[This year's Mothers' Day coincided with Ascension Sunday, the day that we celebrate the ascension of Jesus Christ to his heavenly throne. God's love is like a motherly love of protection, nurture, and guidance. This is the most powerful love there is!]
Lord Jesus, on this Ascension Sunday and this
presidential election season, thank you for reminding us that you are the true
ruler over all creation. The election that matters the most was when you died
on the cross, rose to new life, and ascended into heaven. And we look forward
to that time when you will come again to establish your kingdom here on earth
as it is in heaven.
On this day of celebrating your loving rule
over all creation, we also lift up to you those who have given us life, those
who have loved us, those who have blessed us, and those who have taught us, our
mothers.
We praise you, O God, for your gift of
motherly love, both gentle and fierce, both strong and humble, both kind and
true. Where we have been so blessed, we give our grateful praise, for you have
provided loving hands that have worked so hard in raising us, cared enough to
correct us, blessed us in ways we cannot have fully known as children.
We call forth your compassion upon every
mother who has unknowingly caused pain and suffering. And, so we lift to you
our mothers, so imperfect, also so wounded by this world.
We bless our mothers this day, no matter what
they have done or left undone. We do this because we believe in your healing,
and we believe in your love and we believe that you love each mother; and we
stand together with all mothers in solidarity, for we all are in need of your
grace. Where we have failed because we did not know better, help us to forgive
ourselves. Where we have seen your face in any woman who has been to us a
mother, in her face we have seen your light and your love and we give thanks --
for where they have loved, they have kept your word and blessed us.
We lift to you the heart of every mother who
has watched her child die of hunger, every mother who had been a victim of
abuse, every woman who stands in protest against a world that massacres her
children and renames them "collateral damage."
We lift to you the prayer of every mother who
has ever loved and lost.
O God, thank you for your mother's heart; and
although we cannot fully express our gratitude, help each one of us to be your
blessing of love, a blessing straight from your heart. Thank you for being a
loving mother toward us, like a mother hen who cares for her young. And on this
holy day when we celebrate the ascension of Jesus Christ to his heavenly
throne, we long for that time when Christ will return and your motherly love
and justice will completely fill this earth.
Just as a loving mother teaches her child to
pray, teach us as your children to pray together, “Our Father, who art in
heaven…”
[Most of this prayer is from “Mother’s Day Prayer”, Copyright
2008, by Rev. Jane Sommers.]
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