As we celebrate Mothers Day, we know of the tendency to sentimentalize the day. We think of Mom's apple pie or the way she used to kiss our boo-boos to make them better. As adults, we begin to realize how much our mothers did for us. Mom had to juggle the demands of each child without letting any of them feel neglected. She has to be stern but fair, sometimes correcting or saying no. And mixed in with all that, she has to dust, do laundry and do the the hundreds of other tasks that kept he house running. Today's mothers have the added pressure of jobs outside the home, but then my mother did not have a microwave oven or other labor-saving devices. I will let others decide which life was tougher. My point is to offer my wish for a happy Mothers Day to all moms out there and to make sure they know that we do appreciate the sacrifices they made for us and the trouble they put up with for us. Happy Mothers Day!
It seems fitting to me that we celebrate Mothers Day during May, which we traditionally dedicate to Mary, whom Christ gave to us as our Blessed Mother. And as we sometimes tend to over-sentimentalize Mothers Day, so we can also ask what kind of view we have of the Blessed Virgin. If we base our devotions to Mary on a serious study of Sacred Scripture and Catholic Doctrine, then we get a picture of Mary as a real human being. She is the purest and holiest of our race, but she still lived a human life and made all the sacrifices and gifts of love that a mother makes. Thus she can be a model and an intercessor for mothers and also for the rest of us. She can be the one who helps us deal with our own struggles and frustrations and who celebrates with us our joys and successes. First and foremost, she does so by leading us closer to her Divine Son. So along with a happy Mothers Day, I wish you a prayerful month of the Blessed Mother.
Father H
