In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
Today as we gather we celebrate the mid-point of our Lenten journey, with a little refreshment, in Latin this is known as Laetare Sunday, but here in the UK we more popularly know it as Mothering Sunday.
On any normal given year this day is full of challenges because whilst many see it as a day of joy and celebration, there are equally as many who find this day painful and too hard to bear, often wanting to hide from it and all it represents for so many reasons.
But this pandemic year it is even more challenging than most because many of us have lost the ones in our lives who we would normally celebrate today, and so it is also a bitter sweet day, as we are encouraged to remember all that they have done for us.
Added to that we as a nation are still in lockdown, and as many would usually spend time with their mums, and pamper them for the day, and generally make the day all about them, again for many this will not be possible, and instead it will be a telephone or video call with them instead.
All of these things give us the opportunity to pause today, and consider the wider meaning of Mothering Sunday, because this feast day in the church year isn’t truly just about our mums, in fact this focus on ‘mother’s day’ is quite a recent development.
You see this celebration of Mothering Sunday dates back hundreds of years and historically was a time when people would return to their ‘Mother Church’ the one which nurtured them in the faith and helped them to learn about God and to grow in their faith.
Understandably our focus this morning turns to Mary, the mother of our Lord, and our Gospel reminds us that there was a difficult road ahead for them. Simeon foretold through prophecy that Christ would bring great change and upheaval to Israel, and he also spoke of how this would affect Mary, with the startling words, ‘and a sword will pierce your own heart to.’
I can’t imagine what Mary was thinking as she heard these words, and although Simeon had been assured that he would greet the messiah before his death, I don’t think he would have truly comprehended the full and far reaching influence that this young child in front of him was to have.
Mary who had said yes to bearing the Christ Child, now had to live with the knowledge that there was going to be pain in not only her son’s, but also in her own life.
Mary gives us one image of motherhood, certainly a unique view in that her role was to raise the Son of God, but it started me thinking about what images of not only mothers, but also of mothering that we see in our daily life.
Many of you know my passion for film and TV and so I thought I could use this as a base, so please forgive me if you are not familiar with all these films.
We begin with Molly Weasley from the Harry Potter films, she has seven children, she is proud of them all, even when they are difficult and unruly. When one of her children cuts himself off from the family, or when another chooses an annoying partner, she continues to love them. She remains practical, always there to support and provide. Her arms always open ready to forgive, and will protect them even at the risk of her own. She is also a mother who has known the grief of losing a child.
Molly for many is a realistic image of a mother, her role isn’t overly romanticised, she loses her temper and her kids are at time embarrassed by her, but in the end she is the kind of mother that many can associate with.
But as the silver screen mirrors life, it also reflects more complicated situations, and for many this will ring true of their own experience, as they tackle more difficult issues:
In Up Ellie wants children, but discovers that she is unable to, for women as well as their partners in this position, they can feel most keenly the unrealistic expectations placed on them by society, and indeed today on Mothering Sunday, the pressure can be hard, if not impossible to bear.
There are also people whose relationship with their mother has not, for whatever reason, been good.
As we have just celebrated International Women’s Day last week, a most timely film is Mary Poppins. In Mary Poppins, Mrs Banks is a mother who is distracted by obtaining the vote for women, this is a noble passion, but it results in her taking her focus away from her children. Sadly in this particular case Mr Banks is equally as distracted by his career. The result is that the children are left without the love they need from their parents. Thankfully in this particular case Mary Poppins reminds the whole family what is important and rekindles the love which even though it was hidden, was always there.
In Disney’s film Frozen, the sisters have to grow up as orphans after their parents are killed at sea. Without the love, wisdom and guidance they would have provided, they struggle and everything nearly goes wrong. But through the love and care of friends and the bond the sisters have, they support each other in a difficult situation.
Maria in The Sound of Music, has reconciled herself to a life without bearing children, but after meeting the Von Trapp family, she finds that instead of being a governess, she becomes a mother and friend to the children who have lost their mother, and in time leads their father out of his emotional separation from them.
Whilst we know that only women can be mothers, we also know that mothering isn’t something which is just restricted to females.
Gru, the villain in Despicable me, adopts three orphaned girls, initially as part of a plot to defeat his nemesis, what he didn’t account for was that these three girls would treat him as anything other than what they need him to be. A caring parent, and through their persistence, Gru is profoundly changed, and he not only becomes a caring parent, but one who showers love upon the girls.
Perhaps for everyone sat here in church this morning, one or perhaps more of these characters has resonated with you and your situation.
As we come together to observe Mothering Sunday, we celebrate and give thanks to everyone female as well as male, who play, or have played a mothering role in our lives as well as in others.
As well as mothers, today we remember step, foster, grand and surrogate mothers and fathers as well as siblings, close friends and any others who for whatever reason have found themselves in a mothering role.
Whilst I have used examples through film, there are many examples of those who have used the gift of mothering throughout the bible, where both female and males have exhibited in their own ways these qualities. Mary is likely the most well-known to us, but consider the roles that people such as Moses, Noah, St Paul, Sarah, Hannah and many others played in the life of others, and the nurture, the mothering skills they used.
Today isn’t simply a day where we can give thanks for our mums, Mothering Sunday is much bigger than that. It is a day to thank everyone who has, or indeed is currently showing Mothering qualities to us.
Wherever you are in your life today, whether you are, or hope to be a mum, if you are unable to have children, or have no desire to be a mum. Whatever your relationship with your own mum is, or was, whether you’re a woman or a man, young or old, God may well be calling you, to the task of mothering others.
God has challenges for each one of us, and he will always give us the gifts we need to meet those challenges, through the Holy Spirit. It’s up to us, though, to accept those challenges, just as Mary did.
Through Mary’s obedience, Jesus was born to be the living way for us back to God, who is both father and mother to us all, and while Mary had to endure that terrible experience of seeing her son go through pain, and indeed know the pain of a grieving mother as he died on the cross, just as Simeon had prophesised.
Mary also had the overwhelmingly joyful experience of seeing him rise from the dead, and knowing that what she had hoped all along was really true – that her son really was all that the angel had told her he would be.
Today it’s our turn to listen to what God is saying to us, and if we are bold enough, to give the same answer as Mary: “Yes.”
Amen.
