priests will be holy, that they will be conformed to Christ, have the humility to allow Christ to work through them in every moment, and will be good Fathers. She takes them as her sons by adoption, yet loving them as her own, just as Joseph loved Jesus as his own child.

She carries them with her in hear heart, pondering the Paschal Mystery, the Misterium Fidei, and the Priestood, knowing they are one and the same. She ponders deeply the needs of her Sons, understanding human nature, never in denial of that reality, even as she recognizes how we strive for holiness, and the importance for all that their spiritual Fathers, Priests, remain in a state of sanctity. Holy Priests create Holy People. It's a fact that cannot be denied.

And if one of those Priests should fall, she does not abandon him, but prays and sacrifices all the more so that he, like the Prodigal Son, might return home and be welcomed and celebrated by the Father.

She remains in the background, always implied, never seen, rarely recognized, few words spoken or recorded, and therin is her mystery and her necessity. Just as the Priest empties himself in order to stand in persona Christi, so does the spiritual mother empty herself in order to allow herself to be pierced with Divine Love and be so united with Christ at the foot of the Cross that she can lay down her own life for the Church...

For those of you considering spiritually adopting a priest during this Jubilee Year of the Priest, please read Adoro te Devote - Pondering Spiritual Motherhood

A Little Catechism on Spiritual Motherhood for Priests

A big mahalo nui loa to Fr. Mark for sharing this on his blog. As the co-coordinator of the Spiritual Moms Apostolate for the Diocese of Honolulu and as a spiritual mom to dear priest I have spiritually adopted, I find this extremely helpful in reviving my efforts to be a good spiritual mom. I hope it will help others too.

1. Who can become a spiritual mother to priests?

Any mature Catholic woman, already fully engaged in the sacramental life of the Church, can discern a call to the spiritual motherhood of priests. This spiritual motherhood can be lived in any state of life; it is open to single women, married women, mothers of families, widows, grandmothers, and religious in both the active and enclosed forms of consecrated life. None of its obligations bind under pain of sin. The vocation to the spiritual motherhood of priests is also compatible with the spirituality and obligations of Benedictine Oblates and of those who belong to one or another of the Third Orders: Franciscan, Dominican, Carmelite, Servite, etc.

2. What is spiritual maternity?

Spiritual maternity is a particular grace of the Holy Spirit by which a woman surrenders herself, body and soul, to the fruitful love of Christ, for the sake of His Bride the Church and for the glory of the Father, so that, through her offering, the particular priest entrusted to her, and all priests, may be purified, healed, and sanctified.

3. How does a woman express the grace of spiritual maternity.

A woman expresses the grace of spiritual maternity by imitating the hidden life of the Blessed Virgin Mary who, in the mystery of the Annunciation, consented to the enfleshment of the Word in her womb, and was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, so that through her, Christ, Priest and Victim, might enter the world, save it by His Sacrifice, and offer it back to the Father.

4. How does a woman live out this imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

A woman lives out this imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary by embracing the Will of God in joy and in sorrow, health and infirmity, prosperity and want, companionship and solitude, light and obscurity. In a word, she sees in every event of life an opportunity to enter, with the Blessed Virgin Mary, into the sacrifice of Christ the Priest.

In this way, a woman can participate in the spiritual fecundity of the Mother of the Redeemer who, by her constant intercession, cares for the gift of life that ever flows from the open Heart of her Son, and cooperates with a mother's love in the birth and upbringing of Christ's faithful, her children.

5. How is spiritual maternity related to the Priesthood?

Spiritual maternity in favor of priests derives from the special relationship of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Saint John, that Jesus Himself established when, from the altar of the Cross, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, thy son!" (Jn 19:26). "Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, thy mother!'" (Jn 19:27).

While John -- representing all priests past, present, and to come -- had the power to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the unbloody renewal of His Sacrifice, Our Lady was charged with supporting all her priest-sons down through the ages by standing at their side, even as she stood by the Cross of her Son on Calvary. There, with her Immaculate Heart pierced by a sword of sorrow, she co-offered in silence the Sacrifice of her Son, Priest and Victim, and through Him, with Him, and in Him, offered herself to the Father.

6. What does this imply for a woman called to spiritual maternity in favor of priests?

For a woman called to spiritual maternity in favor of priests, this implies a readiness to stand by all priests and, in particular, for the priest entrusted to her, in a ceaseless offering of adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and supplication. The Diocese of Tulsa is preparing a prayer book to help the spiritual mothers of priests fulfill this role.

