Mothers are an indispensable gift

Practically every day, I look out the windows of the rectory and see mothers dropping off their children for school or picking them up in the afternoon. To be fair, there are also fathers, grandparents, and other relatives who do the same, but I’d like to focus on the mothers since they are the majority who do so. I never cease to be amazed at the special skills these mothers possess that enable them to take special care of their children. There is no doubt in my mind about how influential they are and how these mothers are an indispensable gift to their children.
 

As a former child, I know that it takes a lot to get children to school. Behind the scenes, mothers have to rouse their children from sleep, get them dressed, and get something in their bellies before they take off. That doesn’t even take into account the job of getting the children to do their homework the night before and all the washing, drying, and other prep work that has to be done. Once they pile into the car, they head off to school. When they arrive here, I see those same mothers straightening their kids’ clothing, getting their backpacks out, giving their children their daily dose of advice, and frequently walking them to their classrooms. I fail to mention having to make sure that their children have those special little things they need for a project or event that is going on in a particular day. When the school day ends, those same mothers are back again to chauffeur their kids home or to other activities. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

There are so many facets to motherhood – it is a vocation that weighs heavy with responsibility. It involves being a coach, a policewoman, a nurturer, a comforter, a teacher, a cook, a doctor, a nurse, a judge, an advocate, and a worrier. Mothers have to be entertainers, counselors, drill sergeants, and organizers. One cannot encapsulate everything that mothers must do and be. Nevertheless, the ones that I know become very adept at all these things. It is a particular vocation that requires tremendous multitasking skills.

When I look at the many mothers that cross my path day in and day out, I see all the qualities that we applaud in all of our mothers. Interestingly, the job of a mother never goes away. It is a job and a vocation for life. There is a special bond that a mother has with her children. It is a bond that is forged at the very beginning, while the child is forming in the womb. It is a relationship that carries, as I said, a heavy weight of responsibility, but a responsibility that is borne in joy. Mothers don’t normally resent the vocation set before them. They embrace it. They take it up willingly.

During this month honoring Mary, the Blessed Mother, we recognize that she modeled motherhood in the most perfect way. She embraced her vocation as the Mother of Our Lord, willingly following the Lord’s bidding. She endured her own cross of suffering as she witnessed Jesus’ rejection, passion, and death. We know that she understands the fullness of motherhood because of her role in salvation history. We pray that she may inspire all mothers as they strive to fulfill their vocation of raising their children.

In the Gospel of John 14:9, Jesus says, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” When we look to Jesus, we see the concrete love of the Father. If we look at the many sacrifices that our mothers make for us – if we see the many acts of love they give to us, then in a very real way, we also see the love of the Father in our mothers. If our mothers do these things, then they are certainly imitating Christ. In imitating Christ, they are revealing to us the goodness and love of our Heavenly Father.

Our mothers are indispensable. Their love is enduring and unconditional, like the love of our God. If we are grateful to God for his abiding love, we should also be grateful to our mothers who witness to the enduring love of God. We wish all mothers a very blessed and happy Mother’s Day! May you experience an abundance of our love in return for the love you have shown us! We love you and we cherish you!