Today is Mothers’ Day. I looked earlier for a piece I’d written for this day and found it but also found another piece that I had written seventeen years ago for my mother. It is elsewhere on this blog but thought it might be worthwhile to share it again today.
Happy Mothers’ Day to any mother reading these lines today. May God bless and reward you for all you have done and continue to do for your children. May the greatest gift you receive today be rooted in an awareness in the family of all you do and do so well. May many blessings be yours, not least the blessing of happy memories.
Last night I went to see Blood Brothers in Castlebar. Amazing performance of a wonderful story that touches every emotion under the sun. So glad to have been there. Blood Brothers was my first ever introduction to theatre – a classmate in Maynooth brought me to see it in the Olympia sometime around 1986. It has remained a favourite. I think last night was about the fourth or maybe fifth time I’ve seen it through the years and I’d not rule out seeing it again. The actors are incredible. One of its most iconic songs has to be “Tell me it’s not true” – a mother wishing against all the odds that what is before her eyes is not true.
Thoughts with people who have to live with bad news and find a way forward. A prayer for strength.
This quick thought was shared with me – I liked it:
“Today …. spend more time with people who bring out the best in you, not the stress in you.”
Today’s gospel passage sees Jesus cast out a demon from a man. The man is unable to speak. When the demon is cast out the man finds his voice and begins to speak.
A few months ago, when reading a similar passage where Jesus cast out a demon that rendered a man unable to speak, I was struck by the thought that not to use our voices, when able to do so, to promote good and to speak well of people is a form of evil. It never occurred to me that silence when speech is an option – that silence that does not seek to bring something positive to a situation is not good and could easily be the work of evil.
A Lenten thought around this might be – how am I using my voice to further was is good?
This is the question put to Jesus in today’s Gospel and he tells us that forgiveness cannot really be measured in a one-size-fits-all sort of way. When the questioner asks “as often as seven times?”, Jesus says, “not seven but seventy-seven times”.
Of course it’s not about numbers but rather having an awareness of what is has meant to us to be forgiven. If that memory is deep enough and important enough to us, we will find a way to forgive another.
Maybe today’s thought is around finding and holding on to that memory.
Came across this some time ago. It’s an essay by and eight-year old “explaining God”.
One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way He doesn’t have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He just leaves that to mothers and fathers. God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. an awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere, which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn’t go wasting His time by going over your Mom and Dad’s head asking for something they said you couldn’t have.
Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren’t any who come to our church. Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and people finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind, like His Father and He told His Father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said “O.K.”
His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn’t have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important. You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.
You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there’s anybody you want to make happy, it’s God. Don’t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn’t come out at the beach until noon anyway.
If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He’s around you when you’re scared in the dark or when you can’t swim and big kids throw you into real deep water.
But…you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases. And…that’s why I believe in God.
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