In a text written during a conference for Christian mothers in the Netherlands, Father Eustáquio speaks about their importance to society.

A good person cannot be formed without a good foundation. And that foundation comes from Christian mothers who know how to raise their children. It is she who brings order and regularity to the home. And the effects of this can be seen not only within the home, but also in churches and in society.

The text you are about to read was taken from the Bulletin of the Sacred Hearts Parish, published in December 1945.

“The Christian mother

Regarding the Christian mother, this proverb is written in the Book of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach 26:21): "As the rising sun shines in the heavens of God, so shines the beauty of a kind woman, like an ornament in her home.".

The sun is the central point of nature. Its rays awaken nature; flowers bloom, birds begin to sing in praise of the Creator. It awakens man from sleep, calling him to work. It provides warmth and makes plants grow. Everything and everyone is regulated by the sun.

When the sun shines in the sky, everything is joyful, but when it disappears, everything is sad, cold, and lifeless.

This is what a mother is like. Everyone gathers around her, and when she is happy, everyone is happy, but when she is sad, everyone is sad. If she is no longer there, everything in the family will be so cold, because the unifying element that binds everyone together is missing. What is a home without a mother? I could say – a stopped clock, a lifeless body… Her guidance brings order and regularity to the house. Her love and care, which include everyone, reconcile the opposing interests of the members of the same family. She brings joy and peace, resignation and mutual love to the hearts of her loved ones, illuminating family life like the sun.

A truly Christian mother is great! Her work is silent, simple, and even hidden, but its effects are public. These effects are not confined to the home, but extend to the church, the nation, and the common good.

What greatness, what nobility, what holiness can be found in the world that did not originate from the mother?

She not only educates, but she lays the foundations in the home. She is there, alone, for years and years, with her child. She can mold this heart and this temperament, his will. It is the first and most important upbringing.

Therefore, Saint Augustine said of his mother: “All that I am, I owe to my mother. She not only gave me life for this world, but also the life of my soul.“ “How would the Kingdom of God be without the Christian mother? Do we not see in the Church that Saints such as Saint Basil, Saint Gregory Nazianzen, Saint John Chrysostom, and Saint Ambrose had holy mothers?”

Let us raise our voices to heaven and ask the Saints to whom they owe their holiness; they will tell us many paths to holiness, many means of sanctification, but among them will always be: my holy mother!

Yes, we owe all thanks to God, but He gives them through our mothers. All of this is true when it comes to a Christian mother.”

Source: Bulletin of the Sacred Hearts Parish, published in December 1945