Pastor's Reflection - May 11, 2025

A Mother’s Love: A Reflection for Mother’s Day

Dear Parish Family,

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we pause to give thanks for the beautiful gift of motherhood—a reflection of God’s own love made visible in our lives. Whether we think of our own mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, or spiritual mothers, today is a day to honor those women whose love has shaped our hearts and helped form our faith.

In Scripture, we see glimpses of the sacred role mothers play: from the quiet strength of Mary, the Mother of God, to the protective love of the mother in the Book of Maccabees, who encouraged her sons to remain faithful even in the face of death. Motherhood, in all its forms, is a calling to nurture life, to bear witness to hope, and to teach by example the mercy and compassion of God.

Pope Saint John Paul II once said, “Every human being is entrusted to the loving care of a mother.” In this trust, God shows us that love begins in the cradle of the family, and mothers are often the first to teach us how to pray, how to love, and how to believe.

To all mothers in our parish: thank you. Thank you for the countless unseen sacrifices, for the strength found in your prayers, and for your tireless witness to the Gospel in everyday life. We also remember those who have gone before us, especially the mothers now at rest in the Lord’s embrace. May their legacy of love live on in us.

On this special day, may Mary, our Blessed Mother, intercede for all mothers—those rejoicing, those grieving, those waiting, and those hoping. And may God bless you all with peace, strength, and abundant joy.

On a personal note, thank you to all of you who have asked about and prayed for my mom, who is struggling with dementia. I appreciate your concern and all the wisdom many of you have shared regarding your own journeys in saying goodbye to your moms and navigating the difficult transition of watching them lose their independence and face the challenges of aging.

In the Order of Christian Funerals, there is an introduction to the Vigil for the Deceased that I always remember:

“My brothers and sisters, we believe that all the ties of friendship and affection which knit us as one throughout our lives do not unravel with death.

Confident that God always remembers the good we have done and forgives our sins, let us pray, asking God to gather (name of deceased) to himself.”

In Christ,

Fr. James Northrop, Pastor