Venerable József Cardinal Mindszenty resisted communism in Hungary after World War II and was persecuted, tortured and imprisoned for his brave stand. He penned one of the most beautiful reflections on motherhood I’ve ever heard. Since it’s Mother’s Day, let me recite it for you before we get to the main story for today: how the great St. Padre Pio appeared to comfort the poor cardinal while he was in a communist dungeon.

Venerable József Mindszenty wrote:
“The Most Important Person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral -a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body… The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God’s creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature; God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation… What on God’s good earth is more glorious than this: to be a mother?”

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