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Dear Sisters
and Brothers in the Lord:
This Sunday is Mothers Day. I
am often asked what we as a parish family can do to celebrate this day,
and other similar special causes and occasions, at Sunday Mass. The fact
is that all parishes are bombarded with material for special collections
and causes on most Sundays of the year. While our Sunday worship cannot
be divorced from daily life and the realities of the world, we cannot
let special intentions – even Mothers’ Day – take over the liturgy.
Pope John Paul II’s 1998
Apostolic Letter Dies Domini states this clearly in its first
paragraph: “Sunday recalls the day of Christ’s resurrection. It is
Easter which returns week by week, celebrating Christ’s victory over sin
and death, the fulfillment in Him of the first creation and the dawn of
the ‘new creation’.” If a particular theme or appeal overshadows the
character of the Sunday Mass, or takes precedence over the prayers and
readings, then a disservice is done both to the liturgy and the faith
community.
Mothers’ Day almost invariably
falls with the Easter season. The Sundays of Easter rank very highly in
the table of liturgical days and the intent, texts and symbols of the
day cannot be set aside for any reason. It is important for those who
plan the liturgies to remember that an occasion such as Mothers Day will
arouse different emotions in people. Some may have recently lost a
mother, others may regret not having had the opportunity to be mothers
themselves, or have had unhappy experiences of motherhood. It is quite
inappropriate to use soppy, sentimental verses that ignore these nuances
and realities.
There are several ways in
which a special occasion such as Mothers Day can be recognized whilst
respecting the integrity of Sunday Eucharist. It may be referred to in
the Introductory Rites or the homily, and be the subject of one or two
petitions in the Prayers of the Faithful.
The official ‘Book of
Blessings’ provides some model petitions for the Prayer of the Faithful:
· For
our mothers, who have given us life and love, that we may show them
reverence and love, we pray to the Lord.
· For
mothers who have lost a child through death, that their faith may give
them hope, and their family and friends support and console them, we
pray to the Lord.
· For
mothers who have died, that God may bring them into the joy of his
kingdom, we pray to the Lord.
It also includes a prayer of
blessing for mothers which parishes might consider using at the end of
Mass. It could lead into the solemn blessing for the Easter Season over
all the people which concludes the liturgy.
Bless these women, that they may be strengthened as
Christian mothers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.
Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a
spirit of profound respect.
While occasions such as
Mothers Day and other special days may well be ‘worthy causes’, the
Church assembles for Eucharist on Sunday to celebrate something much
more profound and fundamental – the Paschal Mystery. May God Bless all
our mothers living and deceased.
Let’s give our minds and
hearts to the Lord this Easter Season!
Father Joe
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