RELIGIOUS CONNECTIONS (MOTHERING SUNDAY)

In the midst of our Lenten efforts, we may take a breather this Sunday. Unlike St Mary’s we do not have rose vestments, but we will accept the Church’s invitation to remember that even as we focus on the need to renew our lives and deepen our faith we can rejoice and be joyful. The fact that today we are invited to show our appreciation for our mothers has a profound religious connection. Traditionally, this was the day when Christians tried to visit the church of their baptism or their ‘mother’ church. In the modern world, when so many of us live miles away from our mother church, this may not be physically possible, but spiritually we can reflect that when we were baptised we received a second birth and were filled with the new life of the resurrection: eternal life.

Throughout Lent we do our best to prepare to celebrate this mystery at Easter, and, of course, baptism again takes centre stage with renewal of our baptismal vows. Our liturgies during Lent are designed to help us look back on the story of our lives and see how the grace of God is transforming us and enabling us to grow in love, understanding and compassion. Last Sunday, with the story of the Samaritan woman by the well, we were reminded that the water Christ offers – the ultimate symbol of life – would well up inside us. Today we are asked to reflect on how easy it is to be blind to what is really going on.

I pray that the Lord will open your eyes and my eyes to what is going on in our lives and help us to see and experience his loving and saving presence so that his joy may break through the sadness and the struggles.

TO ALL OUR  MOTHERS: HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.