2024/05/12 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
- Lori Howard, Associate Director of Liturgy
This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus as well as Mother’s Day. To be honest, I am not a huge fan of Mother’s Day. Lots of expectations and pressure for everyone! But Mother’s Day is a great time to reflect on the immense gratitude I feel for the opportunity to be a mother. My mom was a wonderful mother of deep faith and she was the type of mom I wanted to be. I definitely felt that the Holy Spirit was calling me to be a mom. When my first son was born 22 years ago, the depth of love that I experienced was astounding. My life now revolved around caring for this little person who needed every minute of my attention. And I loved it. At my core, it was who I was meant to be. As we found ourselves settling into those first few weeks with a newborn, I spent many nights thanking God for the blessing of this precious gift in our lives.
Over the next 6 years, we would welcome two more boys. Our family of five became a tight group. Family time was important. We wanted the boys to know that we all supported them in whatever they are involved in. I still said prayers of gratitude but also said many prayers for patience and guidance. There were lots of moments when I wondered if God was even listening! You worry about everything and those worries never really go away, they just turn into different worries: are they sleeping through the night, are they meeting the milestones, are they making friends, are they doing well in school, are they going to get into a good college, will they find a good job after college? As our boys got older and moved onto high school and then college, I felt more than before, that I really needed to give things over to God. One of my favorite quotes is from Philippians 4:6—“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
I realize at my core that I am wired to be the care giver who will do anything for them. I love them with all of my heart and soul. I often have to remind myself that they aren’t little boys anymore who need my constant hovering, which can be a real challenge! I am the mom I felt called to be thanks to my faith, my husband and all the strong women I call my friends. I thank God for the gift of each one of them.