Every year, around this time, Jim and others will post about their experiences with mothers and Mother’s Day. I don’t share the same experiences, but as is the normal track of my life, they weren’t the best either.
My mother was a good, smart and loving woman for a little while in my youth, but she became lost in this world. She had great parents (adopted) who loved her and us, and to this day, my great aunts still treat me as a member of the family, although any connection has long since been gone. My mother got lost on her journey by meeting the wrong guy (although, I guess I am happy that she did, seeing as I am a product of that merger), did more than dabble in drugs and alcohol and the like. It was the alcohol which eventually allowed her to kill herself as she was driving. If you have read this blog for long, you know of my story here, so no need to rehash it.
When I am the most cynical about mothers, I am reminded of the mother of Jesus. Mary was was found to be faithful in her duty, and early Tradition tells us she remained ever so. I am not Marianist, but I do sense that what we Protestants have done is to so dilute the message of Mary as to dilute our connection to what our real response should be. In my most cynical of moments, I wonder about having a mother such as Mary, one who was faithful to God, honorable, blessed. But I am also reminded that she was weak at moments as well, forgetting they message she had been given.
Mother’s Day is a celebration of Mothers, and we can add ‘those who deserve the title’ to satisfy our own life’s remembrances of mothers who checked out without accomplishing their duty, and often times, in very hurtful ways. But today is a day for me as well as others who have had a disastrous experience with mothers, I hope, to reflect on our mother, the Church (Galatians 4.26), and indeed, the exemplar model of motherhood, Mary the Theotokos.
I reckon sometimes, we all need to be reminded of what mothers, and fathers, should be and in this world, the examples seem to be shrinking.
Joel Landon Watts is a Masters of Theological Studies student with a focus in Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark. His interests include exploring the role of mimesis in human civilization, specifically in the study of religion and media, as well as science fiction and the way in which it has allowed mythology to be explored in light of scientific ideals of the past century. Currently, he is a TA for Old Testament at United Theological Seminary under Dr. Vivian Johnson, Associate Professor of Old Testament. His first book, Rhetorical Strategies of the Evangelist: Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark, is expected to be published by Wipf and Stock early next year. He is currently co-editing a book on moving from Fear to Faith (Energion, 2013).
Joel, I love this post.
We Christians tend to forget all of the single fathers out there as well as people who did not grow up without mothers. So indeed, in times like there, we need our mother the Church and the theoktos, Mary.
I’m Switzerland.
Nice post!
My friend likes “Ave Maria” as sung by Beyoncé – it reminds her of her mother.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRLfwwlJs6o
That is awesome.