After ordination, a priest's hands are consecrated with holy chrism and a manutergium is used to wipe the sacred oil from his hands. Since the chrism has been blessed by a bishop, it cannot be thrown in the trash or washed by normal means. Instead, an ancient and pious tradition continues by the priest giving his mother the manutergium. Tradition states:
When she arrives to the gates of heaven she is escorted directly to our Lord. Our Lord says to the woman – “I have given you life, what have you given to me?'” She hands him the manutergium and responds, “I have given you my son as a priest.” At this, Jesus grants her entry into paradise.
For the father, a recent tradition states that a priest will give his father his stole that was used for his first confession, indicating that fathers are instrumental in forming good men before they become priests.
What does this tell us? It tells us that the family is indeed the foundation of society and is rightfully called, "the Domestic Church" where vocations are born and cultivated through the pursuit of holiness.
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