Mother's Day Origins and Our Immaculate Mother

As we make our way through the busy-ness of May with its graduations and the expectant plans of summer vacation, we pause to give thanks for our mothers. The American holiday that we know as “Mother’s Day” was created by Anna Jarvis, who organized the first official celebration of the holiday at a Methodist Church in 1908. She wished to honor the sacrifices that mothers make for their children.  Indeed it’s a worthy thing to thank our mothers for the many unseen ways that they nurture their young. As my mom still likes to say, “no matter how tall you get, you’ll always be my son.” And the desire to give all continues even today. That witness continues to impact me today and, as I’m sure you’d share the sentiment, fuels the desire to give oneself to the service of others.

For Catholics, we set aside the entire month of May to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. Not only does she show us perfect love in giving her fiat (her “yes”) to God, but also in the manner that she suffered along with Jesus as she became aware of his mission of redemption from his earliest moments. (Cf. Luke 2:34-35: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted(and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”) Mary is every bit a mother to Jesus and from the cross Jesus extends Mary’s motherhood to us as well: “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:25-27)

St. Maximian Kolbe was a great promoter of devotion to Mary the Immaculate Conception and became a martyr at Auschwitz, giving his life so that a father could return to his children rather than be killed by Nazi guards. Before his capture, he sought to introduce Mary’s spiritual motherhood to as many on earth as he could manage. For he knew the great power that comes from seeking the care and intercession of Mary, who Jesus Himself gives to us through John, who represents all of us.  As Fr. Kolbe was able to step forward to offer his life for another, we get a sense of how he could make such a decision because he knew the sorrows of Mary and how the swords that pierced her heart pointed to the crucifixion of Jesus’ ransom of our lives with his own blood.

As we celebrate this Mother’s Day, let us also meditate or Fr. Kolbe’s words regarding how we ought to take Mary, the Immaculata, into our homes as our mother:

“Let us give ourselves to the Immaculata [Mary]. Let her prepare us, let her receive Him [Jesus] in Holy Communion. This is the manner most perfect and pleasing to the Lord Jesus and brings great fruit to us." Because "the Immaculata knows the secret, how to unite ourselves totally with the heart of the Lord Jesus... We do not limit ourselves in love. We want to love the Lord Jesus with her heart, or rather that she would love the Lord with our heart.”

Thank you Mary, for your continued motherhood. Thanks mom for saying “yes” to life and to raising a child to love Jesus. Thanks to all mothers for their willingness to imitate Our Blessed Mother.