Mothering Sunday

 Mother’s Day and Mothering Sunday.

"In Europe, the fourth Sunday in Lent is known as Mothering Sunday. It’s origins are somewhat vague, but it is thought to have started in the 16^th century, and involved people returning to their ‘mother’ church or cathedral. Servants were given the day off, in order to be able to travel ‘home’ to their spiritual roots and the church of their youth. This was an important day in their calendar, as time off work from the drudgery of their day-to-day lives for those in service was precious, and a rare thing. Originally, it had little or nothing to do with human mothers, other than the fact that mothers often accompanied their children and might be given bunches of flowers, picked from the hedgerows on the way to church, and most certainly was not a commercial thing in any way.

As the western world has become more and more secular, the origins of this particular Christian festival has become lost in the mists of time, and inevitably, the day has become known to most people as ‘Mothers’ Day’, and commercial interests have exploited it as a way of selling such merchandise as cards, expensive bouquets and boxes of luxurious chocolates, and we are all expected to participate in the spending orgy, in order to prove our gratitude to our parent. Now of course, we have Father’s Day too, and who knows how long it will be before Grandmas and  Grandpas and Aunts and Uncles and Nephews and Nieces and Everyone else we might come into contact with in our day-to-day lives have their special day too, and we are morally compelled to purchase tokens of our esteem for them all?

Personally, I stubbornly refuse to refer to this day as anything other than ‘Mothering Sunday’, and have been known to correct folk who have misnamed it! I point out to them that ‘Mother’s Day’ is actually an American invention, which is celebrated on the Sunday closest to my birthday (May 8^th).Anna Jarvis is thought to have been the originator, in 1908, and she campaigned to make it a national institution to celebrate motherhood in all its forms. As in so many other instances, we on this side of the pond seem destined to follow where our American cousins lead, so that our own, quite distinctive church festival has mutated and morphed into something else, and I am sure that most people, especially those of no religious convictions, have no idea whatsoever of the true meaning of ‘Mothering Sunday’. Perhaps it behoves those of us who DO know, to tell them!"

Penny from across the pond

 

 

I am new to blogging.  The past few weeks have been a challenge several very close older friends have died and a younger man has died leaving a very devastated family since he was not ill.
Knowing that those who died have gone on to a better place, it is still difficult seeing the turmoil that some of these families are left to deal with.  Currently my next door neighbor is being moved from the hospital to hospice tomorrow.  When she dies, her family that lives with her may need to find another place to live.  I have been praying for all of them.

Easter is only a few weeks away.  A time to celebrate new life and remember that all those who have died have the promise of new life. 

As a Catholic, I am happy that a new Pope has been chosen, a humble man of the people and I pray that God will bless him and fill him with the Holy Spirit each day so that he might bring peace to all people.

I live in Baltimore, MD.  I am ready for Spring.  My crocus are blooming and my daffodils are out of the ground about 6 inches.  

My husband is of Irish decent which means we are celebrating St. Patrick's Day with corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and Irish soda bread.

Linda