Commitment 1

The first commitment of becoming a Spiritual Mother is the basis of this world-wide program:  attending one hour of Eucharistic Adoration each week. 

The story behind this is, of course, the letter written by Cardinal Hummes to then Pope Benedict in 2007, located at the beginning of the document, Euchraistic Adoration for the Sacritifcation of Priests and Spiritual Maturity (EASPSM). 
 
Cardinal Hummes states:  “In today’s world a great many things are necessary for the good of the Clergy and the fruitfulness of pastoral ministry. With a firm determination to face such challenges without disregarding the difficulties and struggles, and with an awareness that action follows being and that the soul of every apostolate is Divine intimacy, it is our intention for the departure point to be a spiritual endeavor.  In order to continually maintain a greater awareness of the ontological link between the Eucharist and the Priesthood, and in order to recognize the special maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for each Priest, it is our intention to bring about a connection between perpetual Eucharistic adoration for the sanctification of priests and the initiation of a commitment on the part of consecrated feminine souls, (following the typology of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Eternal High Priest, and Helper in his work of Redemption), who might wish to spiritually adopt Priests in order to help them with their self-offering, prayer, and penance.  Adoration always involves an act of reparation for sins.  With that in mind, we suggest a particular intention in this regard." [emphasis added]
 
This EUCHARISTIC ADORATION is the basis of all Spiritual Motherhood of Priest programs around the world.   This practice started centuries ago by nuns in their convents.   They had access to EUCHARISTIC ADORATION in their convents every day, probably perpetual EUCHARISTIC ADORATION.  The lay people, however, were farmers and did not have access to EUCHARISTIC ADORATION, nor was it offered except on occasion, for example, 40-hours devotion in their parishes. 

So, the nuns prayed for Priests, and the lay people prayed for vocations.  In recent years, EUCHARISTIC ADORATION became widespread in parishes around the world, even perpetual EUCHARISTIC ADORATION.  So, in 2007 Cardinal Hummes asked Pope Benedict XVI to allow lay women to adopt priests whom they would pray for during EUCHARISTIC ADORATION like the nuns did centuries ago (see the quote above).  This encourages EUCHARISTIC ADORATION as well as prayers for our priests around the world.  This elevates the vocations of Priesthood and Motherhood.  

This program does not require any physical contact of praise or gifts from us; but is a spiritual elevation of the Priestly vocation as only God can do.  This keeps it the way God intended the priesthood to be, respected, admired, and spiritually loved.  EUCHARISTIC ADORATION does all of this through Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  Eucharistic Adoration is the key to this whole program!!!  Without EUCHARISTIC ADORATION, there is no Divine Intimacy.  It becomes just a prayer, which is also good in itself, but EUCHARISTIC ADORATION is the best prayer; it is what the priesthood brings to us. Why shouldn’t we use the means given to us by our own Priests? 

Priests are the only ones who can give us Christ’s Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.  We thank them for their vocation and answer to God’s call.  Again, I say, Eucharistic Adoration is the key to being a fruitful and effective Spiritual Mother!!! 
 
God bless you,

Mary Anne Gronotte
Phone: 859-341-6214
Email:  [email protected]