The Vocation of Mothers and of All Women

Today is Mother's Day. We celebrate the woman God destined to bring each of us, men and women, into the world. Each of us is a word of God, as Jesus is the Word of God.  As I reflected on my mother and who she was for my siblings and me, the following came to me in a dialogical prayer with my mom:

"Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Thank you for mothering me to this very day."

"You are welcome, Dort. And thank you for being a spiritual, caring and loving mother to so many children, big and small, young and old.  In your work as counselor you mothered many!  Thank you!"

"You are welcome, Mom.  Mom you taught us to serve others, to help others, to care, to provide for other people's needs. Mom, you gave us strength, love, faith and confidence!  Thank you!"

"You are welcome, Dort! Do not lose faith. I know you struggle with how the Church has treated women and even how Mary's culture treated her.  Be not discouraged.  As a disciple of Christ, as a baptized Christian, you are sent to bring Good News to others, to proclaim Christ's resurrection, to open the Scriptures as much as any priest ordained by a bishop. You are asked to carry our your baptismal vocation without the public recognition given to a priest. Your vocation as a woman was  confirmed  by Jesus, who called women to spread the Good News and to proclaim the resurrection--in fact the first person to proclaim the resurrection was a woman."

"God does not will that you live out your call in the public eye but privately. Your vocation  to proclaim the Good News, to share your faith in Christ Jesus, to bring others to Christ--the call of every priest ordained by a bishop--was  given to you at your baptism.  Cherish your call, Dort, to do as Mary, the mother of Jesus, did,  that is  to bring Jesus to the world, and also to do as Mary Magdalene did, proclaim the Good News of Jesus' resurrection.  Proudly, carry out the role God has ordained for you as a woman. The baptismal call to proclaim your faith and to share the Good News is as real and as needed as the call a priest receives in his ordination by a bishop!"

"Thank you, Mom, for these words of wisdom!  You certainly brought Jesus to me by your works of faith and love and hope in Christ Jesus; and you brought me to Jesus! In every way as a mother you lived out the call you received at your baptism!   Thank you!"

"You are welcome, Dort! I love you!"

"I love you, too, Mom!"