Remembering as Christians We Have Two Mothers
Deacon Patrick Constantino | Photos courtesy Dcn. Constantino
The Lord be with you. A Reading from the Holy Gospel of Matthew. (Matthew 5:1-12)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peace makers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told the people at the beginning of his sermon on the mount to look forward to what awaits them, what awaits the person of faith who believes and tries to live according to the truth. “How blessed are the poor in spirit, the humble, the hungry and single-hearted, heaven is theirs.” Our Mother’s are all models of these Beatitudes!
On Mother’s Day, let us acknowledge the truth we have two mothers: our earthly mother and our Heavenly Mother, the mother of Jesus. The Catholic Church proclaims the great nobility of the mother of Jesus, Mary most holy and presents her as the supreme model for all mothers. On this Mother’s Day, presenting all mothers on the altar, let us sing the beautiful song we sing on the Feast of the Presentation, Gentle woman, peaceful dove, teach us wisdom, teach us love. Let us show our love and appreciation for both of our mothers and let us ask our Heavenly Mother to take care of our earthly mothers. We need to be persons for others, being good stewards, and sacrificing our time, talents and lives for them as our mothers have done and are now still doing.
In tribute to my loving mother Felisa Cabacungan Constantino.
The role of mothers in our lives. This is a day to admit gratefully none of us are able to return, in the same measure, all the love our mothers have given us. Their influence on their children is so great it affects the children throughout their lives. Our mothers not only gave birth but nursed us, nurtured us, trained us in their religious beliefs and practices, taught us good manners and ideal behavior, disciplined us as best as they could and made us good citizens of our country, our church and our society. There is a beautiful Spanish proverb: An ounce of mother is better than a pound of clergy. Hence, it is highly proper for us to express our love and gratitude to our mothers by our presence, if possible, gifts and prayers on Mother’s Day. We offer this Eucharistic celebration on Mother’s Day for all mothers in our congregation, community and world, whether they are alive here or have gone for their eternal reward. The word Mom is synonymous with sacrificial, agape love in its purest form, as commanded by Jesus in his farewell speech. Love one another as I have loved you. Hence, let us lavish our love on our mothers and express our gratitude for them in the form of fervent prayers offered for them before God.
Special tribute to my wife Corazon Bio Constantino
Corazon is my beautiful wife for sixty-two years and mother of our loving children Cary (deceased), Darlene, Pamela and Jamie. My wife is a diligent partner. As a woman with God’s viewpoint, she is a willing worker, a wise shopper and a planner who is able to minister to our family because she keeps herself fit, spiritually and physically. She is a dependable mother. She is devoted to the needs of our family. She is well-groomed, attractive, organized and disciplined; as such, she is a testimony to our children. She is a woman full of God’s wisdom. St. Paul exhorts husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Husbands have the solemn duty to sacrifice themselves continually in their total love for their wives and their children. Each day provides numerous opportunities for husbands to live out their family life with many acts of patience, kindness and service. The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.
Photo courtesy Lawrence Pascua – Studio Creative Associates
A Mother’s Prayer
If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper—not a homemaker. If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness—not godliness. Love leaves the dust in search of a child’s laugh. Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window. Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk. Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys. Love is present through the trails. Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive. Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood. Love is the key that opens salvation’s message to a child’s heart. Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection. Now I glory in God’s perfection of my child. As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is, Love! Amen.
In the spirit of Mother’s Day, let us reflect on Mary, the Blessed Mother. May is traditionally dedicated to honoring her and during this “Marian month,” we celebrate her role as the Mother of God!
On July 1, 2022, Patrick Constantino retired as a Deacon for the Roman Catholic Church in Hawai‘i, after serving for thirty-five years and becoming on June 18, 1987, the first Deacon of Filipino ancestry for the Roman Catholic Church in Hawai‘i. For twenty-two years, he served as Administrator at Holy Rosary Church in Pā‘ia, St. Rita Church in Ha‘ikū and St. Gabriel Church in Ke‘anae. His last assignment before retiring was at St. Joseph Church in Makawao.
Prior to his ordination, Constantino was in government—first appointed in 1966 as Assistant Sergeant of Arms by the Speaker of the House Elmer F. Cravalho. When Cravalho became Maui’s first Mayor, Constantino became his Executive Assistant—the first of Filipino ancestry. Later, Constantino became the first County Treasurer of Filipino ancestry and the first County Grants Administrator and Risk Manager of Filipino ancestry.
Constantino is married to his lovely wife Corazon for sixty-two years. They are blessed with four children, eleven grandchildren, and fifteen great grandchildren.