MOTHERING SUNDAY 2025
OLD TESTAMENT READING: Exodus 2: 1-10
NEW TESTAMENT READING: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
GOSPEL Luke 2:33-35
Today is a very special Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent. In the midst of a serious and penitential period of lent we are having this day of celebration called Mothering Sunday.
Early on in the history of the church, on the Mothering Sunday people will make it a point to visit their mother church which has been a mother of faith. A place where people would have learnt their faith, learnt to pray and worship, learnt the scriptures, Baptised, perhaps confirmed. So much of family events would have taken place.
Later the significance of this day modified and on this day Christian people remember their mothers and show how much they love their mother and how much they are grateful to them.
Both our parents are important but it is so amazing that we are formed in our mother’s womb, grow in her womb, develop the various organs and parts of our body. The mother’s womb is like a life factory where such a lot happens. There we are just floating in her womb happily as all these changes and growth happens. Happy life but cant stay there for ever. After we are born the amount of care she had given. We gave her sleepless nights and as a baby wanted to be with her all the time. Mother is the amazing person she is Gods angel for us.
In the Old Testament reading we heard something interesting.
It happened in Egypt, the Hebrew people were living there and they were a happy lot and were flourishing and the King called as a Pharaoh was so full of jealousy and made the lives of the Hebrew people very difficult. He even ordered that male babies should be killed. But one mother gave birth to a boy and she hid the boy and protected him. After sometime, she wrapped the child in a basket and left the child in the river Nile. The boy’s sister was watching what is going to happen to her brother. Pharaoh’s daughter took interest in the baby and the sister told the princess that she could find someone and she brought the mother. When he grew up the child Moses returned to the palace and was brought up by another mother.
We remember Mary the mother of Jesus, She bore Jesus in her womb and gave birth to him and cared for him. We heard the elderly person say this to Mary – a sword will pierce your own soul too. Simeon meant that she is going to see her son suffer. For a mother to see her child suffer is like a sword piercing her heart.
We gratefully remember our Mothers this day. She is God’s angel who brought us into the world, taught us how to live, how to cope.
We ask for Gods blessing upon our mothers. For those who have gone to rest we pray May they rest in peace. For those with us we pray bless our mother with good health and peace.