Mother’s Day

If there is any particular person who has done more for the future of humanity, it is the mother. An overwhelming number of people will undoubtedly recognize and put her in that pedestal. And rightly so, as her sacrifice for the children (and spouse) will never be surpassed. As written in a poem by William Ross Wallace, “the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world“. Therefore, as a token of gratitude, a special day was set to commemorate her immense role in society. For 2019, it is celebrated May 12 in the USA.

History

“Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the motherof the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. The modern Mother’s day began in the United States, at the initiative of Anna Jarvis in the early 20th century. Many traditional celebrations of mothers and motherhood have existed throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration (originally a commemoration of Mother Church, not motherhood). This is to honor all mothers because she believed a mother is “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world”.

“The modern holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. St Andrew’s Methodist Church now holds the International Mother’s Day Shrine.”

 “Her campaign to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Ann Jarvis had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War, and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues.”

“However, owing to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, by 1911 all U.S. states observed the holiday, with some of them officially recognizing Mother’s Day as a local holiday?(the first being West Virginia, Jarvis’ home state, in 1910). In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.”

Religious Celebration

“In the Roman Catholic Church, the holiday is strongly associated with revering the Virgin Mary. In some Catholic homes, families have a special shrine devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In many Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a special prayer service is held in honor of the Theotokos Virgin Mary.”

“In Islam there is no concept of Mother’s Day, but the Quran teaches that children should give priority to loving their mother over their father.”

“In Hindu tradition, Mother’s Day is called “Mata Tirtha Aunshi” or “Mother Pilgrimage fortnight”, and is celebrated in countries with a Hindu population, especially in Nepal. The holiday is observed on the new moon day in the month of Baisakh, i.e., April/May. This celebration is based on Hindu religion and it pre-dates the creation of the US-inspired celebration by at least a few centuries.”

“In Buddhism, the festival of Ullambana is derived from the story of Maudgalyayana and his mother.”

Metaphorical Mother?

“The symbolism of the “church as mother” is used throughout early church writings, continues into the medieval period, and, though it may surprise some, was embraced by the reformers. John Calvin quotes Cyprian and refers to the motherhood of the church throughout his Institutes.“

While motherhood is gender-specific, and refers to female parenthood, metaphorically, it includes all of humanity, as a composite of mother Jerusalem above, betrothed/prepared for a wedding as a church and individually. This is what the Bible prophetically renders us all to be.

Consider, what was the takeaway understanding, of Paul regarding “mother” in:

Galatians 4:26 “But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.”

Our “mother” is identified as “Jerusalem that is above”. She is the spiritual nurturing city/place for all, an allegorical place where we are now. We were “born after the flesh”, of the bondwoman/slave (flesh-composed); but our future is to be “born (again)by promise” as “children of the free“(Galatians 4:22-31), spirit-composed. This is figurative and being in the “womb of the church“, we are now considered “children of promise“. Those still “in fetal development” are considered “children” before “born/delivery”.

Proverbs 31:26-27 “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”

Proverbs 31:25 “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come”

Ezekiel 16:44 “Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’‘

1 Thessalonians 2:7.”But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children”

Being in the “womb of the church“, we are being nurtured for a “wedding“. Like any wedding ceremony, the “virgin bride” (spiritual members of the church), .”has made herself ready, as in:

Revelations 19:7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.”

And this preparation now is for us to be in “oneness with God” through the guidance and presence of the Holy Spirit in us, “writing the laws not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of heart and mind”.

Members of the spiritual church are being “formed“(Galatians 4:19), for the prophesied wedding ceremony at the “last trump” when our “flesh-composed body” will change into spirit-composed firstfruits and will meet Christ in the air to come down on earth with him towards Jerusalem. Together, they will have more children to be “formed” in the Millenium and post-Millenium as “latter fruits”.

Summary

No one has influenced the family more than our mother. It is therefore fitting to commemorate a special day for her, a gesture of respect and acknowledgment of her role in humanity.

Figuratively, the mother is a “spiritual church“ that nurtures and develops children from cradle to grave. And this is in the context of the power of the Holy Spirit in us and given by the Father to Christ as a gift for our “oneness“. This Holy Spirit is a “Helper” to the weaknesses of our “flesh-composed body” as emphasized three times in the narrative of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane. The “bride” has to be prepared with the help of the Holy Spirit. After having “formed” us from a “marred clay” to one befitting a “virgin bride”, the spiritual wedding ceremony will manifest at resurrection as “firstfruits” in a “twinkling of an eye” at Jesus‘ second coming. The “spirit-composed” mature children, his body/church, will meet Christ in the air and descend on earth to rule a Millenium and forever in the “new heaven and earth”. After firstfruits had manifested, more children will be prepared/formed from “marred clay“ at their own time for the marriage between the “bride and the Lamb” as “latter fruits“. Then will be fulfilled the promise to the seed in:

Genesis 22:17: “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. …,“(NIV).

All those in the family of spirit–composed God-kingdom that came out from an “image” are no longer temporary like a temple, but eternal/immortal beings. This is human destiny as members of the God-Kingdom ; not plant nor animal kingdom.

God Bless 🙏😇

Original post: May 12, 2019.

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Dedicated to Motherhood.