Mother to Mother: Spiritual and Practical Wisdom from the Cloister to the Home

Wow! Thank you, Dr. Cuff! This was a wonderful book, an answer to prayer! Introducing the reader to 5 convents of women religious in the USA, Dr. Cuff proceeds to ask questions about motherhood, femininity, living in community, and how to help our families overcome the particular temptations of our age. Her questions receive thoughtful responses from the nuns and their abbesses. I commend the author on her questions which are framed with deep insight and spiritual sensitivity and which convey her sincere humility in that she is willing to articulate some of the uglier and coarser questions of motherhood. We want to prepare our beautiful daughters to recognize and respond to God's love, these exchanges provide great help with that. One very minor issue I had, very likely it is a reflection on me, is that Thomas Merton makes me uncomfortable. He was quoted exactly once in a long book flooded with beautiful quotes from St. Theresa, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and other giants of the spiritual life, so the inclusion was very minor. For whatever reason, maybe baseless, I feel anxious about Merton. I'm happy to be wrong, and I hope he is a saint. I just mention it for anyone who shares my discomfort. The book is wonderful, a huge gift to mothers.

This was a beautiful book. The input from the mother superiors of different orders was refreshing and enlightening. Definitely will keep on my shelf to reread!

Through her book Mother to Mother, Mary Cuff has made a truly meaningful contribution to the Body of Christ. As an avid reader, I have long experienced books as a source of friendship: with beloved authors, historic figures and even fictional characters (in a certain sense). What I love most about Mary's book is being brought into friendship with a wonderful group of women--real, flesh and blood women, who are alive and very well--who generally speaking are outside my "circle," but with whom I am in true communion: cloistered religious. Mother to Mother is set up as a conversation between women in the domestic church and women in the cloister, the first asking questions, the latter responding. I really appreciate the questions posed by Mary on "our" behalf. More than once she voices a question I have barely articulated to myself, yet which concerns me very much. And the sisters respond with such humility and good nature, not to mention wisdom and virtue, I don't tire of hearing their counsel. Additionally, I enjoy Mary's wit, the interesting facts she includes, and the beautiful prayers at the end of each section. Come to think of it, readers may find a new friend in Mary, as well as the wonderful sisters whose friendship she cultivates.

“Mother to Mother” by Mary Elizabeth Cuff is a heartfelt and honest collection of reflections on the beauty, struggles, and joys of Catholic motherhood. With each chapter, Cuff opens her heart to the reader, sharing the real challenges and blessings of raising a family in today’s crazy world while keeping our faith at the center. Her writing is SO relatable and so encouraging, as she weaves in Scripture, wisdom from the saints, and her own experiences, making it feel like you’re sitting down with a dear friend over a cup of coffee, who truly understands the highs and lows of raw motherhood! This book serves as a gentle reminder that we are not alone in our journey and that God’s grace is always present in the messiness of daily life. “Mother to Mother” is a beautiful read for any Catholic mom looking for encouragement and inspiration to embrace her vocation more fully. I highly recommend it!!!!

During my middle and junior high years, I often visited the monastery, helping the nuns with various tasks like cleaning and preparing for feast days. These visits offered us a rare glimpse into their lives and provided the opportunity to ask questions and learn from them. The nuns would teach us girls playful songs to remember liturgical feast days and answer all of our questions. Now, as a wife and mother, I find myself missing those formative experiences. "Mother to Mother," written in a question-and-answer format, offered a return to those cherished interactions. The book provides a thoughtful reflection on the vocation of motherhood, drawing insights from religious spiritual mothers from multiple orders who seek to emulate Mary the Mother of God. Reading "Mother to Mother" has been a lovely read especially when enjoyed in brief, contemplative moments with a cup of coffee until my next monastic bell of “mama!” calls me to my next task. Each segment feels like a concise and uplifting conversation with a spiritual mentor, offering encouragement and inspiration. It’s a conversation many of us might long for with religious sisters but rarely have the time or opportunity to engage in.

What I love about this book, first of all, is the intimate connection weaved between contemplative nuns and mothers in the domestic church. Second, is the way it is set up as a series of questions that can be read front to back, or taken question by question, depending on the season you’re in. Each question is posed to various Mothers of religious communities and you will find that their answers are filled with understanding, charity, comfort, and practical advice.

I had once heard the Benedictines of Mary call themselves the stay-at-home moms of the Church. That was so intriguing to me. After reading this book I understand this so much better and find myself being a more at peace with my vocation as a mother at home. My role as a physical mother seems to be more dignified and powerful than I had previously perceived it—all through learning from these beautiful spiritual mothers.

I picked up "Mother to Mother," and I could not put it down. It is an absolute gem! Whether you are a busy mom, religious sister, or a young woman in discernment, Dr. Mary Cuff and the contemplative nuns offer wisdom and insight to various struggles and questions that arise in the vocation of motherhood. The nuns offer rich answers that speak to both vocations of spiritual and physical motherhood. It is a wonderful read for married women, religious, and single women in discernment.

I read this book just in the right time and for my state in life. Being a mother has been a wonderful and fulfilling experience. However, it is as tiring as it is wonderful and as trying as it is fulfilling. The advice and expereinces that the nuns offer in this book have given me consolation for times of difficulty; awareness of how I can change my perspective, attitude, prayer and speech; and made me feel like not only am I not alone in my struggles, but that there are so many beautiful and holy religious sisters in Christ that are walking this narrow road with me. When I am awake at 2AM with my child and I pray quietly, they are awake praying for their spiritual children. Even if their road has difference hurdles, we have the same destination that we are trying to reach. This would be a very special gift for all mothers and spiritual mothers and especially new mothers who could use sound and gentle advice and encouragement.