Mother's Day 2025

5/11/2025

Proverbs 31:25-28

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”

Today is Mother’s Day – a day in which we celebrate and honor our earthly mothers for bringing us into this world, loving us, sharing their hearts with us, nurturing us, inspiring us, and then sending us on our way to establish our own lives. Whether by birth or other means, today we give thanks to these special people who have so brilliantly revealed God’s guiding light and have always done what they thought was best for us.

If we are here today, we have our mother partly to thank for this miracle. Some of our mothers are still in their bodies; others have moved on to pure spirit.  Our love and appreciation does not change. Kind, warm, loving, and appreciative thoughts will always reach those on the other side of the veil.

Beyond its cultural and familial celebrations, Mother’s Day carries deep universal spiritual lessons that resonate across traditions and beliefs. Cheryl Lacey Donovan wrote: “Mother is a verb. It's something you do. Not just who you are.” When I think of the mothering nature, foremost in my mind is the power of unconditional love. The often selfless and enduring love of a mother can be a tangible experience of this love, a concept central to our spiritual path. Mother’s Day teaches us about loving without expectation and the transformative power of such love.

Another lesson we learn from mothers is the virtue of sacrifice. Motherhood frequently involves selflessness. This spiritual principle teaches us that the growth and well-being of others often requires us to put aside our own needs.  The selfless love, compassion, and sacrifice of mothers serve as a spiritual model, gifts from God to be observed, acknowledged, and incorporated into our own life journey.

Nurturing growth is a powerful lesson motherhood demonstrates. Whether it is their children, someone else’s child, a relationship, or a community, the mothering nature is a fundamental spiritual practice.  Mother's Day reminds us of the importance of creating environments where beings can thrive and reach their potential.

Motherhood is not only about physical care but also about spiritual nurturing. Mother’s Day symbolizes the power of the feminine energy in the universe and in God, often referred to as the Divine Mother. Although we commonly refer to God as father, that is not the only nature of God. Mother’s Day can help us recognize the feminine aspect of our Creator, which embodies unconditional love, protection, compassion, nurturing, creativity, intuition, and healing. Recognizing and honoring these qualities in ourselves and others fosters spiritual growth, balance, deeper faith, and a more compassionate heart.

The mother-child relationship, like all human relationships, can be complex. It often provides profound lessons in forgiveness, understanding, and the healing power of reconciliation.  As such, Mother’s Day can be a time for healing and forgiveness. Recognizing that no relationship is perfect, the day invites us to offer and seek forgiveness, mirroring the grace and mercy often associated with both earthly and divine mothers.

Another spiritual lesson we learn from Mother’s Day is that of patience and perseverance. Raising children or caring for others often demands immense patience and perseverance through challenges. These are vital spiritual qualities that lead to inner strength and resilience.  Mothers often display remarkable strength in the face of adversity. This can inspire us to find our own inner reserves of courage, patience, and resilience when confronted with life's difficulties.

Mother’s Day expands our awareness of our interconnectedness with past and future generations. It teaches us that we are not the center of the universe, but part of a greater design. This day prompts reflection on the values we inherit and those we wish to pass on, highlighting our role in the continuity of life and community. What legacy have we been given, and what legacy are we choosing to leave for others?

Thinking deeply on Mother's Day can help us recognize the sacred within the ordinary acts of care, love, and daily life. It suggests that spiritual practice is not confined to grand gestures but is present in the consistent, often unseen, efforts of nurturing.

God is the perfect balance of masculine and feminine energy. Jesus Christ demonstrated this balance of energy – he was able to tip over a table when an action defamed God and lovingly wash the feet of his disciples. Spirit intends for us to live this balance. Men, showing love and compassion and forgiveness is not a display of weakness. It is the strength of God flowing through wholeness. But the world tells us that men who cry are weak or are babies or receive various other criticisms. So many men shy away from feminine energy, and it is so painfully obvious by their behaviors, attitude, and language.

Ladies sometimes shy away from any male energy for similar reasons. The world tells women they are getting too bossy or aggressive when they assert themselves. If they are too competitive, they are called non-nurturing, too much, they are unfeminine. If they have an idea, they are difficult. Both men and women are guilty of these criticisms. Mother’s Day helps us accept this balance of energy.

The last lesson of Mother’s Day I want to share today is about gratitude. Giving thanks is one of the most powerful virtues we can develop and a cornerstone of our spiritual wellbeing. Recognizing and appreciating the love, care, and effort received from maternal figures can open our hearts and foster a more positive outlook. It opens our hearts to God’s love from diverse sources and makes us more aware of the presence of God in and around us.

I am grateful for my Mom. She has represented all the lessons that I have described in this talk. When I tell her, “I love you, Mom,” her favorite response is, “Well, you better love me. I’m the only mom you’re ever going to have.” And I am thankful.

It is my prayer that today we honor our earthly mother for doing their fundamental job of giving birth to us and forgive them of any deficits in maternal instincts after that. We thank and honor all the women who have nurtured us and cared for us whether they have been grandmothers, mothers-in-law, aunts, sisters, cousins, teachers, coworkers, friends, or strangers because they have blessed us.  We give thanks for the Divine Mother nature within us that whispers support and love to our hearts, which nurtures us, and expresses through us to others as giving, sharing, compassion, and love.

It has been said that a mother’s hug lasts long after she lets go. Regardless of how old we get, or how long she has been gone for this earth, we can still feel our mother’s love when we need comfort.  So, thank You God, for the love of Mothers.  Happy Mother’s Day!