Mother’s Day 2013: The Christian Vocation of Motherhood

Mother’s Day 2013
The Christian Vocation of Motherhood
 
            This weekend, we celebrate one of the most beloved days of the year, “Mother’s Day.” Although this is not a religious holiday, it is a day with deep religious significance inasmuch as it celebrates God’s gift of motherhood.
 
            Being a mother has changed in recent years. Whereas an older generation still remembers when most mothers were what we today call “stay at home moms,” we live in a time when many moms are in the marketplace, sometimes out of choice, other times out of or necessity. Moreover, we live in a time when more mothers are raising families without the help and support of a husband. Despite these changes that have occurred in recent years, what is most important about motherhood remains the same: a caring and nurturing love that enables children to grow and develop in a safe and secure environment.
 
            We owe a debt of gratitude to our mothers and to all those who live out their vocation of motherhood day in and day out. It was our mothers who gave us life through the pains of childbirth. It was our mothers who natured and cared for us when we could not care for ourselves. It was our mothers who gave us unconditional love, despite our failures. It was our mothers who strengthened and guided us to adulthood.
 
            Motherhood is a vocation; it is the way that mothers attain sanctity and holiness in the Christian life. It is the way in which mothers are united with Christ through the sacrifices they make every day for the families. Motherhood is a share in Christ’s way of the cross that leads to resurrection and new life. This is the way in which mothers attain sanctify.
 
Consider for a moment, the mother who must work to support her family. She may have preferred to stay at home, but she cannot; and so she sacrifices for her family. Or, consider the mother who would like to pursue a professional career, but for the sake of her family she stays at home. Or, consider the sacrifices made by a single mom who must support her family as well as herself. In other words, it is not what kind of mom you are (stay at home mom, career mom, single mom) that matters, it is the sacrifices you make for you family that bring you to Christian holiness.
 
            There are lots of books about spirituality, but very few books about the spirituality of motherhood. There are lots of saints in the Church’s calendar, but there are many more women who have become saints by the sacrifices they made for their families and children.
 
            It is a joy to celebrate this Mother’s Day with you; it is a joy to remember all of the mothers of our parish, living and deceased. You are the heroes of our day; you are the saints who bring the gospel to the world by your self-sacrificing love. This is your day, and we rejoice with you.  Father Matera