Motherhood is one of the most important, primal, influential, and powerful vocations in
which one can engage. When I use the word “vocation”, I am referring to Christian
“calling”. Motherhood is a spiritual calling second to none. It is a calling through which
one mediates the character of God, including agape love- self-emptying, divine love.

     There are so many ways that love is expressed- the pain of childbirth, late nights
feeding and tending to crying infants, play dates, homework, self-image, discipline,
tantrums, broken hearts, and preparation for adulthood. How many were not on that
list?

     Wow. It’s an impossible job. It is impossible yet sublime. It forces you to come out of
yourself and you find that, in coming out of yourself, you experience a taste of life as it is meant to be lived. Flourishing in life comes about by the emptying of the self in love
towards God and others. We carry the Image of God, and God is most powerfully seen
when we look at the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the embodiment of agape love.

   In the day-to-day rigor of motherhood, it is very easy to take the difficulty of the calling to heart. It is so easy to have feelings of guilt, all the while feeling overwhelmed. What I
hope to communicate to you mothers are a couple of things. First, you are not operating
in a vacuum of chaos even though you feel you are sometimes. God is right there with
you, working for good in ways we cannot comprehend. Second, I know moms feel like
they must be perfect all the time. That can be the cause of so much guilt since we can’t
be perfect. The Gospel tells us that, because of Christ, we are completely forgiven,
justified, and adopted by the Heavenly Father. Far from a distant judge tapping his foot
and pointing out all your deficiencies, we have a loving Father who embraces us
wholeheartedly even on our worst days.
   
 So, for all our mothers… Thank You! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. There is
no calling greater. There is no calling more painful and frustrating. There is no calling
more sublime and fruitful. You are greatly appreciated and loved.

Happy Mother’s Day!