Women and mothers
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the value of the mother, her role, and her place in faith and life, on the occasion of Mother’s Day. He explains that honoring the mother is not a favor from the human being but a divine commandment that must be fulfilled.
🌿 1. The mother and her great merit
His Holiness gives a moving description of the mother’s toil from pregnancy, birth, and nursing, to raising the child and caring for him in all stages of life.
He explains that a person’s relationship with his mother is the first relationship he ever experiences, full of tenderness, love, and care.
🌿 2. The divine commandment to honor parents
He reminds of the commandment: “Honor your father and your mother so that your days may be long on the earth.”
Honoring is therefore a spiritual duty, not only an emotional act.
🌿 3. The Virgin Mary: Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church
He explains how the Virgin was a loving and faithful mother to the Lord Jesus, following Him in every step even to the cross.
The Lord Jesus gave her the position of spiritual mother of the whole Church when He entrusted her to John the beloved.
Therefore, we celebrate Mother’s Day first with the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
🌿 4. The Church as a spiritual mother
The Church is the mother of all believers because she gave birth to them in baptism, raised them with teachings, faith, and the sacraments.
Without the Church we would not have known the faith nor lived the grace.
🌿 5. Mothers of the Bible and the saints
His Holiness lists many examples of holy mothers:
Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Ruth, Elizabeth, Jochebed, the mother of Mark, the mother of Timothy, Saint Helena…
He highlights their role in faith and in raising prophets, apostles, and saints.
He explains that true motherhood is not only by giving birth but by upbringing and example.
🌿 6. Mothers of martyrs and spiritual mothers
He presents inspiring examples of mothers who offered their children to martyrdom with firmness and joy.
He also mentions spiritual mothers in monasticism who guided souls to repentance and holiness such as Saints Sarah, Melania, and Deborah the judge.
🌿 7. A call to appreciate and serve the mother
He concludes with a practical encouragement: that the mother’s toil must be repaid by the children with love, care, and not denying her kindness.
He also encourages organizing women’s ministry in the Church in appreciation of their vital role.
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