I am not a fan of some of the government’s renaming of things these days, such as renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America and eliminating Indigenous Peoples’ Day in favor of only Columbus Day. However, I would be in favor of renaming Mother’s Day Mothering Day.
I say this because, whether we have physically given birth to babies or not, we all have a responsibility to mother. I am using this word as a verb. It is a holy activity that we can all be engaged in. Mothering is part of our calling as followers of Christ.
As a verb, the word “mother” means “giving birth to and/or nurturing something.” All of us have the ability to give birth to and nurture things that make this world more peaceful, loving, and just. For example, we can give birth to and nurture movements for social justice, new ideas, creative projects, as well as take care of the people and pets in our circle of influence. We can all do that.
Because today is Mother’s Day, I asked Father Jayme if I could preach the homily. This is one of my many favorite holidays of the year. You can ask my husband—I am a fanatic about holidays. I love my family, holiday food, and the occasional gift.
Holidays have a fun side, but most of them also have a serious side. Mother’s Day, for example, stems from the efforts of a woman named Anna Jarvis, who held a memorial service for her mother in 1907. Her mother had organized “Mothers’ Work Days” to improve sanitation and public health, and later “Mother’s Friendship Day” to promote reconciliation after the Civil War.
Today, we carry on that tradition of honoring people who have worked to make the world a better place to live . . . So, how can we mother the world?
One of the tools we have at our disposal is our voice. I can understand why Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.” As the Good Shepherd, Jesus practiced his ministry in mothering mode. He saw his followers, his “sheep,” as his children, and it was his responsibility to protect and nourish them.
Of course, his mothering had a very important purpose—to bring his children to eternal life. Jesus said he is doing this for the “Father,” which was his way of referring to God. Here’s a good question: If we see God in a fathering role, does this mean we can see Jesus in a mothering role?
I had to pause for a moment and re-read Jesus’ words: “The Father and I are one,” because that reminds me of what parents often say to their children when they are on the same page, when they are working as a team. I can just hear the mom say to the children, “Your father and I agree that you shouldn’t go to that party. Your father and I are of one voice.”
“My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus said. Jesus knows that our voices are the most powerful tools we have for the purposes of mothering—and again, all of us have a mothering responsibility. We all have a responsibility to use our voices for peace and justice, moral instruction and moral support, encouragement and constructive criticism, nurturing, compassion, and wisdom.
Another reason I wanted to preach the homily today is because my priestly vows have given me the title “Mother Annie.” People have been referring to me in this way for the last ten years. (I was ordained on May 15, 2015 to be exact.) I am “Mother” in the same way that a male priest is “Father.”
As you know, the Catholic Church refers to its male priests as “Father” and should allow women to be priests and refer to them as “Mother,” because a priest’s role is to nurture, guide, and instruct parishioners. The role of a priest is to be a shepherd to his or her flock. This is only possible because the priest has an important voice.
My voice might be soft, but I am being heard!
I love Helen Reddy’s song, “I am woman, hear me roar,” because even when that song was written in 1972, women were starting to find their voice. In the refrain of that song, Reddy sings, “I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman,” and now, fifty-three years later, the female voice is even stronger and more invincible.
But even stronger that a woman’s voice is a mothering voice, that is, the voice of someone who is out there giving birth to and nurturing things that make the world a better place to live. This is the part that roars.
Because Jesus was a man, we don’t think of him as a mothering figure. In Catholic doctrine, we tend to leave that role to Mary. But I suggest to you that Jesus also had a mothering voice, a gentle and guiding, calming and correcting voice. We continue to hear his voice today because he speaks through all of us with words of wisdom, enlightenment, redemption, and love.
On this Mother’s Day, or rather, Mothering Day, may we all find a way to echo his words of grace. May our voices roar thunderous enough to cut through the deafening noise of the world’s hatred and violence. May we all find our mothering voice.
