Homily 6th Sunday of Easter Year B (Mother’s Day USA): Fr. Michael Udoekpo

Homily 6^th Sunday of Easter Year B (Mother’s Day USA): Fr. Michael Udoekpo

Readings: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; 1 John 4:7-14 and John 15:9-19

God loves as a Loving Mother

Today we celebrate Mother’s Day in the United States. It gives each and every one of us including those in the media an opportunity to think of where we came from, the roles of our mothers in our lives, in our society, those virtues of a good and impartial mother, the role of women- embodied in God who loves us equally. Artists have portrayed this impartial love of a good mom in music and other forms of art as well!

I remember many years ago the story of a Maltese loving mother who gave birth to conjoin-Siamese baby boys. Any surgery to separate them would result from one baby boy giving up his life for the other. It was a very difficult choice for both parents, especially the mom, who really spoke up, passionately. Her argument was that she loved both children equally, without partiality.  I am sure  many of us have also  seen or  heard about children, sons and daughters, husbands in prison who are loved by their moms and wives in spite of  who they are.

These loving mothers and wives or friends, remind us of a loving and impartial God whom Peter bore witnessed to in the 1^st reading- the inauguration of the Gentile Mission. Directed in a vision to the household of Cornelius who received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and baptism, there Peter stood up and spoke about the universality of God’s love,

“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”

God loves everyone without restriction, men and women, children and adults of all cultures.

He reveals himself to every nation, Jews and Gentiles in all aspects, in the wonders of our being, in the oxygen we breath ( ps 98), which sometimes we take for granted. He loves us as the Father had first loved him.  And the more reason he insists in today's  Gospel ( John 15:9-17)  that we should remain with him, in his love or “attach” ourselves to him and practice the love he has taught us by loving one another- parents, mom, dad, children and our neighbors.

 We live in a challenging time that some children, husbands tend to ignore if not abandon their parents, wives or aged moms in nursing homes, without visitation. Sometimes we forget their roles in our lives, in our families.  I saw on the TV yesterday an “attaching image” of 2-3 year old boy to a loving mom. The boy was stood up on a stool while being breast fed by the mom. And the argument on media was whether breast feeding was good or not, and to what year. Most impressively said breast feeding is still the best at least in the first year of the baby !   I personally was very close to my loving mom (RIP). I wonder where I would have been today without mom not just breast-feeding  me,  but her overall care, physical/spiritual love and upbringing.

Today is the day we want to say thank to all our mothers, in our communities, and homes. Call them. Send them cards. Take them out for dinner. Present them with flowers and learn to imitate their God’s given virtues of care, affection, diligence, and selfless love for all their children without partiality.

“Because love is of God, everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-10).

God Loves as a Loving Mother, without partiality!