November, 2020 - Gratitude in Challenging Times

Psalm of David 138  (English Standard Version)

I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; 

before the gods I sing your praise;

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name 
for your steadfast love and your faithfulness for you have 
exalted above all things your name and your word.

On the day I called, you answered me; 

my strength of soul you increased.

All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, 
for they have heard the words of your mouth,

And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, 

for great is the glory of the LORD.

For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, 
but the haughty he knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; 

you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, 

and your right hand delivers me.

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, 

endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Welcome to November 2020. This month we face many challenges: a very difficult election season, living within a pandemic with all its problems, and a Thanksgiving which may need to be celebrated in new ways.

What all this calls to my mind are some experiences I had when I was assigned to teach at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana, a historically Black Catholic University, founded by St. Katharine Drexel. Sister Ivan, a Sister of the Blessed Sacrament, was concerned that I know about the rural areas from which some of Xavier’s students came. Therefore, she took me to Church Point, a small town where some of our Sisters ministered. I was looking forward to the visit, but did not realize the lessons I would learn on that trip.

After showing me the small parish church and convent, she took me to visit an elderly couple who lived nearby. Their home was a tiny wooden house which was in very poor condition. However, we received a warm reception in the midst of bursts of praise and thanksgiving to God. I heard no complaints. Instead, the conversation was continually punctuated with expressions of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. That was the first lesson I learned. 

Then, while I taught at Xavier, I also became involved in campus ministry and was with the young people during their prayer time. They echoed the joyful spirit of their elders as they spontaneously praised and thanked God, in spite of some very difficult circumstances from which they had come. This included thanking God for waking them up in the morning!!!

I am not a morning person!! However, to this day, when I struggle to get out of bed, I try to remember to thank God for “getting me up in the morning.” Sometimes, teachers learn from their students too.

*******************

These days are very difficult for just about everyone, some even more than others. However, an attitude of gratitude can lift one’s spirits and help one through troubling times.

In the booklet, Our Daily Bread, I read the story of Martin Rinkart, a clergyman who served in Saxon, Germany, for more than thirty years during a plague and wars in the seventeenth century. In one year, he conducted over 4000 funerals, including that of his wife. Because of food shortages, often his family went hungry. However, he had a strong faith in God, and he continually gave thanks to him for what they did have. He even composed a hymn of gratitude, still popular today: “Now, thank we all our God.”

With the realization of the circumstances during which the hymn was written, it might be meaningful to reflect on the verses to the hymn:

Now thank We All Our God

1

Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom his world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms
Has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.

2

O may this gracious God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts,
And blessed peace to cheer us;
Preserve us in his grace,
And guide us in distress,
And free us from all sin,
Till heaven we possess.

3

All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be given,
The Son and Spirit blest,
Who reigns in highest heaven;
Eternal, Triune God,
Whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be ever more.

God has many kinds of flowers in His garden. Not all of us can compose hymns, but we all can express our gratitude to God in our own unique ways. Some common ways are the following:

• Writing poetry
• Journaling
• Painting/Drawing
• Helping someone in need
• Forgiving someone
• Giving something to those in need
• Donating to an organization helping others
• Volunteering to help those in need
• Listening

There are many other ways to show gratitude to our Lord and others. If you would like to share some comments or suggestions on gratitude, send them to me at srannettemarie@gmail.com during the month of November.

Comments/ Suggestions:

Stephanie Morris, ASBS. Ph.D. Historian, Certified Archivist, Emerita

Mother Katharine wrote that “The ordinary soul does not do enough thanksgiving. For all eternity I shall sing the mercies which we ought to begin on earth.”  We can sing of God’s mercies when we see a beautiful sunrise or sunset. A comfortable, sunny day can lift our hearts in praise and gratitude. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy aria; a short aspiration – Thank you, Lord, for bringing me safely home from my errands – can be a joyful song of praise. Do you say grace before or after meals? This is another simple way of showing gratitude. You might also thank the cook! If you, like me, did the cooking, we can thank those who grew or provided the food and we can thank God for having the means and skills to prepare the meal.

