Parish Prayer Day Friday 20th March 2020
Proposed Theme: All Mothers
The joy of love: (Pope Francis)
A mother joins with God to bring forth the miracle of a new life. Motherhood is the fruit of a “particular creative potential of the female body, directed to the conception and birth of a new human being”. (168)
Mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of self-centred individualism. It is they who testify to the beauty of life. Dear mothers, thank you. Thank you for what you are in your family and for what you give to the Church and the world. (174)
A mother who watches over her child with tenderness and compassion helps her or him to grow in confidence and to experience that the world is a good and welcoming place. (175)
Some Thoughts:
- Sunday March 22nd is Mother’s Day, or as it is traditionally called, Mothering Sunday.
- It is largely a commercial occasion when prices go up, and hype is increased.
- But it is also a real family occasion. Children are busy making special cards for their mothers. Plans are made to have a special meal to celebrate each mother. Flowers are a must!
- How do we, as the Church/parish, celebrate this occasion? Maybe we should take it a lot further and begin celebrating March as the Month of Mothers.
The whole idea of being a mother, like so many other things, has changed radically over the past number of years.
- The place of women generally in society has changed and mostly for the best. This has an effect on what it means to have a child or children.
- The ease with which people talk about abortion today has a profound effect on how pregnancy is viewed. This, in turn, colours our appreciation of the wonder of new life.
- We are no longer content to idealise anything, even motherhood. Again, although this has its truth, it also can give way to people seeing motherhood as a burden without the joy of love.
- And we are aware of the fact that mothers, like everyone else, are less than perfect. This however should not blind us to the fact that they hold a very special place in human life.
Questions:
- How do we, as Christians, value the gift of motherhood?
- How can we help mothers to share their experiences of being mothers?
- How can we raise the level of appreciation for the gift of motherhood in a society that plays down the value of self-giving?
- How can we, as a parish, celebrate the importance of women, and consequently mothers, in transforming the world in which we live?
Suggested actions:
- Establish March as Mothers’ Month.
- Encourage schools to get children and young people to write a letter of appreciation to their mother as well as making a card.
- Encourage fathers, where this is possible, to also write a letter of appreciation to their wives/partners.
- Include something in the weekend Masses each week about mothers and the great contribution they make to family and parish
- Make mothers a focus for the day of prayer for Marriage & Family life.