The College joyfully celebrated Mother’s Day last week. Three masses were held in the Chapel and mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends enjoyed breakfast, high tea and lunch on both the Primary and Secondary campuses.
The following is Dr Herrett’s Mother’s Day reflection:
In reflecting on Mothers Day, we acknowledge and celebrate mothers and mothering. I make that distinction because I know that many people – aunts, step parents, close family friends, dads – fulfill the chief mothering role in families.
We also reflect as a Catholic Dominican community to pray for mothers everywhere. We think about how the Nigerian mothers of the abducted school girls are feeling OR how the South Korean mothers who lost their sons and daughters in the recent ferry disaster are feeling. We think about how children and mothers who have been forcibly separated through government policy, war, or natural disaster are feeling. We think about how women and children affected by domestic violence are feeling.
But hopefully we do more than think. We pray, we speak out and up for mothers everywhere. We are inspired by no less than Mary. In the Magnificat (a prayer that Sr Sheila Flynn described at the Dominican Education Conference last year as a song of protest; a song so subversive that during the 1980s the government of Guatamala banned its public recitation), Mary imagines a world that reflects the face of God’s love and compassion, where all are fed and every hurt is removed, and where a strong light is thrown on the face of human degradation and suffering. This is a different image of Mary from the often romanticised view of her as forever patient and suffering. It is a cry for justice.
My participation in the Dominican Schools Pilgrimage was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Dominican story of preaching Christ’s vision for our world. The particular contribution of women – From Blessed Jane of AZA (Dominic’s mother) to the Dominican women’s community in Prouille, San Sisto, Madrid and Bologna women have formed a significant part of the movement inspired by Dominic: a movement characterized by dialogue between the sacred and the messiness of everyday life.
I think mothers can relate to this idea of the messiness – indeed mothering is an act of faith. There are no guarantees of the outcome, there can be great pain as well as joy, tears as well as laughter. There’s no room for ego, but there’s always plenty of people ready to judge and label you. I invite all mothers (the same invitation I issued to students last week) that to place justice for self at the core of their thoughts and actions. If we are ever to show love, compassion and justice to others, we need to show ourselves that same respect.
Spirit of Life, we remember today the women, named and nameless, who through the ages have used the power and the gifts which you gave them to change the world.
We refer to these mothers who went before us to help us discover in ourselves this power, and how to use it in such a way that we help to advance a kingdom of justice and peace.
We remember Sarah, who with Abraham responded to God’s call to leave the land in which she was born and to put her trust in a covenant with God.
We pray for her strength in faith.
We remember Esther and Deborah, who saved their people through acts of personal courage.
We pray for their strength to be bold, to act in the interest of the greatest good.
We remember Mary Magdalene and the other women who followed Jesus and were not believed when they proclaimed the resurrection.
We pray for their strength to believe against the temptation to doubt.
We remember Phoebe, Priscilla and the other feminine leaders of the early church.
We pray for their strength to spread the gospel and inspire communities.
We remember the abbesses of the Middle Ages who kept faith and knowledge alive.
We pray for their strength of leadership.
We remember Teresa of Avila and Catherine of Siena, who strongly opposed the corruption of the church at the time of the Renaissance.
We pray for their power with which they try to hand things on to us.
We pray for the women who are victims of violence in their own homes, that power will be given them to overcome their anxiety and look for solutions.
We pray for the women who stand face to face with a life of poverty and undernourishment,
That power be given them to hold fast and open possibilities for all women.
We pray for our daughters and granddaughters,
that power may be given them to seek their own lives.
We have stood silently in the power of many women from the past and present. Now it is time to stand by ourselves.
In each of us there is the same life, light and love, and within us lie the seeds of power and glory.
Our bodies can feel love, our hearts can heal, our spirits can go in search of faith, truth and justice.
Spirit of life, be with us in our quest.
Amen
Happy Mothers’ Day
Dr Maree Herrett