Oct. 13, 2019 - Let Us Give Thanks

October 13, 2019   Let Us Give Thanks   Year C

Leper image © FreeBibleImages.org

Reading I: 
2 Kings 5: 14-17

Psalm:  98

Reading II: 
2 Timothy 2:8-13

Gospel: 
Luke 17:11-19

For today’s reflection on the Gospel, we are looking deeper into the cure of the ten lepers and the sad fact that only one returned to give thanks after his cure. First, let us recall all that was involved in the cure of the lepers. For them the cure was more than a removal of the skin disease.  

Before he modern medical treatments of the disease, being a leper involved not only the disfigurement and loss of body parts, but also being ostracized by the community. Since the disease was not only devastating, but it was also contagious they were doomed to a lonely and heartbreaking existence.  

Once one was diagnosed with leprosy, one had to stay away from the “clean” people and ring a bell to announce one’s arrival so that others could avoid contact with you. The lepers had to beg for food in order to survive. They could not even live with their families. They had to associate only with other lepers.

The suffering they endured was not only physical, but even the more painful emotional suffering of general contempt and rejection.  How it must have torn their hearts when they had to leave their families, even their own children once they were diagnosed.

 Being accepted and cured by Jesus were tremendous gifts. They could then return to their loved ones and live a normal life. One would think that all of the cured lepers would have returned to give thanks for their new life. Why did only one return to give thanks?

It seems that ingratitude is a common weakness in human nature. When parents work on teaching children to say “Thank you,” it requires much patience and perseverance on the part of the parent for the practice to become a natural response of the child.

As adults, we also need to remind ourselves to express gratitude on a regular basis and not take for granted gifts and services given to us. Because we owe thanks to God for all his gifts, it is included in our weekly Masses or worship services. In fact, “Eucharist,” another name for Mass, means “Thanksgiving.”

It is important for us to offer thanks to our God, even when we are tired or don't particularly enjoy the sermons of our religious leaders.  It is also important that our children see our worship as essential even when they don’t feel as if they are “getting anything out of it.” We worship to give thanks. It is “right and just.” However, we often do get much out of it, even if it doesn’t seem that way. A grateful person is a basically happy person, no matter what the circumstances.

Today, with the media, television and Internet even the elderly, sick and handicapped, have the opportunity to join with others in worship giving thanks to the Lord. Let us be grateful that here in the United States we still have the blessings of religious programs.

I recall, when my fifth-grade teacher, in a public school, reminded us every Friday to go to our churches on the weekends. I wonder if there would be less violence in our world if teachers were allowed to do that today. 

Of course, in our daily lives, an attitude of gratitude is also a habit to be cultivated and passed on to the next generation. Let us be like the leper who took the time to go back to Jesus and thank Him.

 Reflection Question:   How can I show my gratitude to God in a special way this week?

Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...
Demos Gracias

Para la reflexión de hoy sobre el Evangelio, estamos investigando más profundamente la cura de los diez leprosos y el triste hecho de que solo uno volvió a dar gracias después de su cura. Primero, recordemos todo lo que estuvo involucrado en la cura de los leprosos. Para ellos, la cura era más que la eliminación de la enfermedad de la piel.

Antes de los tratamientos médicos modernos de la enfermedad, ser un leproso implicaba no solo la desfiguración y pérdida de partes del cuerpo, sino también ser condenado al ostracismo por la comunidad. Dado que la enfermedad no solo era devastadora, sino que también era contagiosa, estaban condenados a una existencia solitaria y desgarradora.

Una vez que uno fue diagnosticado con lepra, uno tenía que mantenerse alejado de las personas “limpias” y tocar una campana para anunciar la llegada de uno para que otros pudieran evitar el contacto con usted. Los leprosos tuvieron que mendigar comida para sobrevivir. Ni siquiera podían vivir con sus familias. Tenían que asociarse solo con otros leprosos.

