A Celebration of Mothers
Only recently called “Mother’s Day,” the traditional practice of honoring motherhood has strong symbolic and spiritual overtones but ancient societies celebrated goddesses and symbols instead of actual Mothers. In fact, the modern Mother’s Day is a relatively new celebration.
Most of these celebrations were in the springtime to celebrate the rebirth of the land and the beginning of the most fertile time of the year. These celebrations honored the goddess in all women. One of these early societies was the Egyptians, who honored the goddess, Isis. Isis was considered the mother of pharaohs. Isis was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic. The ancient Romans held their celebration in honor of the Phrygian goddess, Cybele. Cybele was identifiable with the Earth, a goddess of caverns and mountains, nature and wild animals. Cybele was called the great goddess. This celebration lasted for three days and started on the Ides of March. The ancient Greeks honored Rhea, the Greek mother of the gods. She was the goddess of female fertility and motherhood. The festival was held around March or April and was similar to those of the Roman, Cybele. The ancient Romans, also, celebrated the festival, Matronalia. This festival honored the goddess Juno. Juno was the goddess of childbirth, motherhood and women.
In the 1600’s, as Christianity spread, the celebration changed to honor the “mother church.” Over time the church festival evolved in to the Mothering Sunday celebration. The church declared the holiday to be Mothering Day and included real mothers. Families were given one day during Lent to have a large feast to celebrate mothers as well as the Virgin Mary. It is believed that the “mother church” or the Virgin Mary was substituted for mother goddess, by the church, as a way to celebrate without the ancient festivals.
According to Sarah Jane Boss, director of the Center for Marian Studies, “Ancient people needed a feminine figure in their worship.” They were used to having goddesses. The Christian bible has many famous mothers, some righteous, some not so much but each mother was part of God’s design. Mothers are the bibles most honored women. The most revered mother is Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus. A prayer found in Egypt and dated somewhere between the 3rd and 5th century addresses Mary as the mother of God. (Boss) Mary was chosen by God to bring his only living son in to the world. “Behold from henceforth, I shall be called blessed by all generations,” Mary proclaimed. (Luke 1:48)
The first time mother is mentioned within the Christian bible is Genesis 3:20, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living things.” Eve is an important part of the bible. She makes one of the most regretted decisions in history. After being banished from her home, her beloved son, Cain, kills his brother, Abel. Later in Eve’s story she gives birth to Seth. Jesus’ ancestral line can be traced back to Seth. Remember for her wise actions and how well she served as a mother, Jochebed was the mother of Aaron, Moses and Miriam. She saved the life of Moses by weaving a basket of rushes and placing the infant into the basket where he was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter. Sarah was called the mother of nations. At the age of 90, she gave birth to son, Isaac. Isaac was the first miracle conception in the bible.
These mothers and so many more biblical mothers portray the traits that define a good mother-patience, kindheartedness and faithfulness. In the bible, we are told to “Honor your father and your mother.” (Exodus 20:12) and what better way to honor mothers than on Mother’s Day.
In America, Mother’s Day is a celebration of families. In 1870, Julia Ward Howe started an international Mother’s Day, but the idea died out. Revived by Anna Reeves Jarvis, the holiday was meant to re-unite families and neighbors that had been divided between the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War. She called the holiday Mother’s Friendship Day. In 1914, her daughter, Anna M. Jarvis had the holiday made official and it became Mother’s Day.
Today, as we give thanks for the mothers in our lives, we need to remember that God has a plan for each and everyone of us. Mothers are an important part of our lives. Proverbs 31:28 says “Her children rise up and bless her” Mothers are too often taken for granted. Mothers do so many things for their children, rides to little league, and ballet or school functions. Or she provides good meals to never ending empty stomachs or a shoulder to cry on. But too often, moms receive cutting remarks or angry looks and attitudes. Mothers most often bare the pain of these remarks just as they bore the pain of childbirth. “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.” (John 16:21)
In the end, weather you celebrate your mother, the amazing women who came before you or your goddess, “May she who gave you birth be happy.” (Proverbs 23:25)
Works cited and researched
Boss, Sarah Jane, Empress and Handmaiden, Continuum International Publishing group, 2000
Hazleton, Lesley, Mary: A Flesh and Blood Biography of the Virgin Mother, Bloomsbury USA, 2005
NIV Study Bible, Zondervan, 2007