A Holy Mother’s Day

A Holy Mother’s Day 

Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis (1832–1905)* lived and raised her family in the  Appalachian hills of the Virginia/West Virginia line. Of the 13 children born to the Jarvis family, only four lived to adulthood during a time when diphtheria and other diseases ravaged the countryside.  Jarvis worked hard in her community to try to help other mothers and families avoid the tragedies she had suffered. Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Work Clubs” as part of a national public health movement and promoted special “Mother’s Work Days,” when women would collaboratively collect trash and undertake other projects to improve local environmental conditions and their neighbors’ understanding of hygiene.   

During the Civil War, the women's groups she organized helped both Confederate and Union troops who were sick or wounded, and she worked to promote peace and unity following the war. In 1868, despite threats of violence, she organized a “Mother’s Friendship Day” to bring families from both sides of the war together to try to restore a sense of community. 

After Ann Maria Jarvis’ death, her daughter, Anna Jarvis (1864–1948), set out to honor her mother’s legacy by establishing a national Mothers’ Day on the second Sunday in May, the day her mother had died. The day was intended to be a holy day of thanksgiving and recognition when each Mother was honored in the context of their own family.

She chose white carnations as an emblem of the day and urged everyone to write personal heartfelt letters of gratitude to their moms. With widespread adoption of the day, President Wilson issued a proclamation establishing the first national Mother’s Day just before the start of World War I in 1914. 
 
Sadly, as Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it strayed from Ann’s plan of heartfelt intimacy to a commercial venture which helped establish the greeting card industry. Ann’s vision of the day as a holy day of thanksgiving had become, in her eyes, a crass holiday benefitting florists and greeting card companies more than honoring the mothering work done by women. 

Today, while we depend upon that same card industry to help us express our thoughts and emotions, we are also aware that the day is a far cry from Ann’s intention. Still, Mother’s Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the profound impact that mothers have on our lives, both in our immediate families and the broader spiritual community. 

In the Fifth Commandment, God tells us to “honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12); this is a cornerstone of biblical teaching, underlining the importance of respecting our parents. On Mother’s Day, this commandment takes on a special significance as we celebrate and honor moms.

Throughout Holy Scripture, mothers are depicted as symbols of love, strength, and unwavering guidance. Proverbs 31 portrays a woman of noble character, a woman worth far more than rubies whose children rise and call her blessed, and her husband also praises her. The writer declares: “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). This passage is a powerful testament to the esteem and respect that godly mothers command in their families. The deep reverence for the mother of Proverbs 31 stems from her unyielding commitment to biblical principles. This dedication shaped her character and profoundly influenced her family's spiritual and moral compass. Her example sets a standard of virtue and integrity that continues to guide and enrich the lives of her loved ones.

In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah dedicates her son Samuel to the Lord as an act of faith. Her profound trust in God shows how a mother's vow can enrich and direct the spiritual life of her child even to the influence of an entire nation. Hannah’s story is a beautiful narrative of sacrifice, prayer, and dedication. Her story reveals the deep yearnings of a woman, who, faced with barrenness, turns to God with her plea to bear a child. Her extraordinary vow, if she is to become pregnant, is to dedicate her son to the Lord’s service for all his days (1 Samuel 1:11). God responds to Hannah with compassion, granting her heartfelt request. True to her word, once Samuel is weaned, Hannah fulfills her vow, raising him with the knowledge of God until time to serve in the temple (1 Samuel 1:22). Samuel grows to become one of the great Old Testament spiritual leaders. Undoubtedly, his life is a testament to the power of faith and the impact of a godly upbringing.

The virtue of motherhood is rooted in the godhead itself, as Jesus laments over Jerusalem with the imagery of a mother hen protecting her brood to describe his longing to nurture, defend, and bring the people close to himself. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem... how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing."  Luke 13:34
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Mothers are at the forefront of handing the faith down to the next generation, as St. Paul wrote to Timothy: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:5). In the Church, a mother’s influence can extend far beyond her biological family. Paul says in Romans 16:13: “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.” Through the institution of motherhood, God used this unnamed woman to nurture— to mother— St. Paul. Let us be grateful for all the mother-figures in our lives — whether they’re related to us by blood, or faith, or both. 

We use Mother’s Day as a singular moment to celebrate our mothers, but the recognition of the divine intention and spiritual dimensions of motherhood should be present to us all the time. Let’s cherish and honor our mothers, grandmothers, and all the women who have been like mothers to us, recognizing their irreplaceable role in our lives and communities. Happy Mother’s Day— everyday— to all our wonderful mothers.

In thanksgiving,

Fr. Bill+


*Historical and biographical information taken from the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
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