El sufrimiento que soportaron no fue solo físico, sino incluso el sufrimiento emocional más doloroso de desprecio y rechazo generales. Cómo debió desgarrarles el corazón cuando tuvieron que abandonar a sus familias, incluso a sus propios hijos una vez que fueron diagnosticados.

Ser aceptado y curado por Jesús fue un gran regalo. Luego podrían regresar con sus seres queridos y vivir una vida normal. Uno pensaría que todos los leprosos curados habrían regresado para dar gracias por su nueva vida. ¿Por qué solo uno volvió a dar gracias?

Parece que la ingratitud es una debilidad común en la naturaleza humana. Cuando los padres trabajan para enseñar a los niños a decir "Gracias", se requiere mucha paciencia y perseverancia por parte de los padres para que la práctica se convierta en una respuesta natural del niño.

Como adultos, también debemos recordarnos a nosotros mismos expresar nuestra gratitud de manera regular y no dar por sentado los regalos y servicios que nos brindan. Debido a que le debemos gracias a Dios por todos sus dones, está incluido en nuestras misas semanales o servicios de adoración. De hecho, “Eucaristía”, otro nombre para la Misa, significa “Acción de Gracias”.

Es importante para nosotros ofrecer gracias a nuestro Dios, incluso cuando estamos cansados ​​o no disfrutamos particularmente de los sermones de nuestros líderes religiosos. También es importante que nuestros hijos vean nuestra adoración como algo esencial, incluso cuando no sienten que están “sacando algo de ella”. Adoramos para dar gracias. Es “correcto y justo”. Sin embargo, a menudo sacamos mucho provecho de eso, incluso si no lo parece. Una persona agradecida es una persona básicamente feliz, sin importar las circunstancias.

Hoy, con los medios, la televisión e Internet, incluso los ancianos, enfermos y discapacitados, tienen la oportunidad de unirse a otros en la adoración dando gracias al Señor. Agradezcamos que aquí en los Estados Unidos todavía tenemos las bendiciones de los programas religiosos.

Recuerdo, cuando mi maestra de quinto grado, en una escuela pública, nos recordaba todos los viernes que debíamos ir a nuestras iglesias los fines de semana. Me pregunto si habría menos violencia en nuestro mundo si a los maestros se les permitiera hacer eso hoy.

Por supuesto, en nuestra vida cotidiana, una actitud de gratitud también es un hábito para ser cultivado y transmitido a las próximas generacion. Seamos como el leproso que se tomó el tiempo para volver a Jesús y agradecerle.

 Pregunta de Reflexión:   ¿Cómo puedo mostrar mi gratitud a Dios de una manera especial esta semana?

Comments:

Stephanie Morris, Ph. D, Historian, Certified Archivist, emerita

How do you react when someone surprises you with a wonderful gift? Do you cry, smile, laugh, hug the person who gave it to you? God gives us wonderful gifts every day.   Yes, some “gifts” are nicer than others, but if we are alive, it is because God gave us this day. How can you thank God? It is a little hard to “hug” God but you can thank Him by smiling at His people, hugging someone who may be hurting due to the loss of a loved one or because they have had a bad day.  St. Katharine noted that there is nothing little in what is done for God.  She, like God, appreciated every little thing other people did for her – a clean bed, a train on time, a thermos of hot tea on a cold day. We can always find a little thing to help other people as a way of thanking God for the gifts He has given us.

Sept. 1, 2019 Gratitude and Humility

September 1, 2019  Gratitude and Humility
 

Background photo by: Carl Attard 

Reading I:  Sirach 3:17-18, 28-29

Psalm:  68

Reading II: Hebrews 12: 18-19, 22-24a

Gospel: 
Luke 14:1, 7-14


When I first went to teach at Xavier University in New Orleans, a historically Black, Catholic University, founded by St. Katharine Drexel, Sr. Ivan took me to visit the rural areas from which some of the students came. I shall never forget my visit to Church Point, Louisiana.

