Mother’s Day

In this lecture, on the occasion of Mother’s Day, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the sacred value of motherhood in the Christian faith, explaining that motherhood is not merely a biological bond but a divine calling of love, giving, and endurance. He honors mothers in all their dimensions — physical, spiritual, and social — and highlights their role in raising generations and saints.

Spiritual and Educational Dimension

The Pope teaches that motherhood is a God-given instinct that reflects His image as a loving Creator who embraces His children. He emphasizes that a woman becomes a true mother not only by giving birth but by raising her children in faith and virtue.
He portrays the mother as a symbol of continuous giving, from pregnancy to old age — giving of her body, blood, time, and strength for her children without expecting anything in return.

Dimensions of Motherhood

• Physical motherhood: carrying, giving birth, raising, and sacrificing endlessly.

• Spiritual motherhood: nurturing faith and holiness, such as nuns and saintly mothers.

• The Church as Mother: giving birth to believers through baptism and raising them in grace.

• The Virgin Mary: the perfect model of spiritual motherhood and the Mother of all believers.

• The Motherland: embracing its children and nurturing them with values and belonging.

Core Values and Lessons

• The mother represents unconditional love and silent sacrifice.

• Honoring the mother means obedience, gratitude, and success — not words alone.

• A mother who raises her children in the fear of God plants true faith in them.

• Widowed and suffering mothers hold a special honor before God and the Church.

• The commandment “Honor your father and your mother” is the first with a promise of blessing and long life.

Final Call

Pope Shenouda concludes by urging everyone to honor their mothers both in life and after death, to care for them especially in old age, and to recognize that neglecting parents is a denial of faith. He reminds that motherhood is not a burden but a divine blessing, for a mother’s love mirrors the love of God Himself.

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