A Letter to Mom
Happy Mother’s Day.
To all the moms here, all the stepmoms, all the mother figures, what a beautiful vocation you have. One you received and accepted. Today is your day.
It should be a month, honestly. We celebrate so many things for an entire month. Mother’s Day deserves more than a single day. But the world probably wouldn’t be able to function if we celebrated for longer than that. It’s all the things moms do.
Before Mass this morning, a young girl named Claire came up and said, “Father, read this letter at Mass.” And just like that, I had my homily.
Here is what Claire wrote:
My mom is someone who no one can match. She is she, and that is the way I like it. My mom is so beautiful. She makes every moment together special. My mom pays for me to go to gymnastics, which is my favorite sport. I am the expensive child. And yet she gives me the family food, love, and all the things we need. My mom makes the sacrifice to drive from Richardson all the way to Mary Magdalene School and to drive me to gymnastics. She also has to go to the other sports that my siblings do. Whenever she is hurting or stressed, I realize all the great talents that God has given to my mom and to all moms. I love you so much, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day. Love, Claire.
How many of you would have walked up to your priest and said, “Hey Father, read this letter at Mass”? That kind of confidence, that kind of ease, tells me something. When a child is not afraid to approach you and tell you what to do, it means you’re doing good. If your child yells at you or throws a fit, you’re still doing a great job. Because when it came to my father, there were no questions, no opinions, no second-guessing. Nothing. And my dad was a good man. That’s just how it was.
Dads Are the Alphabet. Moms Are the Words.
I was feeling poetic this morning.
A dad is like the alphabet. And moms are like the words. They give meaning. They put muscle and meat and heart into this world.
Look at the flowers up here. What would a man say about flowers? “Well, you got some space? You could throw something in to cover the space.” Are the flowers necessary? No. Would we be unable to celebrate Mass without them? Of course not. But the flowers give beauty, life, and color.
Look at the candles. Do we have them because we don’t have light? We just spent over $100,000 on new lights. The candles are here for romance, elegance, a little class, a little history.
A mom is not just a biological fact. Yes, everybody has a mom because that’s how you come into the world. But to love and honor and cherish your mother means far more than we could ever figure out on our own.
Love Is a Commandment, Not a Suggestion
Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Think about that. If you love me, you’ll do what I tell you.
My mother understood this. Every morning when she dropped me off at school, I’d jump out of the car and say, “Bye, Ma,” and take off. One day she said, “Get back here.” I turned around. “Did I forget something?” She said, “Yes. Give me a kiss. Every time you leave, you give me a kiss.”
At first it felt like a rule. A command. But what was forced then, I do lovingly now.
Don’t abdicate your love. Don’t settle for less. Ask your children to love you. And children, love your moms.
The One Thing You Should Never Ask Your Mother to Do
Don’t ask your mother to do the impossible.
The impossible is not asking her to drive you to school, pick you up, make your lunch, cook your breakfast, take you to ballet or gymnastics. None of that is the impossible.
The impossible is asking your mother to stay out of your life.
“How was your day?” Fine. “What did you do?” Nothing. “What’s going on?” Nothing.
And don’t lie to your mother. My mother always knew. She would look at me and say, “Turn around. How was your day, really?” And she was right every time. Trust your mother. She knows when something is wrong.
Remember, your mom is human. She has feelings. Watch your words. She feels pain. She will get old. Spend time with her. She will get sick. Don’t be surprised. She gets hurt. Sit by her side. She gets worried because she loves you. Share your feelings with her.
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And the fourth commandment is clear: honor your mother and your father.
What God Says About Mothers
In the entire Bible, there are very few moments when God refers to himself using the image of a mother. But the one time he does, it is to describe his total, unconditional love.
In the book of Isaiah, the Jewish people are crying out, “You have abandoned us, you have forgotten us, you don’t care.” And the Lord responds through the prophet: “Can a mother forget her child?”
In other words, can the impossible happen?
And then God says, “Even if the impossible were to happen, I will never forget you.”
To have your vocation used by God himself as the clearest example of unconditional love on earth means a great deal. It means everything.
So congratulations to all of you. I hope you have a wonderful day. I hope your children treat you to something amazing and beautiful today, and God willing, for the rest of your lives.
Amen.
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