Mother's Day 2023

It’s Mother’s Day. Yup, we know that. For some of us it stirs up joy, for some longing, for some guilt, regret, grief, and for some, hope. Let’s take a step away from our personal experiences of maternal love, or lack thereof, and imagine Divine Love as Mother.

I’m not making this up. In Genesis God said “let us create them in our image, male and female.” This means God is both Father and Mother.

14^th-century Christian Mystic Julian of Norwich made famous the image Jesus gave her of God as a mother. She also made famous the mantra given to her by Jesus: All shall be well.”  Priests and popes and ordinary people flocked to her to listen to her sharing her revelations of her encounter with Jesus. Here now a word about her from Thirty Days with Julian of Norwich.

“Think of ourselves as infants. When we have soiled ourselves, we do not descend into a pit of shame and blame. No, we run immediately to our mothers who welcome us, change our diapers, and then shower us with hugs and kisses to send us on our way. It is a humiliating image for an adult, but in that humility God’s powerful love can be revealed to us.” (p. 6)

Sooner or later we leave our mother’s home, but hopefully memories of mother-love come with us and help us rekindle the joy of being wrapped in mother-love. The best of mother-love is only an inkling of Divine Love, the kind Jesus refers to when he says, “God abides with you and God will be in you.”

Jesus often referred to his disciples as little children. Today’s Gospel prepares them for his Ascension. He will leave them just as they left their mother’s comforting lap. They grew and thrived, and they will again when Jesus ascends.

“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will not see me, but you will see me: because I live you also will live. Because I love, you also love, and you will always be in my love."

Someone asked me how I remember my mom, who died when I was a teenager. It took a while to admit that I had more sad memories than good, but I do have some treasures of being nurtured and loved by her. She must have done a wonderful job loving because my children tell me I am an awesome mom!

Most of all, I treasure knowing that the maternal nurturing I need, that we all need, is always available in Christ. And so there I go, metaphorically snuggling in the lap of maternal love that pats my back and says, “There there, darling, you are loved; and all will be well.”

Amen