Homily for Mothering Sunday (1: Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; Psalms 127:3-5; John 19:25b-27)

HomilyWriterAI
Daniel Man
daniel@gmail.com
Create New Homily
MAIN
My Homilies
Profile
Settings
Billing
MORE
Blog
Blog Admin
Leave a Review
Upgrade Plan
Sign Out
Current Plan
Free Trial
Active
15 homilies remaining
Upgrade Plan
HomilyWriterAI Logo
Create New Homily
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, on this Mothering Sunday, we reflect on the profound gift of motherhood through the lens of our Scripture readings. In them, we encounter three powerful portraits of mothers: Hannah, who offers her son Samuel back to God in thanksgiving; the psalmist who celebrates children as blessings from the Lord; and Mary, our Blessed Mother, who stands at the foot of the cross in the ultimate moment of maternal suffering and love.

These readings invite us to contemplate motherhood not merely as a biological function, but as a sacred vocation rooted in self-giving love—a love that reflects God's own love for us.

In our first reading, we hear the moving account of Hannah. After years of barrenness and heartfelt prayer, she conceives and bears a son, Samuel. But notice what Hannah does: "When the child was weaned, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh... She brought the child to Eli and said: 'As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.'"

What extraordinary faith! Hannah recognizes that her son is not merely hers but belongs first to God. Her motherhood is characterized by gratitude and surrender. She understands that children are gifts entrusted to our care, not possessions to be claimed. In this, Hannah embodies what Pope Saint John Paul II called "the feminine genius"—the capacity to make room within oneself for another person, to nurture life, and ultimately to give that life back to its true source.

The Psalmist affirms this understanding of children as divine gifts: "Children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward." Each child bears the image of God and comes with a unique purpose in God's plan. Mothers participate in this divine work of creation, and in doing so, they reflect God's own generative love.

But motherhood involves not only joy but also profound suffering. Our Gospel reading takes us to the foot of the cross, where Mary stands in silent agony watching her son die. Saint John Paul II wrote in *Redemptoris Mater* that at this moment, Mary experienced "a kind of 'second annunciation,'" as Jesus entrusts her with a new maternal mission: "Woman, behold your son."

In this moment of supreme suffering, Jesus gives His mother to the beloved disciple and the beloved disciple to His mother. Through this exchange, Mary becomes mother not only to John but to all disciples of Jesus throughout time. Her motherhood expands beyond biological bonds to embrace all humanity.

The Catechism teaches us that Mary's motherhood "became even more evident when Christ gave His mother to His disciple: 'Behold your mother.' Mary is mother wherever Christ is Savior and head of the Mystical Body" (CCC 973). Through Mary's "yes" at the cross, she embraces a universal motherhood that continues in the Church today.

What do these scriptural portraits of motherhood teach us?

First, they reveal that authentic motherhood always involves self-gift. Like Hannah who surrenders her son back to God, like the mother who recognizes her children as divine blessings, and like Mary who stands at the cross and accepts a wider maternal mission, mothers are called to a continual dying to self for the sake of those entrusted to their care.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta captured this beautifully when she said, "The mother is the heart of the home." Through countless small acts of self-sacrifice—sleepless nights, patient listening, daily provision, and fervent prayers—mothers create spaces where love can flourish and faith can take root.

Second, these readings remind us that motherhood extends beyond biological relationships. Mary's spiritual motherhood at the cross shows us that maternal love can embrace those not physically born to us. In our communities today, many women exercise this spiritual motherhood through adoption, foster care, teaching, mentoring, and countless other ways of nurturing life and faith in others.

Third, these readings call us to honor the vocation of motherhood in our families and communities. In a culture that often undervalues the hidden work of nurturing children and building homes, we are reminded that this work has eternal significance. When mothers—like Hannah—raise children to know and love God, they are participating in the most important work of all: the formation of saints.

But today is not only about celebrating mothers; it is also about recognizing that not all experiences of motherhood are marked by joy. For some, this day brings pain—the pain of strained relationships with mothers or children, the grief of losing a child or mother, the ache of unfulfilled longing for motherhood. The image of Mary at the cross speaks powerfully to this suffering aspect of motherhood.

For those experiencing such pain today, remember that the same Jesus who provided for His mother in His dying moments sees your suffering too. The God who answered Hannah's desperate prayers hears your cries. You are not alone in your grief or struggle.

As we prepare to receive Christ in the Eucharist, let us remember that in this sacred meal, we are all nourished by God's maternal love. The Eucharist is, in a sense, the ultimate act of motherly nurturing—God feeding us with His very self, giving His body and blood that we might have life.

Let us pray in thanksgiving for all mothers—biological, adoptive, spiritual—who reflect God's nurturing love in our world. Let us honor their self-sacrifice, celebrate their unique vocation, and support them in their sacred calling.

And may Mary, our Blessed Mother, who stood faithfully at the cross and now reigns as Queen of Heaven, intercede for all mothers, that they might find strength, wisdom, and joy in their vocation of love.

Amen.

--