My Mother's Daughter

This morning, after frantically rushing around the house in order to get myself ready for a long day, I finally plopped myself down in "Jarvis." (Don't ask why, but in my family we nickname our cars. The car I frequently drive is affectionately nicknamed Jarvis.)

I started the car and was immediately greeted with the crackling static of 1160 AM -- the station for EWTN. Not wanting to attempt to decipher the indistinguishable words, I quickly switched the radio to its cd setting. Sounds of the delightfully beautiful chant of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles filled the car providing a sharp contrast to my prior frenzied rush. (I've included several of my favorite hymns below.)

As I drove along, I attempted to sing along to the songs I knew and reflected on the words of the songs I didn't know. Very soon the stress associated with the work of the day began to melt away, and I drove along with a joyful heart. (The words of St. Josemaria now come to mind: "The way to cut short all the evils we suffer is to pray." How true, yet how easy it is to forget this!) 

While listening to the words of "The Blessed Heart," I was struck with a particular thought.

In ordinary life, we often call people who have the same mannerisms as their mother "their mother's child." Similarly, though not with such  a positive connotation, we refer to a man who, despite his age, is completely dependent on his mother as "a mamma's boy." 

It struck me that we should have such a deep relationship with our Heavenly Mother, that people ought to be able to pick out that we are her children. Our hearts should mirror her Immaculate Heart in such a way that we can be distinguished as "our Mother's children." 

Children as we strive to be in our spiritual life, we should always remember to depend on our Mother for everything no matter our age. While in ordinary life someone who cannot let go of his attachment to his mother is looked down upon, in the spiritual life we should be proud to be called "a Mamma's boy or girl." 

As I parked the car and headed into Organic Chemistry, I was left asking myself, "Am I my heavenly Mother's daughter? Can people recognize my relationship with her by the way I live?" 

Let us challenge ourselves this week by imitating our Blessed Mother in such a way that people can say, "You know, she really is her Mother's daughter!" 

Mary, Mother Immaculate, make our hearts like unto thine. Amen.