Happy and Blessed Mother’s Day to all you mother’s out there!
Motherhood is a great blessing! To be able to carry a completely unique human being inside! Motherhood has a great history in our lives; Eve, the mother of all the living brought death into the world due to her sin. (Gen. 3:1-20) Mary, the new Eve, brought Life into the world by her “Yes” to God to be the mother of the savior. (Lk. 1:26-35 & Lk, 2: 22-35)
While I am not biologically a mother, I have parented/mothered many children! Through foster care, being a house parent in a group home and now having a home for children in need, I have parented/mothered more children then I could ever biologically have!
For many pregnancy, giving birth and nurturing a baby helps one to grow into motherhood. For a variety of reasons there are children out there who need a 2nd parent/mother. People like me and others who are foster, adoptive and step mothers come in! They lovingly raise the child as their own and help the child to heal, grow and flourish, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Of course not all foster, adoptive and step parents do this and we must pray that they will heal and come around for the sake of the children. They help mold the child into the future adult, who will also parent and be out in the world!
Onto the greatest form of Motherhood, Spiritual Motherhood! All women are called to be spiritual mothers, even if they have never raised a child in their home. Those who have raised children in their home are also called to spiritual motherhood.
Spiritual parenthood, to me, starts before pregnancy! When the mother is praying for God to send a child to her and her spouse. It continues with Baptism and on throughout the life of the child. While the children are growing it may feel like one is more physical mother then spiritual due to all the daily tasks, but one is always a spiritual mother right along with the physical.
Mary is a good example of this. She was a woman of prayer, God sent His angel to her with a message and she answered with her fiat! She pondered the life of her child. She raised Him and was also His first disciple. (not apostle) On the cross Jesus gave Mary to John, the beloved, as a Mother.(Jn. 19:25-27) John symbolizes us, so Jesus gave Mary to us as a spiritual Mother. We have the example of Mary being the perfect physical and spiritual mother as an example for us!
We pray for all mother’s who are broken due to having an abortion, that they may find the healing and forgiveness that Christ wishes to give them. We pray for mother’s who, due to their brokenness from abuse, neglect, drugs or alcohol may find healing and forgiveness!
I want to say I am grateful for my own mother and grandmothers down through the ages for the gift of life!
Me with my mom!