Dear beloved sisters and brothers in Christ,
Father Anthony Ciorra tells of the time that one of his nieces was in a Christmas pageant. His sister insisted that he go to it. Despite his better judgment and for the sake of peace in the family, he went.
His little niece came onto the stage. Her poorly fitted dress revealed two stick legs. Her hair looked like it lost a fight. The worst part was that she could not sing. She was completely off key. She looked awful. She sounded awful. It was awful. After an eternity, she went off the stage.
“My poor sister must be so humiliated in front of all of these people,” Father Ciorra thought to himself. “This is so bad, she might have to sell her house and leave town! How do I console my sister? What do I say?” Even though the house lights were low, he was afraid to look at her. All he could say was, “I know. I know.”
His sister took him by the arm and said, “Isn’t she beautiful!”
He wondered what kind of medication his sister was on. He mumbled, “I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say.”
Isn’t she beautiful? His sister saw something that Uncle Anthony did not see. She saw her daughter with a mother’s eyes.
Julian of Norwich, a mystic from the fourteenth century, said, “God is our mother.” We call God “Father.” Jesus himself taught us to pray to God, “Our Father.” But God is also like a mother to us. God sees something quite different than what we might see. As we hide our brokenness and weakness in shame, God accepts and loves us just as we are.
“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you,” the Lord reassures us. (Isaiah 49:14-15). Even should a mother forget her infant, the Lord will not forget us. His love endures forever. Like a mother, the Lord cares for his children with love beyond all telling.
God gives us mothers to show us his tender, enduring love for us. He puts his words in their hearts so that they can say with pride and joy his truth greater than all evidence to the contrary, “Isn’t she beautiful?”
Happy Mother’s Day!
Father David