Special Mother's Day ceremony?

[Bruised_Reed]

This is a little puzzling. The Catholic ideal would be that our deceased mothers and deceased children are “with G-d” and cradled in His arms. There should be no “dread” to celebrate this day for their sakes. Perhaps we need better cathechesis on the Communion of Saints to allow people to better deal with recent losses of life and companionship, and, yes, even miscarriages. We do celebrate the Mother of God, many times during the year, perhaps daily with our Rosary…there is no neason not to “celebrate” our deceased mothers as well.

I particularly like the idea of EVERYONE getting a small pin or flower to honor their mother. But mothers DO need all the blessings which they can receive; can’t we “honor” them, too, with a blessing and congratulations on this special day?

Peace be with you!

The dread is not for their sakes; it’s about missing them. I can contemplate the communion of saints all day but at the end of it I just wish I could hear my mom’s voice or look into her eyes. Jesus wept and He could (and did) raise Lazerus from the dead. Do you expect people to be more recollected than Jesus?

 

[TheMc]

This is a little puzzling. The Catholic ideal would be that our deceased mothers and deceased children are “with G-d” and cradled in His arms.

Ok. Deceased children, yes, they’re probably with God. But our mothers, um… I don’t mean to scare/anger/disapoint anyone, but there is a chance they might not be in heaven.

Shouldn’t we be praying for them? They might be stuck in purgatory, waiting for us to pray for them, but instead, we are down here thinking they already made it.

We do not do deceased people a service by thinking they are in heaven. They need prayers. They weren’t immaculately conceived.

 

[kitkatty]

Ok. Deceased children, yes, they’re probably with God. But our mothers, um… I don’t mean to scare/anger/disapoint anyone, but there is a chance they might not be in heaven.

Shouldn’t we be praying for them? They might be stuck in purgatory, waiting for us to pray for them, but instead, we are down here thinking they already made it.

We do not do deceased people a service by thinking they are in heaven. They need prayers. They weren’t immaculately conceived.

Very good point!

 

[jfmarm81]

When I was growing up the tradition on Mothers’ Day when we arrived at church was for everyone to get a little lapel flower - red if your mom was living, white if your mom had died. That flower would be worn all day.

I love this idea!! Might be something to do at our parish next year…any idea where they got the lapels?

 

[joanofarc2008]

Ok. Deceased children, yes, they’re probably with God. But our mothers, um… I don’t mean to scare/anger/disapoint anyone, but there is a chance they might not be in heaven.

Shouldn’t we be praying for them? They might be stuck in purgatory, waiting for us to pray for them, but instead, we are down here thinking they already made it.

We do not do deceased people a service by thinking they are in heaven. They need prayers. They weren’t immaculately conceived.

No my mom’s perfect. Second only to the Blessed Virgin. I don’t know why the rest of everyone here doesn’t think the same way.

 

[TheMc]

No my mom’s perfect. Second only to the Blessed Virgin. I don’t know why the rest of everyone here doesn’t think the same way.

I didn’t mean to sound heavy handed in the post above. But I have to say that you are wrong this time. My Mom is second to the BVM. Yours must be third.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

1. Or you could do it in the narthex, vestibule, or gathering space after Mass, respecting the Mass, the sanctuary, and the people remaining to pray.

And a whole new set of complaints (my mother is too old to go downstairs/across the street/down the hall!).

For situations like this, pastors do whatever will produce the least number of complaints.

 

[TheMc]

And a whole new set of complaints (my mother is too old to go downstairs/across the street/down the hall!).

For situations like this, pastors do whatever will produce the least number of complaints.

Even when it is the wrong thing?

 

[ConstantineTG]

Why can’t we honor our mothers during Mass? The 10 Commandments says we should honor them. Why do we wish to take it apart from Mass? Jesus himself honored His mother in every way He can.

 

[joanofarc2008]

Even when it is the wrong thing?

I am not sure what exactly it is that you are seeing that is not licit here. I do see your borderline disdain for priests that are tending to the flock as problematic especially when it is aimed directly at the priest.

 

[benedictgal]

I am not sure what exactly it is that you are seeing that is not licit here. I do see your borderline disdain for priests that are tending to the flock as problematic especially when it is aimed directly at the priest.

