Courage to love

 There were once two little boys who decided to buy their mother some flowers. So they went out to look for a nice bouquet, however the only one that they really liked was too expensive, so they thought that they would buy her a nice house plant instead. They did this and presented it to their Mum who was really pleased. Then the younger of the two boys explained, “Well, Mum we saw a lovely bouquet, it was really pretty and you would have loved it, it had a huge ribbon across the top of it on which were the words, ‘rest in peace’, we know that you always ask us to give you a chance to rest in peace so we would have bought it for you but we didn’t have enough money.” The Mum reassured her sons that a house plant was a much better idea!

Today is, of course, Mothering Sunday, a day when we give thanks for Mums, and all those who have loved us and cared for us as Mothers. We think also of our own role in loving and caring for others, and we are reminded of the greatest love of all. The love of God for us, His children.

Today we also give thanks for our mother Church, which is Newport Cathedral, and of course Mary, the mother of Jesus. I like to think of the Church that I grew up in as well, this Church nurtured me and helped me grow in my faith.

Our readings this morning have reminded us not just of mothers but also of our call to love and get alongside those in need.

In the Old Testament reading (Ex.2:1-10.) we heard of a mother protecting her child. She knew that if the Pharaoh of Egypt at the time had known that she had a son he would have killed him. This was because Pharaoh felt threatened by the people he had as slaves. These people were Hebrews and Pharaoh was worried that if they grew in number they would turn on him and enslave him instead.

The mother of the baby had kept him hidden, but she knew she couldn’t do this forever. She placed him in a basket and his sister took him to the Nile. It is the type of story which would have you hanging on for more if you didn’t already know what happened.

Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, and then ended up asking for his own mother to look after him in the Pharaoh’s palace. It really is an amazing account. The man who would have killed the baby boy ended up with the boy being brought up in his palace by his own birth mother. Incredible!

Moses, the little boy, was protected and looked after. He then grew up and was used by God as someone who would help to set the Hebrew people free from slavery.

When you hear this you can never believe that God wasn’t looking after His children, the Hebrews. In the same way that Mothers look after their children despite all setbacks God does the same for us.

In the reading from the gospel according to Luke (2:33-36) we heard of a mother being warned of awful things to come. Mary was warned that she would be hurt. This happened when Jesus was a Baby. He had been taken to the Temple and a man named Simeon had realised that in Jesus was the salvation that they were waiting for. Not just this, but after this moment of excitement he then told Mary and Joseph that their son was going to suffer.

I came across a little poem the other day, which talked of some of the Mums in the Bible and it said,

Had I been Joseph's mother

I'd have prayed

protection from his brothers

"God, keep him safe.

He is so young,

so different from

the others."

Mercifully,

she never knew

there would be slavery

and prison, too.

Had I been Moses' mother

I'd have wept to keep my little son:

praying she might forget

the babe drawn from the water

of the Nile.

Had I not kept

him for her

nursing him the while,

was he not mine?

--and she

but Pharaoh's daughter?

Had I been Mary,

Oh, had I been she,

I would have cried

as never mother cried,

"Anything, O God,

Anything...

--but

crucified."

In the reading that we heard from the 2nd letter to the Corinthians (1:3-7) we heard the word console. I have often thought of that word as quite a weak word, almost, ‘ah never mind, you’ll be ok’, but it is actually so much more than this. It expects more than a pat on the back, to truly console someone is to get alongside them, to be there for them, it is about showing true love and care. It can be easy to think that we are saying and doing the right thing for someone in need, but it is about more than this, it is about getting alongside a person. It is about going the extra mile. It is about giving things up for others.

It’s a little like the bravery of two women, the unconditional love of God and the knowledge that today as we give thanks for the example of love so we are to love in the ways that we have been loved. In the case of God’s love for us, this is unconditionally. As we give thanks today, may we also ask God to help us to love as He loves.

I am proud to be a member of the Mothers Union. This is a Christian organisation that is dedicated to ending poverty, violence and social injustice in the UK and around the world. For 150 years the Mothers Union has worked to help children, families, parents, all those in need by offering support and guidance. It was begun by a Mother who wanted to support other mothers, from different backgrounds in bringing up their children. Her name was Mary Sumner and she wrote a prayer which I would like to finish with. This prayer reminds us of our call to love, and support others.

Let us pray:-

All this day, O Lord,

let me touch as many lives as possible for thee;

and every life I touch, do thou by thy spirit quicken,

whether through the word I speak,

the prayer I breathe,

or the life I live.

Amen.