What I Have Seen and Heard

MOST REVEREND WILTON D. GREGORY, Archbishop of Atlanta

Published: May 5, 2005

As we all no doubt realize, Mother’s Day is not a religious but a secular holiday. Nevertheless, from the great many people who opt to attend church on Mother’s Day, it would be hard to give reasons for why this celebration is not religious in origins.

Like most of you, I associate Mother’s Day with the wonderful gift of my own mother.

In addition to the flowers, candy, cards and telephone calls, many people also go to church on Mother’s Day—even those who rarely attend church. Perhaps it’s a residual reaction to a childhood memory that trained us, usually through the good example of our mothers, to attend to our Sunday obligations to worship God.

Whatever the reason, church attendance marks a noticeable bump up on Mother’s Day.

We Catholics also associate the entire month of May with honoring Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of all of us. During May, frequent devotional traditions are celebrated to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. We crown her as Queen of Heaven and earth. We celebrate her unique role in Salvation history with prayers and devotions that remind us all of her intercessory concern for all of her children.

May belongs to mothers, both heavenly and personal. It is a time to give thanks for the gift of life, both spiritual and physical.

Life is a precious gift, and who among us could fail to reverence this special treasure. While our society faces and offers many threats to human life, there are also many inescapable personal experiences to reflect on its value. Mother’s Day is one occasion when all of us, following even secular standards, seek to reverence those among us who have given us life and nurtured it and provided for its growth. This secular celebration holds up the dignity of motherhood—even without acknowledging its spiritual and religious ideals. We honor those who gave of themselves in countless ways to care for, teach and protect us all. All mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, foster mothers and mothers-in-law are held up for recognition and gratitude. As well they deserve.

Catholics, in addition to all of the worldly rationale, remember that motherhood is also part of the Divine plan for creation and redemption. We turn with spiritual devotion to the One who accepted Motherhood under unique circumstances and through her acceptance of God’s Will and Intention, she permitted Salvation to be born in Her.

In addition to honoring our own mothers and venerating God’s Mother, let us pray for all those who are currently becoming mothers. Let our prayer also embrace young women who are fearful of becoming mothers or those who want to become mothers and yet find that gift a challenge or a difficulty. Let us pray for young couples who are preparing for marriage and who will be establishing families in the future.

We pray that these wonderful young people will be blessed with happy, lifelong unions of love and happiness.

When you read this column, let it be a reminder to all to say thank you to a mother who has already loved us with such generosity and devotion that she deserves the flowers, the candy, the telephone calls, the cards and especially the prayers that we will offer for her this Sunday—in fact on every day of a life that she enriched for us without our even asking her to do so.

May Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church, bless all mothers living and deceased!