Sister brought me to visit an elderly couple who lived in a small, modest house. I was so impressed with the joyous, grateful expressions of the couple as they praised and thanked God. It helped me understand better the beatitude “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

Later on, I became a volunteer in the campus ministry program, and I participated in a student retreat. To my surprise during shared prayer, I heard students thanking God for waking them up in the morning. Not being a morning person, I had never even thought of thanking God for waking me up in the morning. Sometimes, students can teach their instructors.

There is a saying that our pride dies 10 minutes after we do. We humans beings tend to struggle with pride. If we work on becoming humble, there is the possibility that we will become “proud of being humble.” Then, what is the solution?

It is important that we look up to God and realize that all we are and have, are gifts from Him. Also, our brothers and sisters have gifts from God which we need to acknowledge and value. It is crucial that we take time to thank the Lord. If we do not do this, we can begin to attribute our success or goodness to ourselves.

The word “Eucharist” means “Thanksgiving.” “Eucharist” is another name for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. When we participate at Mass, we are thanking God for all his gifts and for the Lord's offering himself for our redemption. Sometimes we forget this. We hear people say they don’t get anything out of Mass, especially if the priest is not a good preacher. We go to Mass to give honor and worship to God and receive his strength to live holy lives. Whether the sermon is good or not, our participation is our gift back to God.

We can also thank God on a regular basis in our everyday circumstances. Some people have a Thank You Journal in which they record a comment about someone or something for which they are grateful each day. They try to write something different each day.

What is written in the journal usually begins with family, friends or other common things for which they are grateful. Gradually, the gratitude can become for the little things like seeing a beautiful sunrise or sunset, hearing a meaningful song, feeling a cool breeze on a hot day, tasting a delicious piece of fruit or smelling a lovely flower.

The practice of being grateful not only helps us develop humility, but it also increases our happiness. With a positive, grateful attitude, we can better navigate the up’s and down’s in our own lives. In addition, we can better help our brothers and sisters in their circumstances.

 Reflection Question:   How can I develop an attitude of gratitude?

Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...

Gratitud y Humildad

Cuando fui a enseñar por primera vez a la Universidad Xavier en Nueva Orleans, una universidad católica históricamente negra, Sr. Ivan me llevó a visitar las áreas rurales de donde vinieron algunos de los estudiantes. Nunca olvidaré mi visita a Punto de la iglesia, Louisiana.

La hermana me llevó a visitar a una pareja de ancianos que vivía en una casa pequeña y modesta. Estaba tan impresionado con las expresiones alegres y agradecidas de la pareja mientras alababan y agradecían a Dios. Me ayudó a entender mejor la bienaventuranza “Bienaventurados los pobres en espíritu”.

Más tarde, me hice voluntario en el programa de ministerio del campus y participé en un retiro estudiantil. Para mi sorpresa durante la oración compartida, escuché estudiantes agradeciendo a Dios por despertarlos en la mañana. Al no ser una persona madrugadora, nunca había pensado en agradecer a Dios por despertarme por la mañana. A veces, los estudiantes pueden enseñar a sus instructores.

There is a saying that our pride dies 10 minutes after we do. Los seres humanos tendemos a luchar con orgullo. Si trabajamos para volvernos humildes, existe la posibilidad de que nos volvamos “orgullosos de ser humildes”. Entonces, ¿cuál es la solución?

Es importante que admiremos a Dios y nos demos cuenta de que todo lo que somos y tenemos, son dones de Él. Además, nuestros hermanos y hermanas tienen dones de Dios que debemos reconocer y valorar. Es crucial que tomemos tiempo para agradecerle al Señor. Si no hacemos esto, podemos comenzar a atribuir nuestro éxito o bondad a nosotros mismos.

La palabra “Eucaristía significa “Acción de gracias”. “Eucaristía” es otro nombre para el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa. Cuando participamos en la misa, estamos agradeciendo a Dios por todos sus dones y por el ofrecimiento del Señor por nuestra redención. A veces olvidamos esto. Escuchamos a personas decir que no obtienen nada de la misa, especialmente si el sacerdote no es un buen predicador. Vamos a misa para honrar y adorar a Dios y recibir su fuerza para vivir vidas santas. Si el sermón es bueno o no, nuestra participación es nuestro regalo de regreso a Dios.

