by Robyn Mattson
As a new mom I see more and more clearly how much everyone needs a mother. As adults we may overlook the importance of our mothers because we seem to think we don't really need them anymore. But stop for a moment and reflect on how necessary they really are. To begin with, mothers obviously give us life. They give us our first place of safety, the womb, and then one day they endure incredible pain to bring us to the outside world. From there we depend on our mothers for every need. Our food comes right from their body. Every single day a mother literally gives a part of herself so her baby can live. Much of a moms energy and nutrients are given to the baby through her milk. A mother sacrifices her own body to nourish the body of her little one.
I am convinced that mom's also have a superpower made just for their babies. Any time my daughter is upset we know one thing will comfort her: my arms. I am constantly amazed at how I can calm her. It really is like a superpower. If she is tired she will fall asleep in the comfort of my arms. If she is hurt she will feel better once she is snuggled up to me. When she is bored my dances make her smile and laugh (finally someone thinks I'm funny!). It seems that no matter what is ailing her, it can be fixed by mommy. Sometime she fusses just because she wants mommy (those times secretly are my favorite).
As children grow and gain independence they slowly depend less on mommy. As toddlers they will venture off on their own at a park. As teenagers they will begin to question and form their own opinions. As adults they will insist that they can figure it all out on their own. Time and time again, though, they will rush back to mommy when in need. The toddler who falls down runs to his mother for a kiss on the boo boo. The teenager might be embarrassed to admit it, but they secretly want mom there for every big moment. The adult will eventually realize that they still need mom's guidance. You see, we all need our mom.
I find as a new mom that I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a great mother. I want to give my daughter everything she needs and always do what is best for her. I don't mean materially, I mean physically and spiritually. The reality is, though, that moms aren't perfect. I am going to make mistakes and look back wishing I did things differently. Even though I try to be the best mommy I can be I accept that I am capable of falling and not being perfect. All moms will at some point make a mistake...all but one that is. There is one woman who is the perfect mother. She is the definition of motherhood and as mothers we should look to her for guidance. But this reflection isn't really about mothers, it's about us kids. We need our mommy and we need this perfect mother the most. This mother I am referring to is the blessed mother, the mother of our Lord.
Just like our earthly mother gives us life, so to does our Blessed Mother. When Mary said yes to bringing Jesus to the world to save us, she opened the door to new life. Her fiat was the way that led to our savior's sacrifice that gives us true life. Just as earthly mothers nourish us from their bodies so too does Mary. Jesus came from the body of Mary and in the Eucharist which is Jesus truly present (body, blood, soul, and divinity), we are fed and nourished. What an intense sacrifice of self was involved for Mary as she watched her son suffer and died so that we may live. Mary was willing to
sacrifice and suffer for us because we too are her children.
As we grow older we may think that we don't need Mary and we may even wander off like the toddler at the park but when we are in need she is a sure source of comfort. When we have fallen in our faith life and need help getting back up she will lift us up and wrap her mantle around us showing us that a mothers love never ends. She will lead up to the source of true happiness which is her son. When we experience intense pain weather physical or spiritual, it is often the embrace of our mother that consoles us. During my pregnancy I experienced a lot of sickness and a good friend once told me to let mother Mary care for me the way she cared for Saint Elizabeth. What beautiful and true advice that was. In my sickest moments, reaching out to the Blessed Mother brought me the greatest
strength. I knew that she was caring for me from heaven and with her arms around me I knew I could endure.
As we prepare to celebrate the coming of our Lord, let us not forget that even Jesus Christ himself needed a mother. God chose to come as a little baby who was dependent on his mother. Mary's womb was the first tabernacle and her breast was His first source of food for His precious body. It was Mary who taught Him how to walk and it was she who was their when He fell and needed a kiss on His boo boo. It was also the Blessed Mother who met Him on that painful road to Calvary. When He fell under the weight of the cross it was an encounter with His mother that encouraged Him as He pushed forward. And at the end of His life while He hung on a cross, Jesus led us to see the great power of His mother by giving her to us as our mother. Let us use this time of Advent to draw closer to the woman who brought life to our Savior and who constantly seeks to help guide us to everlasting life in Him. Never forget how much you need your mother because she will certainly never forget you! The love I feel for my daughter is so intense that I can only imagine the love that the Blessed Mother must have for each of us her children.
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