May, the Month of Mothers

We need truly Catholic mothers! Even from Dona Lucilia’s manner of scolding her children, we can take multiple lessons about how a truly Catholic mother should proceed on such occasions.

There’s an article of Dr. Plinio that says, “Error is part of human nature, but so is correction.”

When necessary Dona Lucilla was ready to correct, sometimes with harsh terms.  In the case of the report card, Dona Lucilia said, “I never in my life expected to have a forger as a son.”

Dr. Plinio commented that when Dona Lucilia showed anger, she was full of superiority, nobility and dignity. The accusations were made with such elevation and love that, “as she spoke, I felt so attracted to her that I gradually approached her… I wanted to get closer even more because of the enchantment that she produced in me.”

Dona Lucilia’s state of serenity and balance left the environment impregnated with kindness, and the care she took of her home, her children and people with whom she had conviviality was impressive! When she arrived from her journey, she welcomed the servants “with words of kindness, which never lacked on her lips, overflowing from her affable heart.”

As Msgr. John commented in this chapter: “- a serene look, small gestures, a voice of velvety timbre, a bright smile _ these manifested the heart of her soul pervaded by faith, which dwelt always at the pinnacle of high considerations and perspectives.”

In this month of May that has come to an end, to meditate on Dona Lucilia, this model of such a kind mother, brings to mind these words of Dr. Plinio:

“In the midst of maturing __ I don’t know well at what age, but it was in my earliest childhood__, I clearly realized that this wholeness, this totality was not only of affection, but was of a whole way of looking at life, at things, at people, in a very serious way, yet with great kindness.”

Sra. Cintia Lima