MOTHERING SUNDAY

Today I presided and preached at the Parish Mass at St. Mary’s Ilford. Unfortunately the sound system wasn’t working and in a church the size of St. Mary’s microphones are quite an essential piece of kit. It meant that the Intercessions which had been prepared by members of the Sunday School were virtually inaudible which was a great shame. At the end of the Mass. after the notices and after I had called some Banns I blessed the flowers which were then distributed by the Sunday School to the many mothers in the congregation. I also blessed two small flower arrangements which were placed at the Statue of Our Lady and the Statue of her mother, St. Anne.

                                                                                                            
In my sermon I pointed out that mothers continued their concern for their children long after they had grown up and had children of their own.. I related a story I read on the Internet: a 102 year old lady was asked if she had any worries. She replied “No not now, I have got my youngest son into an old peoples home.” I related how my mother-in-law was still concerned, at nearly 97, about her two children and that had spread to concern about her 4 grandchildren and her 4 great grandchildren. I pointed out how Mary had been concerned about her Son Jesus throughout his life following him right to the end when he had died on the Cross and how Jesus had given Mary to his church. That meant today we not only gave thanks and celebrated our own mothers, we also celebrated our mother the church, and Mary, mother of God, mother of Jesus and mother of us all