First, this morning I offered my Mass for all women for whom Mother’s Day is a cross. For women whose hearts are full of the longing to be a mother but whose wombs and arms are empty. For mothers whose children have preceded them to eternal life. For mothers who have children in heaven that they have not yet met face to face. For mothers whose children are far away. For mothers whose children are estranged. For mothers whose children are ill or in danger.
Also this is a good time to pause to remember that even those women who have not been blessed with biological motherhood are still called to spiritual motherhood. It is our vocation as women to love, to nurture, to cherish and protect, educate and guide and heal. Even if you do not have children, I am sure that you are in some other way answering God’s call to mother.
Then today is also another opportunity for us to honor Mary, who is mother to us all.
This morning our parish’s first communicants placed a crown on a statue of Mary after Mass. As Father explained, we honor Mary as the our perfect Mother whose example leads us always to her Divine Son.
When we returned home the girls and I cut some of our azaleas and placed them in front of some of our images of our Blessed Mother. Can I tell you how happy it makes Bella to make these little devotions? (On that note, check out Leila’s inspirational exhortation about how to begin to live the liturgical year with children. here now with no fancy curriculum and no materials beyond the weeds growing in your yard.)
Today I remember the God is so good for giving His mother to all of us. No matter what our circumstances are, we all have the opportunity today to honor the mother of Our Lord who is our mother too.
Last but not least, I rejoice and give thanks for my own motherhood. I thank God for giving me my vocation of motherhood, for gifting me four precious souls, three of whom I’ve had the honor of nurturing and teaching and watching to grow. I thank Him for Isabella, Francis, Sophia, and Benedict, the most beautiful flowers in my garden.
Updated
Erin said what I wanted to say here but articulated it better and much more fully.
