Celebrating Motherhood in My Sunday Best

Nineveh 90 ended yesterday, and because it was such an introspective period, I went to morning Mass solo, to focus on the Consecration to Jesus through Mary. There were two young kids in attendance during that Mass, and during the chaplain’s homily, he emphasized to those two kids, “Today is proof – it is proof – that children can be saints, too! No matter how small you are, it is possible to be a saint!”

After the end of Mass, my family headed out of town for the day – as my Mother’s Day wish was to spend the Mother’s Day celebrations together… as a family. While ruminating on the chaplain’s homily throughout the day, I realized what a powerful job we have as parents – to teach our children about God, to teach them about His love, and to encourage them to know and love Him with all their hearts, minds, and souls. And, even if I am struggling with their strong-wills at times, ultimately, I am able to point to small saints such as Jacinta and Francisco, the two children saints canonized yesterday on the 100th Anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, and show them that their faith can create miracles as well… God willing!

Today, we headed to Mass together as a family. Our chaplain reminded us that one of the beautiful aspects of the Catholic Christian faith is how we honor motherhood – both physical and spiritual motherhood. Every woman is called to be a mother, and nobody explains the concept of spiritual motherhood better than Caitlyn, writing this month over at Everyday Ediths. Our chaplain then also pointed out how unique and special it is that we respect and honor the role Mary played as role of mother to her Divine Son – to God Himself – as Jesus. While he didn’t quote St. Maximilian Kolbe during his homily, the chaplain’s words made me recall a picture I had created in the past, reminding us that our love for Mary will always pale in comparison to the love Jesus has for His own mother.

Mary is the ultimate mother.

• The faith and trust she displayed in God the Father, as she accepted the mission to become the mother of God the Son, is admirable and the kind of faith I want to be able to emulate.
• The silent, but strong witness we find of Mary in the Gospels, as Luke 2:19 and Luke 2:51 reference by her treasuring all the words, actions, and sentiments of others in her heart is something I can understand, without the comprehension of the magnitude of the feelings Mary must have felt.
• The bitter agony she must have felt while watching her only baby be tortured and crucified for the sake of our world is pain to the extent I cannot even begin to pretend to understand.
• Finally, the strength Mary had to have felt when, upon Jesus’ last words, He gave His mother to the world to be our mother, instructing her in John 19:26, “Woman, here is your son,” and then his beloved disciple (and all who come after in generations) in John 19:27, “Here is your mother,” is reassuring.

Mary provides all of us with the model of perfect motherhood – strength, faith, dignity, respect, and full trust in God.

Mary reminds us of all the ways we can employ virtues of the Holy Spirit to attain the patience, love, peace, and fortitude that comes with motherhood.

Mary is our mother – as much as she was to the Christ – and, as much as she was to John and the other disciples of Jesus’ time. 

So, today’s My Sunday Best link-up with Rosie over at A Blog for My Mom is dedicated to all women – physical and spiritual mothers.

It is also dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God, and the Queen of Heaven and Earth.

For, it is Mary’s example which we should turn to the most, in order to traverse our journeys through motherhood!