Here is the article I wrote for the cover of today’s (Mother’s Day) bulletin.<\/p>\n
In the Church today we celebrate the Sixth Sunday of Easter but we also recognize today as Mother\u2019s Day.\u00a0 We take time each year on the second Sunday in May to honor our mothers.\u00a0 On the third Sunday in June we will celebrate Father\u2019s Day.\u00a0 Somehow Mother\u2019s Day gets a lot of attention.<\/p>\n
Children may make mom \u201cbreakfast in bed\u201d or give their mothers something they made in school.\u00a0 Adults may buy mom a gift, flowers, or take mom out for a meal.\u00a0 I think making sure mom doesn\u2019t have to prepare meals that day is a way of recognizing that we appreciate all the meals they have prepared for us.<\/p>\n
Of course, these are ways we honor our mothers who are still living.\u00a0 But we can also remember our mothers who have passed to the eternal kingdom.\u00a0 My own mother passed away three years ago.\u00a0 She died the Sunday before Mother\u2019s Day, which made for a difficult Mother\u2019s Day that year.<\/p>\n
Just because our mothers have passed doesn\u2019t mean we can\u2019t honor them anymore.\u00a0 We can remember the good things they have done for us and trust in the promise of Jesus that they have received the gift of eternal life.\u00a0 For our mothers who have died, we honoring them by still remembering them on this day.<\/p>\n
Of course, as Catholics we have another mother that we honor during the month of May.\u00a0 The Virgin Mary was the mother of Jesus and in John 19:25-27 Jesus gives Mary to us as Mother of the Church.<\/p>\n
As Mother of the Church, Mary does the same for us as our earthly mothers.\u00a0 Mary watches over us and prays to her son Jesus for us.\u00a0 Our mothers care for us and pray for us.<\/p>\n
Mary (with Joseph) is the one who made sure that her son Jesus learned all the religious customs of the faith.\u00a0 Often, it is our mothers who make sure we complete our sacraments and learn about our faith.<\/p>\n
It was Mary at the Wedding Feast of Cana who believed in her son.\u00a0 They had run out of wine and she sent them to her (adult) son Jesus.\u00a0 She knew he could take of it.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t know how, simply saying \u201cDo whatever he tells you.\u201d\u00a0 When we are little, we listen to our mothers.\u00a0 As we grow into adulthood, we become more independent.\u00a0 Our mothers (and fathers) let us make decisions for ourselves.\u00a0 I suspect for our parents it is both difficult to let our children make decisions for themselves as adults and yet a great reward when they make good decisions.<\/p>\n
To all our mothers, thank you!!!<\/p>\n
Peace, Fr. Jeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here is the article I wrote for the cover of today’s (Mother’s Day) bulletin. In the Church today we celebrate the Sixth Sunday of Easter but we also recognize today as Mother\u2019s Day.\u00a0 We take time each year on the second Sunday in May to honor our mothers.\u00a0 On the third Sunday in June we …<\/p>\n