Following
Mary's steps in hope, faith and love
Jesus'
mother was a model of a woman trusting in God; a beautiful example for
mothers in times of trial and of joy
By
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle - OSV Newsweekly, 5/12/2013
Every year when Mother’s
Day rolls around, many mothers pause to thank God for the blessing of their
children, perhaps even in a bigger way than they usually do each
day.
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When mothers find it difficult to trust God,
they can draw on
Mary’s faith, hope and love as guidance. Shutterstock |
After all, Mother’s Day
is a special occasion set aside to celebrate mothers. In my case, I’m blessed
with five children on Earth and three in heaven.
At this time of year,
when I look at my lilac bushes ready to burst into bloom, I can’t help but
remember my mother and reminisce the bountiful fragrant lilacs that lined our
back yard when I was growing up. My grandmother was a part of that picture,
too — she was always nearby and beaming with a grandmother’s love. We all
spent many a spring day out in the yard together.
My mother, Alexandra
Mary Uzwiak Cooper, was born in the springtime of 1920. But for a few minutes
after she let out her first cry the doctors and nurses weren’t sure whether
she was a boy or a girl because she was extremely tiny, weighing only
one-and-a-half pounds. But just as soon as they could determine that she was
a girl, my grandparents requested that the hospital chaplain baptize my
mother on the spot. They wanted to be sure that she would have her “ticket to
heaven,” should she not survive.
As diminutive as my
mother was, when the sacramental water of baptism was poured over her petite
head, she was immediately initiated into the Church and received the great
gift of the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.
My grandparents had
surely been using and living their theological virtues — having had faith in
the transforming sacrament of baptism, hoping in God that their tiny baby
would survive, and loving my mother endlessly as they cared for her physical
and spiritual needs.
My mother indeed lived
to tell the tale, the theological virtues blossomed in my mother’s heart and
soul, and she grew up and married. Through her openness to life she bore
eight children of her own, passing on the virtues.
Hoping, praying, loving
Mothers receive no
guarantees regarding the little lives they “sign up” for by opening their
hearts to their Creator with their “yes” to life. Yet a mother’s heart always
remains hopeful and she puts one foot in front of the other each day in faith
to love and provide for the children God blesses her with.
Heartening
Words
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“We would like to pay homage to all brave
mothers who dedicate themselves to their own family without reserve, who
suffer in giving birth to their children and who are ready to make any
effort, to face any sacrifice, in order to pass on to them the best of
themselves ... How hard they have to fight against difficulties and
dangers! How frequently they are called to face genuine ‘wolves’ determined
to snatch and scatter the flock! And these heroic mothers do not always
find support in their surroundings. On the contrary, the cultural models
frequently promoted and broadcast by the media do not encourage motherhood.
In the name of progress and modernity, the values of fidelity, chastity,
sacrifice, in which a host of Christian wives and mothers have
distinguished and continue to distinguish themselves, are presented as
obsolete. As a result, a woman who is determined to be consistent with her
principles often feels deeply alone, alone in her love which she cannot
betray, and to which she must remain faithful.”
— Blessed Pope John Paul II from his
homily at the 1994 beatification of St. Gianna Beretta Molla
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Some mothers have never held their precious
babies in their arms because they were lost to miscarriage. Others have only
been permitted fleeting moments to hold and kiss their babes born with
serious birth defects before they passed on to eternal life. As well, some
mothers suffer the pain of losing their baby when he or she is stillborn. None
of this makes them any less of a mother in God’s eyes nor should it in ours.
They have sacrificed for their babies and love them dearly. Blessed Pope John
Paul II called these mothers “heroic.”
Three of my children were miscarried. I chose to
hope that they were carried by the angels to the arms of Jesus and Mary. One
of my pregnancies was very precarious, requiring that I stay still on
complete bed rest for almost all nine months. When my doctor told me that I
would most likely lose this baby, too, I chose to hope and pray instead, even
asking Mother Teresa, whom I knew at the time, for her prayers.
Mother Teresa sent me a blessed miraculous medal
and instructed me to wear it and to ask Mary to take care of the baby and me.
She told me to pray, “Mary, Mother of Jesus, be a mother to me now.” I really
like that key word “now.” That sure was when I needed her help. I clung to
hope and had faith that Mother Mary would see me through — and she did! That
baby is now almost 22 years old and is named Mary-Catherine.
Mother Mary
It was only appropriate to pray to Our Blessed
Mother, for she lived the virtues of faith, hope and love in an exemplary
way. Even as a young Jewish girl, Mary prayed and hoped for the Messiah,
having complete faith that God would keep his promises. She had no idea at
that time though that she was to be the chosen mother of God.
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| An old photo of the author’s mother as a child, center, and her family. Courtesy of Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle |
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Later on, Mary offered her courageous “Yes” to God
when the Angel Gabriel announced to her that she would become Jesus’ mother
(see Lk 1:26-29), having complete faith that God’s will would be accomplished
through her.
A short time later, Mary’s loving heart sent her
on a journey “in haste” into the hill country to help her elderly cousin
Elizabeth, who was pregnant as well (see Lk 1:39). We know that Elizabeth’s
baby, St. John the Baptist, leaped in her womb upon Mary’s arrival. Elizabeth
praised Mary for her great faith. Mary responded by praising God, glorifying
him for his holiness, justice, and mercy through the humble words of the
Magnificat.
When mothers experience fear in the circumstances
that beset them or find it difficult to trust God, they can draw strength
meditating on Mary’s faithful trust in God. And as mothers experience the
deep joys within their vocation of mothering, they can feel an affinity with
another Mother — one who has also experienced this profound joy in mothering
Jesus.
Mother Mary was no stranger to unfathomable
suffering and can help us with our intense sorrows, too. Let’s not hesitate
to approach Mary in prayer often for support in our mothering.
She is much closer to us than we might imagine
and is waiting for us to reach out to her in prayer. She will, indeed, bring
us closer to her Son Jesus.
Mary, Mother of Jesus, be a Mother to me
now.
Global
Traditions
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United States: Mother’s Day is a national holiday celebrated on the second Sunday
in May by remembering and celebrating mothers through gifts like homemade
cards, flowers and breakfast in bed.
Australia: Second Sunday of May;
cards and flowers for mothers and grandmothers. Carnations are worn by many
— white to honor a deceased mother and colored for the living.
France: The last Sunday of
May; a cake shaped like a bouquet of flowers traditionally is eaten after a
celebratory dinner.
Mexico: May 10; a celebration
of Mass is central and mothers often are serenaded to the tune of “Las
Mañanitas.” Mothers enjoy tamales and atole.
Panama: Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate
Conception.
Spain: The first Sunday in May; strongly linked
to praising the Virgin Mary. Special church services for mothers and
children often are held.
United Kingdom: Fourth Sunday of Lent,
used to be called “Mothering Sunday.” Traditional rich almond cakes are
made for mothers.
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