Reflections on Mothering Sunday

by Chitra R. L. Fernando

As Christians all over the world commemorate the solemn season of Lent, we reach the mid point of this season to celebrate a special event namely Mothering Sunday, and this year we keep this special day (April 3). There are many beautiful symbolisms of giving special cards, gifts and posies organised by the teachers and pupils of Bible School to show their love and appreciation of their mothers and with this in mind I would like to place before you, dear reader a few thoughts.

It is said that "The Happiest days of our lives are spent in the arms of another man's wife - and that is our mother.

How true these words are when we hark back to our childhood, where we first experience the love, warmth and security from our mothers.

In the days gone by parents were a part and parcel of family life, but with the influence of Western Culture, families move away from the parental home to build their own "little nests" as we could call them and this makes it to relegate special days, which is highly commercialised in a fast-moving world almost blowing it out of proportion.

Why can't we make every Sunday a Mothering Sunday and make our mothers happy with a kind word or a loving gesture.

As Christian mothers we have enough strength to draw from God's Holy Word which is the font of all wisdom and knowledge, in bringing up our children in the fear and nurture of our Lord.

The Proverbs tells us to "Train up a child in the way he should and when he is old, he will not depart from it. As parents we should lead lives of good example as much as we sacrifice our own seekings to give our children the best that life could afford them."

A mother exposes herself to great danger going through the process of child bearing. We are reminded of this as we read that beautiful word of that psalm "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod and staff, they comfort me." In the Gospel of St. John 16 verses 21 onwards, compares Jesus' suffering to a woman in excruciating pain in the travail of labour, crying out.

Cries

But as she hears the first cries of her baby, all that is forgotten as another human being is born to this world.

With all these happenings, we still regard motherhood as the Greatest Experience in a woman's life.

A mother is a hardworker and we think of the versatality of her character, in the way she plays many roles on the stage of life. Whilst being a mother and a wife she could be a doctor, a teacher a friend and confidante and a shoulder to lean upon. She could also be a disciplinarian, an expert cook, a gardener and last but not the least a chauffeur.

She could fit perfectly into any of these situations without extra remuneration or any perks - sometimes without even a word of appreciation.

The tenacity of her love is hard to match in a fast changing world where human values have turned downside-up.

When a class of 8 year olds were asked to give a definition for a mum, two bright sparks wrote "God created mom because He could not be everywhere" and "Moms name are on God's payroll." This speaks volume doesn't it.

When we think of the life of Our Blessed Lord, His loyalty to His Heavenly Father was never in conflict with His loyalty to His earthly parents. Let us as Christian parents bring up our children with respect and loyal to our Heavenly Father and not twist their lives to fulfil our narrow visions about them.

At the time when Our Lord suffered excruciating pain on that bitter cross, He relegated the duties of caring for His mother to His beloved disciple John.

My thoughts go out to those heroic mothers who sacrificed their children on the battlefields, in order that the ravaging flames of war could be extinguished. For three decades these flames were kept ablaze so that the devious ends of human monsters be realised and we hear of mums who are still watching and waiting for their beloved offsprings.

We also think of single moms trying to eke out an existence to give her children the best that life could afford them.

The importance of prayer and reading God's word is the duty of a Christian mom as much as all the education and book learning given to a child and all the rest of lifeskills that are taught to children. The importance of duty and teaching proper values are also the duties of a mother.

Parents

As parents, especially moms we love to hear something beautiful and sentimental, expressed by their children and I would like to place before you some of those sentiments that were found in black and white.

"Mom some of the things I feel in my heart

Are so hard to put into words -

You are my confidante, I tell my secrets to,

Sometimes you are my audience applauding the things

You are the shoulder I can freely lean upon,

I do,

You are the gentle push that keeps me moving on

And sometimes you are the wind beneath my wings."

Another card goes to say in this manner -

The more I think of days gone by

The more I know its true - That I've been very fortunate to have a Mom like you.

And though this greeting comes to you when Mother's day is near - Its filled with love - the love that's yours - Each day throughout the year.

Thanks Dear Mom for the lessons you taught

For the priceless examples set

For your patience and willing forgiveness

The things I could never forget

Thanks for the dreams you've believed in me

And eagerly helped me pursue - for the comfort

And true understanding I always counted on you.

Another card expresses these sentiments to a mother -

You have been my Greatest Friend, who has never

Changed over the years - whether days are dark or fair

You have shared my sorrows and joys beyond compare - And I pray to God Almighty to keep you in His care.

The last but not the least is a short poem by the author Howard Johnson captioned Mother.

Mother

M is for the million things she gave me

O means only that she is growing old,

T is for the tears she shed to save me

H is for her heart of purest gold.

E is for her eyes with love-light shining,

R is right and right she'll always be.

Put them all together - They spell Mother.

A word that means a world to me.

May we as children of the Living God never experience thoughts such as "I should have been more loving and patient" or "I should have been more understanding."

As we stand silently beside the cask that bears her seeing the candles melting away, reminding us how she wore herself out to give us nothing but the best or smelling the fragrance of flowers around her reminding us of the fragrance of her undying love which goes beyond millions of sweet scented roses, let us never be filled with regret or guilt that we have lacked in our duty and love towards her.