Our Role as Spiritual Leaders
When I think of the phrase “spiritual leader of the family,” I immediately think of my mother. When I was young, my mom modeled a quiet but powerful faith that shaped our home, faith, and relationship with God. She didn’t just teach us about virtue and faith—she lived it every day. Mothers show spiritual leadership by being the first teachers of the faith, models of virtue, women of prayer, keepers of tradition, anchors of stability, and the heart of the domestic church. Through her example, my mom exemplified these virtues from beginning to end.
In high school, I brought a boyfriend home to meet my parents. Looking around wide-eyed, he half-jokingly said, “I don’t know whether to shake hands or genuflect.” That reaction was awkward but understandable—our home was filled with religious items: a large open Bible on display, images of saints and the Holy Family in every room, and a crucifix on every wall. My mom arranged our home to resemble a church, a sacred space where faith wasn’t just something we did on Sundays—it was the air we breathed.
Each morning, my mother rose early to pray. I can still picture her in the living room, Bible open, coffee in hand, a warm slice of toast with apricot jam beside her. I never knew how long she had been there before I woke up, but she had clearly spent significant time in communion with God. In those moments, she taught me one of the most important lessons: prayer was not reserved for crisis but something that sustains us daily.
The Catechism teaches:
“Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human persons. Showing themselves obedient to the will of the Father in heaven, they educate their children to fulfill God’s law.” (CCC 2222)
My mother took this to heart. She was our first and most influential teacher of the faith. She once taught PSR and invited her entire second-grade class to witness my baptism. Talk about hands-on learning! In California, perpetual adoration was rare; instead, different cities would host it. So, we would look at the schedule and drive to the city where adoration was. We prayed together before every car ride, the rosary as a family on road trips, and together at home. We had a beautiful Christmas Eve tradition of processing through our house with a candle, singing “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and laying the life-sized statue of Baby Jesus at the foot of the Christmas tree. These are just a few traditions that formed us, instilling in us a love for reverence, ritual, and God.
Scripture, too, highlights the sacred role of mothers in spiritual formation. In Proverbs 31:26-27, we read:
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
This verse could have been written about my mother. Her faithfulness, wisdom, and constant example left an indelible mark on me and everyone who knew her.
Even as Parkinson’s stole her physical abilities—losing ability in her dominant hand—she adapted. Though she grew frustrated, sometimes crying, she never grew angry or bitter. She simply prayed more. As her condition worsened, she increasingly saw herself as a prayer warrior, surrendering what she could not control into God’s hands. Her faith never wavered. Every morning, I would find her again—in her chair, coffee in hand, a roll or piece of toast beside her, listening to the Mass and Rosary on EWTN. She had become a true spiritual warrior, grounded in the faith she had lived her entire life.
In every way, my mother embodied the sacred calling of motherhood as a spiritual leader. She didn’t just pass down tradition—she passed down faith. She didn’t just pray—she interceded. She didn’t just teach about virtue—she lived it, even in her hardest moments. Through her example, she made it clear to me that as a mother, the heart of the home is not found in material things—but in the faithful, virtuous presence of a mother’s love, faith, and unwavering prayer.
Maria Stewart – SFA Theologian Guild Member