Mother's Day

By David R. Ferguson       Happy Mother’s Day is a day we set aside for celebrating motherhood and thanking mothers. Mothers often receive gifts on this occasion, and it’s one of the busiest days for the Post Office each year. In fact, in 1973 the United States Post Office was so deluged that they were held up for eight days due to the exorbitant amount of mail being sent out to mothers all around the country.     Various countries around the globe celebrate Mother’s Day at different times of the year because it has a number of different origins. Some believe it originated in Greece with the mother worship of Cybele and Rhea. Cybele was a mother to the great gods, and Rhea was the wife of Cronus, a leader of the Titans, the forebears to the Greek gods of Olympus. A festival to Cybele was held between March 15 and March 18, so the people of Asia Minor believe that the custom of Mother’s Day began with them.     Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent in the United Kingdom, which comes in late March or early April. Although it has been celebrated for centuries, the origin of this ritual is unknown. Tradition has it that their masters released young apprentices that weekend so they could go and visit their families. There’s some speculation that it’s possible Mothering Sunday derived its roots from a Druid pagan practice occurring during the spring vernal equinox honoring the goddess of fertility.     In most countries around the world, Mother’s Day celebrating is a relatively new concept copied directly from western civilization. African countries tend to follow the pattern established by the United Kingdom, while East Asian nations model, promote and commercialize their holiday straight from the United States of America.     The Bible is replete with many stories showing the love and devotion of mothers. Nothing on this Earth is as wonderful to see and to know as a Christian mother, and we are greatly blessed here at Mentor with many wonderful ladies! The wise writer said, "A gracious woman obtaineth honor," and "A worthy woman is the crown of her husband...." (Proverbs 11:16a; Proverbs 12:4a) How true are these words!     May we always be mindful and treat with the utmost of respect our mothers, our wives, and our friends and sisters in Christ every day of the year.     So happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers who are reading this today! May you never forget that raising your child “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4b [MEV]) is the greatest gift you can ever give them! May God bless you today and everyday!

- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Mentor Church of Christ in Mentor, OH.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://mentorchurchofchrist.com/ or davidferguson61@yahoo.com