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Read about Catholic motherhood and the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church.

Seasonal Features
Mother's Day

Send a Mother's Day e-Greeting!

Mother’s Day: What Does It Really Mean?

Learn about the roots of Mother's Day, and find ways to celebrate the holiday and to honor mothers throughout the year.
 
Mothers as Nurturers
A major characteristic of mothers is the ability to be nurturing and relational. This excerpt from Awakening to Prayer: A Woman's Perspective describes a way for women to use God's love as a model for nurturing and relating to their families.

Hallmark of a Good Family
Both mothers and fathers often expect to have a picture-perfect family, and struggle with the realization that their own family falls short of the mark. Dr. Ray Guarendi's Adoption: Choosing It, Living It, Loving It contains valuable insights for all families.

I Am the Prodigal Mom
The gospel story of the prodigal son is for parents a perfect example of forgiveness and second chances.

Baby Wanted: The Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche
For many women who make the pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, the Virgin Mary is the “mother of maternal desires.”

The Hardest Part of Being a Mother
Each stage of a child's life presents its own difficulties. None of them is as difficult, as this mom discovered, as letting go.

Saint for Moms and Everyday People
Read about the life and death of St. Gianna Beretta Molla—pediatrician, wife, mother, saint.

Mother’s Day Reflection
Read a Mother's Day reflection from Thresholds to Prayer.

Mother’s Day Prayer
Read a Mother’s Day prayer from Friend Jesus: Prayers for Children.

Learning About Mary
The Church honors the Blessed Virgin during the month of May. Visit our Mary feature to find more Mother’s Day inspiration.

Gifts for Mother’s Day
Your favorite authors, on a wide variety of subjects of interest
especially to women. Select titles also available in audio
.


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Feast of the Presentation of Mary: Mary’s presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the sixth century. A church was built there in honor of this mystery. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast at times disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the universal Church.
<p>As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the <i>Protoevangelium of James</i> tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was three years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless.
</p><p>Though it cannot be proven historically, Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond.</p> Why are divorced/remarried Catholics treated differently from other sinners? There’s nothing more important I can do in my day than take some time to be with my Lord.

 
PICK OF THE DAY
Saints at the Dinner Table
CPA 2009 Award Winning author Amy Heyd cooks up delicious meals and dedicates each chapter to a saint.

 
CATHOLIC GREETINGS
Christ the King
Our liturgical year ends as it begins, focusing on our hope in the eternal majesty and mercy of God.



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