También podemos agradecer a Dios regularmente en nuestras circunstancias cotidianas. Algunas personas tienen un diario de agradecimiento en el que registran un comentario sobre alguien o algo por lo que están agradecidos cada día. Intentan escribir algo diferente cada día.

Lo que está escrito en el diario generalmente comienza con familiares, amigos u otras cosas comunes por las que están agradecidos. Gradualmente, la gratitud puede convertirse en pequeñas cosas como ver un hermoso amanecer o atardecer, escuchar una canción significativa, sentir una brisa fresca en un día caluroso, probar una deliciosa fruta u oler una flor encantadora.

La práctica de ser agradecidos no solo nos ayuda a desarrollar la humildad, sino que también aumenta nuestra felicidad. Con una actitud positiva y agradecida, podemos navegar mejor los altibajos en nuestras propias vidas. Además, podemos ayudar mejor a nuestros hermanos y hermanas en sus circunstancias.

 Pregunta de Reflexión:    ¿Cómo puedo desarrollar una actitud de gratitud?

Comments:

Stephanie Morris, Ph. D, Historian, Certified Archivist, emerita

If we are honest with ourselves, we know that all we have or enjoy is a gift from God. How, then, can we not be grateful for seeing nature’s beauty or the face of a friend? Even if we are having a “bad day,” there is usually something for which we can be grateful – a reassuring smile or a prayer from a friend. You may have heard the phrase, “glass half-full or glass half-empty.” If we can take a moment, we can visualize the glass as half-full of the day’s events and half-full of God’s loving, merciful presence.

Pat Chiaffa, ASBS

The foundation of my attitude of gratitude is based on reminding myself that God is ‘All in All’. It has been a maturation of faith process for me. I considered myself a grateful person – I would thank God for all those wonderful things in life: my children, my friends, morning coffee, the sunshine and flowers, my pet, my job, all those people and things that brought me security, comfort and joy. Then one day, I read an article about being grateful for the unpleasant moments, the difficult people in life, the failures and challenges. This perspective was a real game-changer for me. I never appreciated how sweating the hard stuff could lead to such spiritual growth. Once I was introduced to that principle, I started looking for validation of the truth it held. Henry Nouwen wrote, “As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for.” He went on to state that when we look back at everything that has brought us to where we are now we will see in it the “guiding hand of a loving God.”

I can honestly say that it has been the challenges that had me kicking and screaming that have contributed to my current level of spirituality. And this is the life-changer – that gratitude is, as Nouwen writes, “a discipline that involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint...The choice for gratitude rarely comes without some real effort.”

I have experienced firsthand the movement of grace when we open ourselves to cooperation with God in challenging circumstances. Assuming the role of caregiver for my mother has been the most difficult life task to date for me. Our mother-daughter relationship since early on has been marked with boundaries, distancing and tensions. It has been 23 years and counting that she has depended on me for graduating levels of support and I have prayed my way through all these years – every visit, conversation and task. I was riddled with resentment and guilt and was never at peace. I prayed to be able to forgive so I could let go of the past and return to love. Today, I find myself giving thanks for healing and transformation. I am truly grateful at where I have arrived. I’m happy for mom’s plans to move to a new community and I’m enjoying getting her set up in her new apartment. It took 23 years of discipline to break through layers of perceived judgments. I am grateful for all those purifying obstacles along the journey.

I have tweaked my Morning Offering to thank God in advance for the graces and blessings my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of the day will bring. I’ve learned from experience that if I express gratitude every day, I will be amazed by the outcome.

The Way - May 14, 2017

The Fifth Sunday of Easter - Year A


Reading I: 
ACTS 6:1-7

Psalm:  33

Reading II: 
1 PT 2:4-9

Gospel: 
JN 14:1-12


When Jesus attempts to prepare His disciples for His leaving to go to the Father and prepare a place for them in heaven, the disciples are obviously confused. Jesus tells them that He will come back for them so that they can be with Him. Then - when He tells them that they know the way, Thomas exclaims: “Master, we do not know where You are going; how can we know the way?”

