A bit about Mom

       I sat down to rewatch an old favorite of mine, the movie Birdcage with Nathan Lane and Robyn Williams among others. It was  star studded  movie. After much back and forth throughout the affair, the son, Val, finally confesses that it is not Christine Baranski ( Val's natural mother ) whom he calls Mom, but in reality the person he calls "mom" is a man, Albert ( Nathan Lane ). It is a very timely and comical movie.  The answer to the question about who Mom is just makes a cameo for our purposes.

         At this stage of my life all of my moms have passed and sadly, that means many wonderful people have already gone to their heavenly inheritance. On this Mothers Day I cannot help be reminded of my birth Mom whom I miss and recognize for all the gifts, graces and love she bestowed on me and my three brothers. Hard working, hard loving, fiercely independent and a real sense of adventure. Besides the nurturing, caring and cajoling of being a Mom she gave a richness to our lives that can't be beat. Love her still.

         But like Val, there are others we call Mom as in Mother-in-law or perhaps someone who filled a role of Mom in our lives when we were in need or helped us mature and grow.  My life has been graced with so many. The next logical cast members in my life would be the Mothers-in-law that I have had. Two particularly different but grand women whom I thank God for.  A picture of Marilyn is on my desk greeting me as I write and work. She is holding my other 'son' , George. "Hi Mom, Hi George".  Great mothers. 

       Then there are others who have been mothers to me throughout my life and filled roles that only perhaps God knew I needed. I am none the less thankful and recognize them for their love, support, guidance and presence - even the willingness to take on the role. Can I mention my daughters namesake who was my 'mom' in college?  Or how about those nun mentors and guides that befriended me and showed me more of myself and the spiritual aspects of my life. How bout the motherly 'man' that helped me realize what it means to be a real gay man?

         We all have a 'real Mom' but if we take stock of our lives we see that the role of Mom is filled by myriad people at different moments and different places in our life. We should recognize, celebrate and elevate them all. We should be ever thankful for the role of Mom. That role may not be as simple as June Cleaver and may even be a man but the role is a valued and real one. We are so graced in the variety and roles each of us play and today we give special thanks to Moms.

          For our natural mothers and all the Mom's in our lives, we give thanks and pray.

      

Matthew 7:15-29

 ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.

 ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

 ‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’

 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.