To motherhood as properties belong to natural love, wisdom and knowledge – and this is God.
-Julian of Norwich
A Mother’s Day reflection
By Jackie O’Neal
Julian of Norwich, a 14th century anchoress and author of REVELATIONS OF DIVINE LOVE, taught us : “As truly God is our Father, so truly God is our Mother.”
Mothers were intended by the Creator to carry into the world some aspects of the Divine. A mother will willingly sacrifice her own life to save her children- very much resonating with the sacrifice Christ made for our redemption on Calvary.
A mother is a life-giver, a nurturer, the light of the world, hope-bearer and a beacon within the family to light our way when we are truly lost. In like manner, Christ, our Savior is the Light of our world, the light we gravitate towards as we seek His perfection.
I am one of four children. I recall my mother once saying that her own life as a mother was so absorbed by the myriad tasks of motherhood such as attending to daily emergencies, family meals, sewing, caring for all the needs of her family that she could not afford the luxury of nursing a cold, or other illness. Mother was always on duty and awake very early preparing breakfast, getting the children off to school, arranging, negotiating, planning.
Mother taught us the best way she could in her human and limited way, of course, to seek to attain perfection in demeanor, in the expression of goodwill, charity and love. Mother was kind to everyone and always ready to share a plate of food with the hungry, or do small, meaningful favors for others. We were expected to be kind too to relatives, friends and all visitors.
Naturally, we looked to her as a role model. Similarly, we search for the Lord’s wisdom to understand the expression of His Divinity within us.
Unfortunately, mother became ill in her later years, and after her separation from father, she was not quite herself anymore and became depressed and negative, but fortunately, she raised me during her prime and taught me many valuable lessons. My younger siblings did not have equal benefit. By the time, she began raising them, she was only a shadow of herself, fragmented by depression and fighting the demon of alcoholism. Of course, I still cling to my fond memories of her.
Let us this Mother’s Day- remember as St. Julian teaches us that God is both our mother and father- and He who was made perfect is the perfect expression of love within each of us.
When we know God is both our mother and father, we are assured we are loved and we love others in return- even our parents who may have disappointed us and made it difficult for us to be loving.
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