When he was at table with them, he took the bread. He blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him!(Luke 24:13-35)

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mothers Day. It is the most popular day for the restaurant industry, the flower stores and in the memory departments of most of us. Graduates refer to their schools as their “Alma Mater” which literally means “Nourishing mother”. Religious orders refer to their foundation buildings as “Mother Houses”. Miners hitting a large strike of ore would call that hitting the “Mother Load”. WE refer to this planet as “Mother Earth”. (Of course, since God created both the heavens and the Earth—and all of mankind—the Earth is more of a “sibling”; a “Sister Earth” if you will. But that’s a subject for another blog at another time!) There is something precious, like gold, nourishing, sustaining and stable about the vocation of being a mother.

As we prepare today to remember our mothers and journey toward the celebration, as well, of the Eucharist, we might reflect on how we relate to God not only as our Father, but often as a Mother; stable, precious, tender, the Source. In most families we learned of God, not through Theology, or catechism, but through a gentle force which picked us up, sat us down, rolled us over, let us go and brought us back. We can pray with the memories of how our mothers brought us to life and played their part in bringing God to life for us as well.

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