7. What characterizes the adoration of a spiritual mother of priests?

In her adoration, a spiritual mother of priests looks to the Blessed Virgin Mary who, on August 21, 1879 at Knock in County Mayo, Ireland, manifested herself in reference to the immolated Lamb, the altar, and the Cross. The spiritual mother of priests draws near to Christ, the Eternal Priest and to the altar of His Cross so often as she participates in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. She adores the Lamb of God present on the altar during the Holy Sacrifice; she adores Him hidden in the tabernacle and exposed to her gaze in the monstrance. She offers herself in adoration for the sanctification of all priests, desiring with Our Lady, to see them become, in their liturgical service and in all of life, "true adorers, who shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth" (Jn 4:23).

8. What characterizes the thanksgiving of a spiritual mother of priests?

The thanksgiving of a spiritual mother of priests is, first of all, for the Priesthood of Jesus Christ prolonged in space and in time, from the rising of the sun to its setting, by means of the gift and mystery bestowed on the apostles in the Cenacle, and perpetuated in the Church so often as a bishop, a successor of the Apostles, lays hands on a man and pronounces over him the solemn prayer of sacerdotal consecration.

The thanksgiving of a spiritual mother of priests is, also, for the sacramental ministrations and fruits of the priesthood: first of all, for the Most Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of all Christian life; then for the preaching of the Word of God, the forgiveness of sins, the healing of the sick, deliverance from evil, comfort in affliction, and shepherding along the path that leads to holiness.

8. What characterizes the reparation of a spiritual mother of priests?

The reparation of a spiritual mother of priests seeks to console the Heart of Jesus who grieves over the coldness, offenses, and betrayals of His priests, and waits for them to return to Him, for He is merciful.

The spiritual mother prays for priests who fail to pray; adores the Most Blessed Sacrament for those who do not adore; listens to the Word of God for priests who neglect it; and seeks the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for those who have forgotten that she is their Mother and Advocate. She offers herself for the spiritual restoration and resurrection of priests who have fallen into patterns of sin; for the deliverance of priests oppressed by the powers of darkness; and for the healing of souls scandalized, alienated, or wounded by the sins of priests.

9. What characterizes the supplication of a spiritual mother of priests?

The supplication (or intercession) of a spiritual mother of priests draws its inspiration, first of all, from the Priestly Prayer that Our Lord Jesus Christ offered in the Cenacle on the night before He suffered: "Father . . . keep them clear of what is evil. They do not belong to the world, as I too, do not belong to the world; keep them holy, then, through the truth; it is Thy word that is truth" (Jn 17: 16-17). In their intercession for priests, spiritual mothers will also take to heart the words of the Apostle Paul: "Nothing must make you anxious; in every need make your requests known to God, praying and beseeching Him, and giving Him thanks as well" (Phil 4:5); and in another place, "And now, brothers and sisters, let us have your prayers, that the word of the Lord may run its course triumphantly with us . . . and that we may preserved from malicious interference" (2 Thess 3:1-2).

10. Are there any obstacles to spiritual motherhood for priests?

The obstacles to spiritual maternity are the same ones that would impede any growth in holiness: willful attachment to sin, the refusal to forgive another, hardness of heart, pride, and the other "root" or capital sins. The most effective means of overcoming the obstacles to holiness are frequent confession and Holy Communion; full, conscious and zealous participation in the liturgy of the Church; devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary (especially the Rosary); meditation of the Word of God; adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament; acts of penitence and mortification; and obedience to a spiritual father.

11. How does a woman go about becoming a spiritual mother to priests?

A woman who desires to become a spiritual mother to priests should ask her parish priest for the name of the priest charged by the bishop with promoting spiritual motherhood at the diocesan level. She should communicate with him and, after a suitable time of discernment and preparation, can make an act of dedication to spiritual mother on behalf of priests. The Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has developed a program to foster the formation and perseverance of women in the grace of spiritual maternity to priests.

Spiritual Moms, Priests and the Holy Father

Benedict XVI gave his support to an initiative from the Congregation for Clergy that called for spiritual mothers for priests and Eucharistic adoration for their sanctity.

The Pope, who repeatedly stressed the need for holy priests during his trip to the United States last week, expressed his approval of this project promoted by the Vatican's clergy dicastery.

Read the rest of the Zenit article here

This latest news is so heartwarming personally, because Easter and I along with many helpful supporters, have been working very hard to make sure all of our priests and seminarians in the Diocese of Honolulu are spiritually adopted. I am happy to report that by today or tomorrow at the latest, all of them will have been spiritually adopted.

It is so important that we pray unceasingly for our priests...not only in our own diocese but all over the world and for our seminarians. Why we have some Catholic bloggers who are either in the seminary now or will be entering the seminary soon, who need our prayers.