Mother’s Day will be here soon. We all have earthly mothers, someone who gave birth to us. Some of our moms are still with us here on earth. Some of our moms have left this life and moved on to the next. My earthly mom passed away six years ago after struggling with mental illness for 20 years. Just before she passed away though, God gave me hope in a clear vision in a dream that she would be okay. And I often still pray for her that she is there in heaven with her mom, dad, and sisters.

Each of our relationships with our mother is different and personal. For some of us, our relationships are loving, and tender and our mother cares for, teaches, and nurtures us. But for some, the relationship, for one reason or another, is not so healthy. Our mother may seem mean, indifferent, or even absent, and thinking about the relationship can be upsetting. How then, can we celebrate Mother’s Day in a healthy, uplifting way?

Only when a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, will it produce fruit. This is how life renews itself. For us this is an ongoing process. We are constantly letting things go, letting things die, as we move through life. Last year prior to the pandemic, we were used to how thing were unfolding. We thought the way things were done was the way. We were so full of life. Then the sickness came and the way we were doing things had to die. But, we didn’t die. We created, new opportunities and new ways to stay in community with one another were opened to us. Out of the death of one life, a new way of doing things, a new life was formed.

Even the need to wear masks caused how we physically looked at each other to die, but we didn’t stop seeing. We wore masks that reflected our personality, we learned to smile with our eyes. For me, it gave me permission to look you in the eye. What did I see? A great beauty that I might have missed had this death not happened.

As we begin Holy Week, I am reminded of the gospel of John 1:35-42 when we hear Jesus ask the two who were following him, “What are you looking for?” It’s a question he is asking each and every one of us right now.

Sometimes our answer is a practical one. What are you looking for? I can’t find my cell phone anywhere and I’m lost without it. If you pray to him, Jesus may indeed, help you find your phone. But if we only pray for convenient solutions to life’s trials, we may realize at some point that this is probably not the answer Jesus has in mind. So at some point he will ask again, “Really, what are you looking for?”

Back in the day, there used to be a thing called P90X. It was an intense workout routine guaranteed to give you a totally ripped body in 90 days. Well, what if there was a more intense exercise in spiritual perseverance that, if you stick with it, will bring you closer to Jesus and transform you in let’s say 40 days. How would that work?

We all have things in our life that if used in excess can strain our relationship with others and Jesus by taking time away from them. Maybe it’s our phone, social media, pod casts, videos, or video games. Being to busy and over scheduling, even if they’re good things, can rob us of investing valuable time in our faith and with those most important to us.

We would like to introduce Deacon Ken Preiss. We are so excited to have him with us here at Catholic Charities of Shiawassee & Genesee Counties to provide counsel and healing to those seeking change in their lives. That his words provide you guidance and comfort.

Deacon Ken Preiss is just a normal guy. He lives in Fenton with his of wife of 31 years, Karen. His daughter Madeline is a Neonatal Nurse living in Texas and his youngest, Kate is a senior at Kettering University studying chemical engineering. Before becoming a deacon, he worked as a Project Manager at General Motors for 33 years.