READING
LUKE 2. 33-35
The child‟s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about Jesus. Then Simeon blessed
them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will
pierce your own soul too”.
REFLECTION
The poet Edgar Allan Poe wrote these words:
Because I feel that, in the Heavens above, the angels, whispering to one another, can find, among their burning terms of love, none so devotional as that of “Mother”. On Mothering Sunday we often get wrapped up in the people we identify as „mum‟ or „grandma‟ or other such caregivers that have had a biological or legal duty towards us, but
I feel it is in fact much more than that.
Historically, Mothering Sunday was a festival when domestic workers were given time off to visit their mother church, the church where they were baptised. It would often be the only time that young people would get to return to their families and, as such, it evolved to be a celebration of family links. Advertisements and supermarkets would have us believe that this time is simply a well placed day to spoil mum with fresh spring flowers. But some
people may no longer have a mum, grandma, aunty etc. These people may have passed away or they may have been left behind for one reason or another. And I cannot adequately sum up the sense of loss that this might bring.
If we think deeper into what we mean by „mother‟ and look beyond our relatives, caregivers and even beyond the female persona, you can easily start to identify the ways in which our God mothers us. „Mum‟ is special and whoever you most identify in this role will always have a place in your heart. But if we take the time to add our God into that special place too, then we will always carry his devotion and love with us. God‟s love is a love that is sacrificial. And at this time of year, as we approach Easter we can identify this sacrifice in the example of Jesus. He shows that we are so loved, he is prepared to die for us and at Easter that is made very clear with his crucifixion.
We are all part of God‟s family. He is devoted to us as his children and we in turn should be able to embrace all God‟s children and welcome them with a love which is „motherly‟. I pray that as we celebrate motherly love here today, we do so with the intention of giving thanks for those who have shown love to us. And as we go about our lives this week let us
pray that we will show motherly love to all God‟s children in the same way that he does.
Rev Hannah
