Today is Mother’s Day in America. Emphasis is on the heartwarming aspects of the day and the contributions mothers have made to the lives of their children.
A special place for mothers is established in the Ten Commandments. At a tender age we hear the words: “Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Genesis 20:12).
Mothers are cast in a positive light and there are ample reasons. Mothers and children share a unique and giving relationship related to life. By the grace of God, mothers are the first to know of the stirring of new life within themselves. They are charged with the responsibility of tending to the care of this new life.
From the outset, mothers must make decisions regarding their children. The mother’s care of herself will impact on the life of the child. Mothers have a personal relationship with God which requires ongoing nourishment. Mothers must be spiritually healthy to provide the optimum atmosphere for the growth of the newborn children. The challenges of childbirth and child-rearing summon the innermost strength of mothers.
Orthodox Christians have many mothers in Holy Scripture to integrate into their world-view. These mothers were forerunners who helped to shape and directly influence our life in the Church. In many ways, though they were born and lived many centuries ago, they are our contemporaries and consume our attention as we worship.
In the present, as we have for many centuries, we look to the Mother of God to intercede with her son, Christ our God. Regularly, prayers are offered which acknowledge the special role of the Mother of God. We look to her with hope for ourselves and for others.
We hold our own mothers in the same awe and reverence we have for the mothers of Holy Scripture. Mothers of all ages have faced difficulties with bravery, sacrifice and pain. When illness strikes a mother, she must address her own illness and still meet the needs of her children. When tragedy strikes the child, the depth of the pain felt by the mother is unequaled.
The Mother of God stood at the foot of the Cross, the prototype of mothers whose pain and loss is profound (John 19:25). In hardship and in joy, Christ is present. Jesus looked to His mother from the Cross and provided for her by uniting her with His beloved disciple.
Sons and daughters are challenged by the expectations and teachings of their mothers. Sons and daughters are inspired by the qualities which are inherent in their mothers. At the Cross, Mary did not abandon her Son. Nor did Jesus abandon His mother.
We must view Mother’s Day in the context of the Church. Our world-view must be contemporary and yet linear, reaching back to the earliest of times. We are in the twentieth century celebrating Mother’s Day. God has given us many mothers through the centuries for whom we must be grateful.
Together with God, our own mothers have helped to form and shape us. We are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). Mothers have been chosen by God to participate in this creativity.
We go through life, often not realizing the full stature of mothers in the role they play in the development of civilization. Taking time on Mother’s Day to reflect on the far-reaching impact of mothers is healthy for all of us.
Indeed, our own mothers are forever in our hearts and minds. They are the subject of our fondest thoughts. When we are young, we treasure our mothers. As we get older, we know the treasure to be even greater than we ever imagined.
Let us take time to give thanks to God for the mothers He has given us and for the special role He has chosen for them to be a partner in His creation.
~Adapted from Fr. Rodney Torbic, cited in The Saint Gregory Palamas Outreach: Orthodox Christian Resources for Healthy Living, http://www.saintgregoryoutreach.org/2012/05/sermon-mothers-day.html.
SUNDAY OF THE PARALYTIC
Close to the Sheep’s Gate in Jerusalem, there was a pool, which was called the Sheep’s Pool. It had round about it five porches, that is, five sets of pillars supporting a domed roof. Under this roof there lay very many sick people with various maladies, awaiting the moving of the water. The first to step in after the troubling of the water was healed immediately of whatever malady he had.
It was there that the paralytic of today’s Gospel way lying, tormented by his infirmity of thirty-eight years. When Christ beheld him, He asked him, “Wilt thou be made whole?” And he answered with a quiet and meek voice, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool.” The Lord said unto him, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” And straightaway the man was made whole and took up his bed. Walking in the presence of all, he departed rejoicing to his own house. According to the expounders of the Gospels, the Lord Jesus healed this paralytic during the days of the Passover, when He had gone to Jerusalem for the Feast, and dwelt there teaching and working miracles. According to Saint John the Evangelist, this miracle took place on the Sabbath.
Kontakion of Sun. of the Paralytic
Third Tone
I am grievously paralyzed in a multitude of sins and wrongful deeds. As You raised up the paralytic of old, also raise up my soul by Your divine guidance, that I may cry out, “Glory to Your Power O Compassionate Christ.”
~Website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA), https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=856&PCode=3PS&D=S&DT=05/10/2020
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