Sermon for Mother's Day

May 10, 2009

For the past several Sundays we’ve been discussing the Christian doctrine of the atonement. But today is Mother’s Day, and I thought it would be useful to review what the Bible and our Holy Catholic faith teach us about mothers and motherhood.

When we look to the Old Testament, we see that unlike the pagan religions that surrounded them, the ancient Israelites were commanded not to worship any female goddesses or Mother Earth figure. Instead, they were commanded to worship the one true God, Yahweh, the LORD, and him alone. In the first of the Ten Commandments, God spoke and said, “I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other gods but me.”

Now, this was a radical departure from the other Near Eastern pagan religions, which had gods and goddesses for all kinds of things, and particularly fertility gods and goddesses. And so throughout the Old Testament the disobedient Israelites often tried to bring in some of these other gods and goddesses in the form of Baal worship and Asherim. Asherim were sacred wooden poles made in honor of the Canaanite mother-goddess Asherah.

But this was strictly forbidden, as we know from the 2nd Commandment: "Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them."

The reason, of course, was that Yahweh, the LORD God, was the creator and source of all life. He was, and is, as we say in the Creed, “the Lord and Giver of life.” Not some fertility goddess or Mother Earth figure, but God alone.

As it was for the ancient Israelites, the Jewish Church, so it is for us today, the Christian Church. We are to worship Almighty God and Him alone. We don’t need, and we are forbidden to have, goddesses or Mother Earth figures. (Mother Earth figures have reappeared in our day in the religion of Wicca, which is a modern form of ancient paganism.)

But if mothers and motherhood were not to be worshipped according to the Bible, they were and are to be honored. And so, we hear in the Fifth Commandment: “Honor thy father and thy mother.” This commandment was often repeated by Jesus himself and is also repeated in the New Testament book of Ephesians, chapter 6: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”

Throughout the Bible we find wonderful portraits of mothers. In the OT, I think particularly of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, who dedicated her child Samuel to the Lord who grew into Israel’s first great prophet. I think also of Sarah, wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac; Rebecca, wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau; and Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. There’s also, of course, Eve, the first mother, whose name means “mother of all living.”

In the NT, there is St. Mary the Virgin, mother of Jesus Christ. There’s also Elisabeth, Mary’s cousin and the mother of John the Baptist; and Eunice and Lois, mother and grandmother, respectively, of St. Timothy, Paul’s great helper.

The story of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke begins with the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel to Mary. And Mary responds, “Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” These words ring out through the ages as examples to all Christian believers of the willingness we all need to have to follow what the Lord desires.

And it is, of course, Mary who is the Bible’s and our Catholic Faith’s greatest example of a mother and motherhood. Jesus was obedient to his earthly mother throughout his youth and adolescence. And his love and concern for his mother was shown when he made a point of entrusting Mary to John the beloved disciple as he hung upon the cross.

As is so often said, without our mothers, none of us would be here. They are the ones who nurture us from the moment of conception through nine months of pregnancy, and then care for us from birth through childhood and into adulthood. It is from our mothers that we learn our morals and ethical principles and our first religious beliefs. And so mothers have an absolutely vital role in bringing up children and teaching them the Christian faith.

So today, let us honor our mothers, show them the respect and honor and gratitude that they deserve and which our Christian faith commands. Let us also pray for them and give thanks to God for them.

Let us pray.

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

We thank You for our mothers to whom You have entrusted the care of every precious human life from its very beginning in the womb. You have given to woman the capacity of participating with You in the creation of new life. Grant that every woman may come to understand the full meaning of that blessing, which gives her a capacity for selfless love for every child she may be privileged to bear, and for all Your children.

Watch over every mother who is with child, strengthen her faith in Your fatherly care and love for her and for her unborn baby. Give her courage in times of fear or pain, understanding in times of uncertainty and doubt, and hope in times of trouble. Grant her joy in the birth of her child.

To mothers You have given the great privilege and responsibility of being a child's first teacher and spiritual guide. Grant that all mothers may worthily foster the faith of their children, following the example of Mary, Elizabeth, and other holy women who follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Help mothers to grow daily in knowledge and understanding of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and grant them the wisdom to impart this knowledge faithfully to their children, and to all who depend upon them.

Assist all "spiritual mothers," those who, though they may have no children of their own, nevertheless selflessly care for the children of others of every age and state in life. Grant that they may know the joy of fulfilling this motherly calling of women, whether in teaching, nursing, religious life, or in other work which recognizes and fosters the true dignity of every human being created in Your image and likeness.

We beseech You to send Your Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to all mothers who sorrow for children that have died, are ill or estranged from their families, or who are in trouble or danger of any kind. Help grieving mothers to rely on Your tender mercy and fatherly love for all your children.

We also pray for all our mothers who have died, and we give thanks to You for them.

We ask your blessing on all those to whom You have entrusted motherhood. May Your Holy Spirit constantly inspire and strengthen them. May they ever follow the example of Mary, mother of Our Lord, and imitate her fidelity, her humility, and her self-giving love. May all mothers receive Your Grace abundantly in this earthly life, and may they look forward to eternal joy in Your presence in the life to come.

We ask this through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen