Thought for the Day from a Friend

I thought this was an appropriate thought for Mother's Day. 

Have you thanked your mother?

Happy Mothers' Day, Blessed Mother

Mother's Day has its roots in ancient Greece and Rome as so many of our holidays do. Pagan
societies celebrated their maternal goddesses during the spring as the buds swelled with new life. Holy Mother Church, knowing that you can't replace something with nothing, tended throughout history to sacramentalize the natural by replacing pagan feasts with holy days. So the date for Christmas was chosen to replace the winter solstice celebrations with welcoming the birth of Christ. In the 13th century the Church did the same thing with the month of May when they named it Mary's month. There is something particularly appropriate about honoring our natural mothers during the month dedicated to our Blessed Mother.

Magnificat Covers: Beautiful Art for Meditation

One of my favorite things about the Magnificat prayer book is the lovely religious art both on the cover and the art article in the back. This month the cover is particularly lovely; Can't We Dream by Pierre-Marie Dumont. Art provides such fruit for meditation. And this painting is truly an invitation to dream and meditate on the Holy Family in Nazareth and on motherhood which seems especially appropriate as we approach Mothers Day.

Consider how moms create memories for their children and share their dreams for the future. Mary stands on the bottom step looking back which I think of as remembering the past, the strong heritage of family. "Remember, Jesus, that you are descended from kings and warriors. You are a king and will fight the enemy like David to save your people."

Behind her the steps climb up. Is that the temple of Jerusalem in the background? Do the steps climb up to Jesus' ministry climaxing in Jerusalem? Do they prefigure the climb up Calvary Hill? Perhaps, but at this moment captured by the artist, they are shrouded in a misty light clouding the future. Each step will have its own challenges; they will not be climbed all at once.  And Mother Mary will be there at each stage of the journey with her Son, the model for all moms who never stop accompanying their children and grandchildren on the adventure of life.

If you are fortunate enough to have your mom still with you, why don't you call her today and tell her you love her! Why wait until Sunday? She may die from the shock, but she'll appreciate it for sure! And to all you mothers out there, Happy Mothers' Day a few days early.