A man thought that he was too busy to visit his mother on Mother’s Day. So, he stopped at a florist shop next to a cemetery to wire her some carnations.
Before he could place his order, a little girl ahead of him was trying to buy a carnation. She only had 75 cents. The clerk told her that a carnation cost two dollars.
She began to cry because she planned to buy a carnation for her mother, but didn’t have enough money! Deeply moved, the man paid the clerk for the girl’s carnation. She was so grateful that she gave him a hug like his mother once gave him. Then he placed his order which took longer than he thought.
As he drove away, he saw the little girl in the nearby cemetery. He noticed that she was placing her carnation on her mother’s grave. Deeply moved, the man canceled his order of carnations. He personally delivered them to his mother. Motivated by the little girl’s love, he decided to enjoy the present of his mother’s presence while she was still alive!
Mother’s Day for Peace
In 1870, an attempt to start a Mother’s Day was made by Julia Ward Howe. She organized a “Mother’s Day for Peace.”
It was dedicated to the celebration of peace and the eradication of war that killed their children. Since mothers give birth to children, Howe felt that mothers should work together to prevent the cruelty and waste of life that war causes. After some success, it died a quick death in the years preceding World War I.
After Ann Reeves Jarvis died in 1905, Anna Jarvis, her daughter, planned to memorialize her mother and started campaigning for a national day to honor her mother and all mothers.
She bombarded public figures and various civic organizations with telegrams, letters, and in-person discussions. At her own expense, she wrote, printed, and distributed booklets extolling her idea. She became known as the Mother of Mother’s Day.
In May of 1907, Anna remembered her mother with a memorial service held at the Methodist Church in Grafton, W. Va. A year later, another Mother’s Day service was held in Grafton to acknowledge all mothers. This led to the second Sunday in May being set aside to honor every mother, whether living or deceased.
On Mother’s Day we celebrate the varied roles of mothers today. Mother’s Day helps us to appreciate the many ways mothers have sought to better the lives of their children.
On motherhood
On January 7, 2015, during his general audience, Pope Francis lamented how mothers are often under-appreciated. He stated, “To be a mother is a great treasure. Mothers, in their unconditional, sacrificial love for their children, are the antidote to individualism. They are the greatest enemies against war.”
Duchess Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, said, “Nothing prepared me for the overwhelming experience of becoming a mother. It was full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, and worry all mixed together. I went from thinking of myself as primarily an individual, to suddenly being a mother, first and foremost.”
St. Jean Vianney, patron saint of priests, said, “Virtues go easily from mothers into their children’s hearts. Children often willingly do what they see being done.”
He added that his mother created an atmosphere of prayer that she almost breathed in her family’s life.
My mother gathered our family and led the family Rosary during October, Lent, and May. She made sure we prayed our morning prayers, evening prayers, and meal prayers. Missing Mass on Sundays and holy days was unthinkable. She and Dad sacrificed to send us six children to Catholic schools, which built upon the foundation they laid at home.
The importance of a sense of humor
Mothers need a sense of humor.
A mother was having a dark day. The washing machine broke. Her husband was hospitalized. Unpayable bills came. Their baby boy was crying a flood of tears. Dial a Prayer gave her the busy signal. Desperate, she shoved a pacifier in her son’s mouth, and she began to cry.
Her youngster stopped crying and studied her. Then he took the pacifier from his mouth and put it in his mom’s mouth. She stopped crying and they both started laughing. Her day suddenly brightened.
This year we Americans celebrate Mother’s Day on May 8.
Some of us honor our mother every day, but Mother’s Day gives us a chance to honor her in a special way.
We can write, call, invite her to dinner, or show our appreciation in other ways. If our mother has died, we can pray for her or visit her grave. If she is in Heaven, we can ask her to hold us in prayer during our personal storms as my mother did.
Mother’s Day is a graced day to receive Communion as a family and offer our Communion at Mass for her.
Mothers are the heart of the home. At her best she mirrors Mary. She helps to make a house a home. Wherever she is, may she enjoy a happy Mother’s Day.
Fr. Donald Lange is a pastor emeritus in the Diocese of Madison.