A Mother’s Day Gift for Our Lady
Every year when Mother’s Day approaches, children—whether they are six years old or sixty—begin asking the same question: What can I give my mother?
Some bring roses….
Some write a card….
Some make a phone call….
Some prepare a meal….
Some simply spend time, because they know that presence itself can be a gift.
Behind every Mother’s Day gift lies a deeper message: “Thank you… I love you… I have not forgotten what you have done for me.” So today, as children of the Church, another question rises in our hearts: What can we give Our Lady, Mary, on Mother’s Day? For she is our heavenly mother.
Of course, unlike our earthly mothers, we cannot place a wrapped gift into her hands. We cannot knock on the door of Nazareth. We cannot leave flowers on her kitchen table. Yet… perhaps we can; not in the ordinary way, but in the language of faith.
If we would give our mother roses… we can give Our Lady a Rosary. There is something timeless about roses—their beauty, their fragrance, their delicate petals—each one seems to say, “You are loved.” Many children today will bring their mothers a bouquet of flowers, but what can we place into the hands of Our Lady? We can place into her hands a Rosary. The saints often called the Rosary a crown of roses. Every Hail Mary is like a single rose placed lovingly before her… every decade becomes a bouquet… every mystery becomes a garden. Perhaps this Mother’s Day, the most beautiful flowers we could offer Our Lady are not found in a florist’s shop, but in ten quiet minutes of prayer: one bead., one Hail Mary., one rose at a time.
If we would give our mother a card… we can give Our Lady a letter written in prayer. Mother’s Day cards often say what is hardest to say out loud. Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for loving me when I was difficult to love. We cannot mail a card to heaven, but we can write Our Lady something even more precious:
A prayer….
A whispered conversation….
A moment alone before one of her images.
Perhaps the greatest “card” we can give Our Lady is simply to speak from the heart:
“Mother Mary, thank you for saying ‘yes’.”
“Thank you for standing beneath the Cross.”
“Thank you for never giving up on me.”
“Thank you for praying for me, even when I forget to pray for myself.”
If we would give our mother our time… we can give Our Lady our presence. Perhaps the older we get, the more we realize that mothers do not really need expensive gifts. Often what they want most is us… a visit… a phone call… a few unrushed moments. The same may be true with the Virgin Mary. She does not need our money or our possessions, but she longs for our presence. When we step into church for a few extra minutes… when we light a candle before her statue… when we pause in silence… when we sit with her as St. John once did, we are giving Our Lady something precious: not what is in our hands, but what is in our hearts.
If we truly want to honor our Blessed Mother… we can become the gift. Perhaps this is the greatest gift of all. Any mother will tell you that flowers fade, cards are placed in drawers, and chocolate disappears, but the greatest joy of a mother is seeing her children become good, holy, loving people. Could it be the same with our heavenly Mother? Perhaps the greatest gift we can give her this Mother’s Day is not something we hold, but someone we become…. a child who forgives… a child who prays… a child who trusts God… a child who says “yes” as Mary herself once said yes. For every time we choose faith over fear… purity over compromise… mercy over bitterness… love over selfishness… Our Lady smiles.
Nothing makes a mother happier than seeing her children resemble what is best in her. So, this Mother’s Day, bring your earthly mother roses, write her a card, tell her you love her; but do not forget your heavenly Mother:
Offer her a Rosary….
Offer her a prayer….
Offer her your time….
Offer her your heart.
Fr. Michael Harrington, a native of Swampscott, MA, is a Catholic Priest for the Archdiocese of Boston, and Currently the Pastor of St. Mary’s of the Annunciation Catholic Church in Cambridge. In the past he served as The Director of the Office of Cultural Diversity for the Archidiocese of Boston and is currently a Consecrated member of the Institute of Jesus the Priest (the Pauline Family).
