Dear Parish Family,
 
As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we think of our own mother and of course, the Blessed Mother. For many of us there is a third mom or a “bonus mom”. Has there been a special aunt, friend or mentor in your life that you wish to honor on this day? Moms come in different shapes and sizes, but all have the common characteristic of loving and  caring.  In 1937, St Mother Teresa took her profession of vows to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience and took the title of “Mother Theresa”. Until her dying breath, she fulfilled the role of a mother.
 
Eve was the first woman, the first wife, and the first mother. In Genesis 2:18  “Then the Lord said, “It is not good for man to be alone.  I will make a helper who is just right for him”. We see many sacrifices that mothers make for their children. One of the ultimate sacrifices is from Jochebed, the mother of Moses. When she realized this fine child would be slain, she put him in a basket made out of bulrushes and placed him in the reeds of the riverbank.  He was later found by the Pharaohs daughter, and she named him Moses signifying he was “drawn out of water.”  When your child is at risk, mothers do whatever to keep them safe. 
 
It is a time to honor all mothers, including the bonus ones.  Proverbs 31:31 “Honor her for all that her hands have done and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”  “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” Isaiah 66:13 
 
May our loving God bless each and every “mother” on this special day.
 
Mary Jo