Jesus, assures them: “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
He lets them know that if they live as He lived they are on the
path to heaven. He also tells them that through Him they know the Father. Philip then pleads: “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus responds, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who dwells in Me is doing His works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.”

Finally, Jesus reassures them: “Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in Me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these because I am going to the Father.”

What a wonderful and patient Savior we have!!! He not only gave His life for the disciples and all of us, he also prepares us for His leaving His earthly state, in the way a good parent would his or her children.

This brings to mind a beautiful Hebrew prayer of Thanksgiving which is recited at the Passover. It is called “Dayenu” which means “It would have sufficed.”  There is a series of statements beginning with: 
      

Great and numerous are the kindnesses which the Lord has extended toward us. For each of them, we give thanks. Any one would have been enough.



If He had brought us out of Egypt, and not carried out judgements against them - Dayenu, it would have sufficed!


If He had carried out judgements against them, and not against their idols - Dayenu, it would have sufficed!


If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their 
first-born - Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

The prayer goes on listing other blessings from the Lord. It is an excellent model for prayer. I have created my own using the form.

As we prepare to celebrate our mothers on Sunday, the Dayenu Prayer would be a great springboard for a prayer/poem for of each of our mothers, whether in memory of those who have already gone home to the Father or for those are still here with us on earth.

Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...

La Manera

Cuando Jesús trata de preparar a Sus discípulos para que Él se vaya al Padre y les prepare un lugar en el cielo, los discípulos están obviamente confundidos. Jesús les dice que Él volverá por ellos para que puedan estar con Él. Entonces, cuando les dice que conocen el camino, Thomas exclama: “Maestro, no sabemos a dónde vas; ¿Cómo podemos saber el camino?”

Jesús, les asegura: “Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida”.
Él les permite saber que si viven como Él vivió están en la
Camino al cielo También les dice que por Él conocen al Padre. Felipe entonces suplica: “Maestro, muéstranos al Padre, y eso será suficiente para nosotros”.

Jesús responde: “El que me ha visto ha visto al Padre. ¿Cómo puedes decir: ‘Enséñanos al Padre’? ¿No creen ustedes que yo estoy en el Padre y que el Padre está en mí? Las palabras que te hablo no hablo por mi cuenta. El Padre que mora en Mí está haciendo Sus obras. Creedme que estoy en el Padre y que el Padre está en Mí, o bien creed por las obras mismas”.

Finalmente, Jesús les asegura: “Amén, amén, os digo,
Todo aquel que cree en Mí hará las obras que yo hago, y hará mayores que éstos, porque yo voy al Padre”.

¡Qué maravilloso y paciente Salvador tenemos! Él no sólo dio Su vida por los discípulos y todos nosotros, sino que también nos prepara para que Él abandone su estado terrenal, de la misma manera que un buen padre o madre de sus hijos.

Esto trae a la mente una hermosa oración hebrea de Acción de Gracias que se recita en la Pascua. Se llama “Dayenu”, que significa “Habría bastado”. Hay una serie de declaraciones
empezando con:
      
Grandes y numerosas son las bondades que el Señor ha extendido hacia nosotros. Para cada uno de ellos, damos gracias. Cualquiera hubiera sido suficiente.

Si nos hubiese sacado de Egipto, y no hubiera hecho juicios contra ellos, ¡Dayenu, hubiera bastado!

Si hubiera hecho juicios contra ellos, y no Contra sus ídolos - Dayenu, habría bastado!

¡Si hubiera destruido sus ídolos y no hubiera herido a su primer nacido - Dayenu, hubiera bastado!

Mientras nos preparamos para celebrar a nuestras madres el domingo, la oracióndel Dayenu sería un gran trampolín para una oración / poema de cada una de nuestras madres, ya sea en memoria de aquellos que ya han ido a casa del Padre o porque todavía están aquí con Nosotros en la tierra.