Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother…When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home (John 19:25a-27).

You know, mothers don’t necessarily like Mother’s Day. (Apologies here to you mothers who actually do like Mother’s Day.)  

For instance, there’s all the hype about how sweet, kind, and great mothers are. Most mothers don’t see themselves as sweet, kind, or great.

There’s all the hype and expectation that the family will do some special or traditional thing on Mother’s Day. Maybe her family won’t, and never has.

Then there are mothers whose children are estranged or incarcerated or distant in multiple other ways. Mother’s Day becomes a reminder of that sad reality.

I think many mothers would appreciate and benefit from the focus of Mother’s Day being taken off their motherhood and directed to Mary’s motherhood.

Mary’s son Jesus was familiar with suffering and grief. Such a son would undoubtedly have a mother who was thereby also familiar with suffering and grief.  Mothers would relate to that.

Mary’s son did things she didn’t understand. Mothers would relate to that.

Mary’s son was off saving the world. Ok, mothers wouldn’t relate to that. But they would relate to being concerned for their children as they seem to invite danger upon themselves.

Then came the tragic day when Mary stood at the foot of the Cross upon which her son was suffering from a kind of pain she couldn’t bear to witness. Yet she remained.  Because mothers love through it all, they would relate to Mary’s remaining.

What Jesus did there during His agony shows us He knows mothers. He knows mothers need to have someone to give love to and have someone who cares for them. That day Jesus saw to it Mary had a new son to love, a son who would care for her. (Simultaneously John was given a mother to love him and someone he could care for.)

Do you remember the time Mary and Jesus’ brothers came to speak to Jesus and He said, “Who is my mother, and who are My brothers?” He answered His own question by pointing to His disciples, saying, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:49-50).

If we accept that the will of the Father is that we love the Son and care for one another, we see in Jesus’ words to Mary and John the expression of that will.

God’s will be always that we love and care for others and that we ourselves are loved and cared for. Remember, Jesus instructs us to pray “Your will be done….”  So let’s pray that now. It is another way to relate to Mary and the deep love Jesus had for her.