Mothering Sunday

When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Gospel of John 19:26-27

Today is Mothering Sunday. Only some of us are mothers but we all have mothers. We have a common experience of being mothered. So let's praise and thank God for that.

First, let's thank God for our natural mothers.
There is an old Jewish proverb that declares 'God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers'. Some of us grew up with the chorus hymn ' Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so' but now we realise it would be equally true to say 'Jesus loves me this I know for my mother told me so'. It was probably grandmother who told her. If it was our privilege to drink in the love of God with our mother's milk then that is certainly something for which we shall want to thank God. Paul wrote to Timothy 'I remember your sincere faith, a faith which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure dwells also in you'.
So today we thank God for our natural mothers who reflected the love of God to us and introduced us to Jesus and the Gospel.

Secondly, let's thank God for Mother Church.
It was Cyprian who said 'No man can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother'. The Church is the Bride of Christ and the Mother of all the faithful. The Church cares for us as a mother and provides for our spiritual nourishment and growth. She also teaches us to be good family members and to act with love towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. She also mediates for us with God the Father. It is appropriate for us to love Mother Church despite her imperfections. Jesus did and gave his life for her.
So today we thank God for Mother Church who mediates the love of God to us especially through Word and Sacrament and Pastoral Care.

Thirdly, let's thank God for Mother Mary.
When Jesus from the Cross said to his mother 'Woman, behold, your son' and to John 'Behold, your mother' it was his deliberate intention to make his words universal as well as personal. John Paul II in his 1987 encyclical 'Redemptoris Mater' wrote 'This is true not only of John, who at that hour stood at the foot of the cross together with the Mother, but it is also true of every disciple of Christ, of every Christian'. Mary is a model of love and mercy, interceeding with her son Jesus for us, her children here on earth. Mary is the perfect example of motherhood both to natural mothers and to Mother Church.
So today we thank God for Mary our Mother continuing to pray for us, to protect us and all her children who seek to be faithful to her Son.

On this Refreshment Sunday the Lenten Fast eases briefly with flowers and simnel cake and rose vestments.

Soon we return to our journey towards Calvary where we too may stand at the foot of the Cross. There we will do well to note ,through Mary, the cost of mothering along with all the other truths of our redemption.

Sermon preached in Dulverton Chapel today.