Fr. Nate's Letter - May 11, 2025

One day some time ago, I was sitting in the back pew of a chapel which belonged to some Franciscan Friars. The chapel was always open and I had stopped there to spend time in prayer and spiritual reading. Now this was a fairly large chapel - able to hold about a hundred people or so - and about midway through my time there, a mother came in with her young son, who was about two or three years old. The chapel had only a handful of people there at that particular time, but the mother and her son came and sat in the pew directly in front of me. I’ll admit I was a little annoyed at first. With so many other pews open, why did they feel the need to sit where they did? In hindsight, I wonder if it was because I was in the last pew and they wanted to stay near the back so they wouldn’t disturb anyone. 
 
As their kneeler came down with a crash, I saw that the little boy had brought in a fistful of dandelions, which he was pretending to sniff and insisting that his mother do the same, even as she tried to lead him through his prayers. I closed the book I was reading because I couldn’t pay attention with the activity taking place right in front of me. Since it went on for some time, I decided to just watch. Eventually, the little boy took that fistful of flowers he was holding so tightly, gave them to his mom, and sat back and watched her finish her prayers. When they got up and left, the chapel was once again quiet - and I’ll admit, I began to miss them. 
 
Most of us at one point or another probably brought little weed flowers to our mothers. I remember when I was very young picking Creeping Charlie, which my mother would put in water, and would sit for days on the kitchen counter. Thinking back, I sometimes wonder why she would put such things in water - I don’t think I ever would. But isn’t it true that there were a lot of things we tried to say to our mothers in those little gestures, things that were hard to express in words…and there was something in those flowers that only a mother can see. 
 
After the mother and her little boy left, I didn’t pick up my book again, but began to wonder and ask the Lord, since I was there in church, did he do such things for his mother? I imagine he did! Not long ago, I saw a picture of Jesus setting out to begin his public ministry and his mother Mary was standing at the door of the house bidding her son goodbye. When you see that look on her face, it almost brings you to tears. How much Jesus loved his mother - and to think that he gave her to us as our Mother - could there be anyone in his earthly life that he held more dearly? And what a mother she is to all of us! Some of the saints reflect that the world would have ceased to be long ago, were it not for Mary interceding on our behalf. 
 
Like so many mothers do for their children, our Blessed Mother is constantly praying for us. When it was time for me to leave the friary chapel that day, I found myself thanking God that that mother and her son chose to sit where they did. I couldn’t help but think that the Lord wanted to share something more with me than what I would have gotten out of my book at that particular moment in time.
 
We honor our mothers this day, thanking them for all the sacrifices they so often make - many which never get the recognition they deserve - and we wish all mothers, grandmothers, and godmothers a Happy Mother’s Day!
On another note, we are fast approaching the day of our United Parish Program. A lot of hard work goes into planning and preparing for this event, and this year it returns to the field! Not long after my arrival here, someone asked me if the “Field of Dreams” would ever return. Of course I had no idea what they were talking about, so I had to ask Fr. Simon about it. That’s when I learned about the days when our UPP was held out on the lawn of the basilica. I know Fr. Simon and myself and all of us here at Queen of All Saints are grateful to all those who work so hard each year to make it the evening that it is, and to all those who so generously support it - we couldn’t do it without you! Please offer a prayer or two for good weather!
 
Wishing you all God’s blessings this week!
 
Keeping you in prayer, and say one for me!
 
- Fr. Nate