One thing is to confer a special blessing on them during the approriate time (after the post-Communion prayer), quite another thing is to make the whole Mass about them.

I can see the point about wanting to do something special, but, when it overshadows the Mass, then, there are problems. As I said in my initial reply, what is problematic is that we want to insert a secular event into the Mass. It’s not about being insenstive or problematic, it is about putting things in their proper perspective.

In my parish, we will have a blessing for the mothers after the Post-Communion prayer and then, after Mass, as the faithful are leaving, the mothers will be receiving a Rosary.

 

[joanofarc2008]

One thing is to confer a special blessing on them during the approriate time (after the post-Communion prayer), quite another thing is to make the whole Mass about them.

I can see the point about wanting to do something special, but, when it overshadows the Mass, then, there are problems. As I said in my initial reply, what is problematic is that we want to insert a secular event into the Mass. It’s not about being insenstive or problematic, it is about putting things in their proper perspective.

In my parish, we will have a blessing for the mothers after the Post-Communion prayer and then, after Mass, as the faithful are leaving, the mothers will be receiving a Rosary.

I agree with you - I am also looking at how we speak to priests in general - I think at times there is much presumption (and I am not speaking about you I like and respect what you have to say) about what priests do and why they do it and how they should do their jobs by the laity. I think that at times there are better ways of asking those questions without already having come to the conclusion that the person being spoken to is wrong - especially in a case where they are both male and only one was called.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

Even when it is the wrong thing?

Yup.

 

[CB_Catholic]

So, here is how we did Mother’s Day at my parish (4pm, Sat. Mass). The Cantor sang “Immaculata” as a prelude (very nice), then after Mass, but before the dismissal, a blessing was given to all Mothers, while everyone was standing. Simple, short, nothing to complain about.

However, I left church and stopped to buy a card for my mother, and found a MOTHER’S DAY card for a DAD. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO DAD! it said. It was a card for single dads who raised the kids and was both father and mother to them.

I wonder if they will now have a Father’s Day card for all those single Moms out there!

I am too old…I can’t keep up with things any more

 

[TrueLight]

I visited a parish today and after communion, near the end of mass, the priest had all the mothers go up the aisles towards the front, sprinkled us with holy water and said a special prayer for us. I thought that was nice.

 

[bluerose]

However, I left church and stopped to buy a card for my mother, and found a MOTHER’S DAY card for a DAD. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO DAD! it said. It was a card for single dads who raised the kids and was both father and mother to them.

I wonder if they will now have a Father’s Day card for all those single Moms out there!

I am too old…I can’t keep up with things any more

Where I shopped, they had one to Mom… from the cat

 

[Phemie]

It was First Communion today, so mothers weren’t even mentioned.

 

[nicolep]

I’m one of those people that really, really dislikes Mothers’ Day. My son died seven years ago. I don’t feel much like celebrating the day. It always begs the question, “Do I stand up when the priest asks mothers to stand?” I’m a mother, but not in the sense that most everyone else in church is a mother. It’s a thing.

Now, I said the above only to go on and say I have no problem with anything being done to honor mothers on that day. The day sucks just as much for me whether or not a blessing is done or a rose is given away.

 

[InspiritCarol]

I’m one of those people that really, really dislikes Mothers’ Day. My son died seven years ago. I don’t feel much like celebrating the day. It always begs the question, “Do I stand up when the priest asks mothers to stand?” I’m a mother, but not in the sense that most everyone else in church is a mother. It’s a thing.

Now, I said the above only to go on and say I have no problem with anything being done to honor mothers on that day. The day sucks just as much for me whether or not a blessing is done or a rose is given away.

Dear, if you don’t have the strength or inclination to stand physically; you MUST stand in your heart. Of *course *you’re a mother.

There are so many women that don’t meet the expected limited definition of “mother”, but are so, just the same.

I am very sorry for your loss.

There are a significant number of women in our parish that have lost their children. Mother Mary is always there for us with her arms open to share our grief. She KNOWS what it feels like.

 

[karow]

Are there any thoughts on this or suggestions for other ways to acknowledge the Mothers of our community?

Our priest wished us a good morning and happy Mother’s Day at the beginning of mass. The local Right to Life chapter was selling corsages after mass. Those were the only two mentions of the holiday, and for that I am thankful.