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Mother's Day 2004 Today is a Holy Day. While
it is not listed on our Ecclesiastical calendar, nonetheless it is Holy, because
God created mothers to be Holy and be the living example to her children and
family. Without dedicated and worthy mothers we could not have the treasures
which mothers bestow upon us. It is truly an American
holiday and tradition, which has been adopted by many nations throughout the
world. The most beautiful and meaningful poetry is centered around a mother's
love, which has no equal or parallel. I like the Jewish proverb
that states "God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers!"
While this proverb may be farfetched it truly describes the worth of true
motherhood. Abraham Lincoln once stated:
"All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my darling mother." It is true that in our
modern century there is such a great danger in brainwashing. We have become
victims of the advertising world and we attempt to gear our life to acquiring
the things, which we think will give us comfort. The complete basis of our
almost totally materialistic world has taken its toll, because the eternal
values, which give us the nourishing truths of happiness are like ashes covering
the coals. It takes courage,
perseverance and patience to blow away the ashes so as to feel the warmth of the
coals. The ashes are the needs, which we have created, many of which we could do
without, and which were supposed to bring us happiness, have done for us the
very opposite. They often have brought
unhappiness almost to the point of misery and have resulted in the fragmentation
of families. It
behooves us to make time to analyze life and make necessary adjustments. We must
resist the swift current which can be catastrophic. True
motherhood is a quality that is timeless and can never change. It is the
dedicated and selfless mothers that laid firm the cornerstone of our society. In
prior years a mother had much support from her environment. This has somewhat
eroded, and that is why each mother should not be influenced by what she sees or
hears, but should always follow the maternal instinct, which God has implanted
in her heart. A family
should be a complete and totally beautiful picture. By everyone's love,
cooperation and understanding in a family, the picture can be a priceless
masterpiece. Basically, there has to be a loving relationship. We learn
to love, because someone loved us first. There really is no other way. A newborn
child is a loveable bundle of untutored and unlearned emotions. In those first
years he or she senses the wonder of love, because there are loving hands and
loving voices that speak to the baby, as also a loving warmth, that comforts in
his or her time of distress. We talk
today of privileged and underprivileged children. But who are the privileged or
underprivileged? Is it those, who live in a certain section of the city, or
whose families have a certain financial inadequacy? Or is it those, who to prep
schools and belong to exclusive clubs? The
privileged child, is a child who is totally loved. A child may live in
circumstances far below the standard we would wish, but has a privilege if he is
truly loved. Conversely a child may live in wealth and plenty, yet be
impoverished in his soul, and because he or she has not known love in the
fullest, because they, not having learned true love cannot give love in return. When I was a young assistant
Priest at the Archdiocesan Cathedral in I had repeated occasions to
walk up six floors to bless a family in a cold water flat and I still remember
the togetherness and happiness of those families. I must tell you that I didn't
find the parallel in the luxurious apartments of the wealthy. I still have
contact with many of those who were economically underprivileged, and happy to
tell you that their children all made their mark in society. In the forties, when music
was music, and which most always transmitted a message, there was a song I
remember, which stated that "the
best things in life are
free." Does anyone stop to think the verity of those words? The
many virtues that are at our fingertips, crowned by the supreme virtue of love,
are there for us to grasp for free, with the guaranty of giving us a lasting
substance to our life. Mothers play a predominant
role in our life. She can never be substituted. She was created by God to give
life. Some may have read the
ancient legend of an Angel who descended to earth and before returning to Heaven
he gathered three things to serve as everlasting mementoes of the visit. He first plucked some
gorgeous flowers to make a beautiful bouquet; then he captured the smile of a
little child, and finally he took a mother's love. With these three gifts which impressed him most he
journeyed to Heaven, only to discover on the way that the flowers were wilting
and losing their fragrance, and the child's smile was turning
into a frown. He threw away the flowers and could not keep the smile, which had
turned into a frown. Thus, he entered Heaven with only one thing left. "See"
he says to his friends, when they welcomed him. "Here is the one thing on
earth which never loses its beauty. It is the mother's love, which is the
sweetest thing on earth." That
legend is so meaningful, but most vivid in my mind is a poem by a French poet
Jacques Rispen. It epitomizes I think the breadth and depth of a mother's love.
The poet wrote that a young immature lad had fallen in love with a sorceress'
daughter.
The daughter said to the lad "I will not give you my kiss unless you
bring me your mother's heart, which I will toss to my dog." The
immature lad completely overtaken by his infatuation, hastily runs and kills his
mother and carves out her heart to take to his loved one. Holding his mother's
heart in his hands he rushes to offer it to his girl. On an incline he slips and
falls, rolling down the incline and the heart rolls with him. Finally rolling to
the bottom of the hill he hears his mother's voice agonizing and saying
"did you get hurt my child? And she cries." Yes, a
mother's love is unique and unparalleled. I'm sure that those fortunate enough
to still have their mothers will not only do that something extra today, but
more importantly will re-assure them, that the values, which she strived to
imbue in them are their treasure in life. If our
mother is reposing in the Lord, we offer in prayer our gratitude for all her
sacrificial love. May their memory be eternal. Amen. |
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