Mother’s Day can bring up many difficult emotions for women who long to have children, who have lost their children to miscarriage or premature death, who have adopted children, who have placed a child for adoption, young mothers struggling to do what is best for their children, and even mothers who have broken relationships with their children. In your Mother’s Day observance at your parish, we invite you to be sensitive to all women who have nurtured and cared in so many ways. When blessing, please consider offering when the entire congregation is standing – so as not to call attention to any individuals who are or aren’t standing.
Below are some resources for Mother’s Day observances.
Mother’s Day
Suggested Prayers of the Faithful (USCCB)
Choose as many as are appropriate:
For all women:
That they are supported and encouraged in their special vocation of love for others;
We pray to the Lord.
For the gift of motherhood:
that all might treasure and support God’s plan for life and love;
We pray to the Lord.
For all mothers:
that their children will honor their many sacrifices by lives of service and virtue;
We pray to the Lord.
For all mothers who await the birth of a child, especially those present here today:
that the Lord protect all unborn sons and daughters and bring them to a safe delivery;
We pray to the Lord.
For all married couples who are struggling with infertility:
that the Lord grant them peace as they hope for the gift of a child;
We pray to the Lord.
For mothers who grieve and mourn, especially those who have lost a child:
that they find consolation in God’s promise of life;
We pray to the Lord.
A Prayer for Mothers
(from LordCalls.com)
All-loving God, we give you thanks and praise for mothers young and old.
We pray for young mothers, who give life and count toes and tend to our every need; May they be blessed with patience and tenderness to care for their families and themselves with great joy.
We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us; May they continue to guide us in strong and gentle ways.
We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war, death, or conflict; May they feel the loving embrace of our God who wipes every tear away.
We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and shape us with motherly care and compassion.
We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love. Amen.
Other resources regarding Mother’s Day
Longing for Motherhood – Blessed is She
Mother’s Day is Hard, and Father Should Know – Springs in the Desert