Mothers Day was celebrated at St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Church along with the Sunday Liturgy. The celebrant blessed the mothers and rose flowers were distributed to all mothers. Mothers Day cake was cut by the senior most mothers. “Matha Pitha Guru Deivam” - the order in which one should offer reverence - first comes the mother (Matha or Mata) who gives birth to the child, thereby bringing us as a child into this world. Next comes the father (Pitha or Pita), because it is the mother who knows the truth about the father and she points us to the father. The mother and father take us to the teacher (Guru), and this Trinity leads us to God - was the theme of the day.
The one who does not honor his mother, father or teacher has no honor for the Divine. His offerings and prayers will be in vain. His life will not be prosperous and his last days will be very pathetic.
According to Hindu mythology, once upon a time, Shiva and Parvati received the gift of a ripe mango. Their children Ganesha and Karthikeya, both wanted the full fruit. The parents were in a dilemma and decided to give them a test: the winner would get the fruit. They announced, “Whoever goes round the world and reaches back first will be the winner.” Karthikeya immediately set off on his vehicle the peacock. Ganesha with his vehicle Mooshika (mouse) prostrated himself in front of his parents, went around them once and claimed the prize. To the question of how, Ganesha said, “Our parents are the whole world to us. So by going around them once, I have gone around the world.” Our parents are the living Gods visible to naked eyes, with whom you can interact. Visible entities are required for children to imitate, learn, worship and love.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches about the THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT thus:
- Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
He was obedient to them: the Lord Jesus himself recalled the force of this "commandment of God."
The Apostle teaches: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother,' (This is the first commandment with a promise.) 'that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth."'
2197 The fourth commandment opens the second table of the Decalogue. It shows us the order of charity. God has willed that, after him, we should honor our parents to whom we owe life and who have handed on to us the knowledge of God. We are obliged to honor and respect all those whom God, for our good, has vested with his authority.
2198 This commandment is expressed in positive terms of duties to be fulfilled. It introduces the subsequent commandments which are concerned with particular respect for life, marriage, earthly goods, and speech. It constitutes one of the foundations of the social doctrine of the Church.
2199 The fourth commandment is addressed expressly to children in their relationship to their father and mother, because this relationship is the most universal. It likewise concerns the ties of kinship between members of the extended family. It requires honor, affection, and gratitude toward elders and ancestors. Finally, it extends to the duties of pupils to teachers, employees to employers, subordinates to leaders, citizens to their country, and to those who administer or govern it.
This commandment includes and presupposes the duties of parents, instructors, teachers, leaders, magistrates, those who govern, all who exercise authority over others or over a community of persons.
2200 Observing the fourth commandment brings its reward: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you." Respecting this commandment provides, along with spiritual fruits, temporal fruits of peace and prosperity. Conversely, failure to observe it brings great harm to communities and to individuals.
Mother looked surprised and said, "Why do you think about it. It was my duty so I did it, you don't have to repay me. Even if you want to, there is no way a man can ever repay his mother."
Despite her continuous refusal to ask for anything, he continued to persist. To put an end to the discussion, she said, "All right. If you must, then tonight you sleep on my bed, with me, just as you used to when you were a baby." He said, "That's a strange thing to ask for, but if it pleases you, I will."
As soon as he fell asleep, the mother got up and brought a bucket of water. She poured a mug full of water on his side. Feeling disturbed by the wetness under him, in his sleep he moved away to the other side of the bed. As he settled down, his mother poured another mug of water on the other side. In his slumber he tried to find space towards the foot post of the bed. Sometime later he woke up feeling that this part of the bed too was damp. He got up and saw his mother, with the mug in her hand. He asked angrily, "What are you doing mother? Why don't you let me sleep? How do you expect me to sleep on a wet bed?"
Mother said, "I slept with you, when you wetted the bed in the night. I changed your nappy (diaper made of cotton cloth, used in India) and moved you to the dry part of the bed, while I slept on the wet side. You wanted to repay me. Can you sleep here even for one night with me on a damp bed? If you can, I'll take it that you have repaid me."
How true it is that of all the debts in the world, the one that can never be repaid is the one you owe to your mother. You can never repay the love, care and time your mother gave to bring you up. You are a part of her flesh and blood; don't forget this, because she never ever forgets you.
A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.
As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, "I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars." The man smiled and said,"Come on in with me. I will buy you a rose." He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother's flowers.
As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, "Yes, please! You can take me to my mother." She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.
The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother's house.
Don't send artificial love to your parents. Give them the respect and courtesy they desire. They are your most precious treasure. Care for them.
Mother, what can I give you?
After having reached at the peak of his career a man felt an urge to repay back to his mother for all that she had done for him. So he asked her, "Mother, what can I give you? What can I do for you? I sincerely want to repay you for all the sacrifices you have made for me and for all the love you have showered upon me."Mother looked surprised and said, "Why do you think about it. It was my duty so I did it, you don't have to repay me. Even if you want to, there is no way a man can ever repay his mother."
Despite her continuous refusal to ask for anything, he continued to persist. To put an end to the discussion, she said, "All right. If you must, then tonight you sleep on my bed, with me, just as you used to when you were a baby." He said, "That's a strange thing to ask for, but if it pleases you, I will."
As soon as he fell asleep, the mother got up and brought a bucket of water. She poured a mug full of water on his side. Feeling disturbed by the wetness under him, in his sleep he moved away to the other side of the bed. As he settled down, his mother poured another mug of water on the other side. In his slumber he tried to find space towards the foot post of the bed. Sometime later he woke up feeling that this part of the bed too was damp. He got up and saw his mother, with the mug in her hand. He asked angrily, "What are you doing mother? Why don't you let me sleep? How do you expect me to sleep on a wet bed?"
Mother said, "I slept with you, when you wetted the bed in the night. I changed your nappy (diaper made of cotton cloth, used in India) and moved you to the dry part of the bed, while I slept on the wet side. You wanted to repay me. Can you sleep here even for one night with me on a damp bed? If you can, I'll take it that you have repaid me."
How true it is that of all the debts in the world, the one that can never be repaid is the one you owe to your mother. You can never repay the love, care and time your mother gave to bring you up. You are a part of her flesh and blood; don't forget this, because she never ever forgets you.
A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.
As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, "I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars." The man smiled and said,"Come on in with me. I will buy you a rose." He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother's flowers.
As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, "Yes, please! You can take me to my mother." She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.
The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother's house.
Don't send artificial love to your parents. Give them the respect and courtesy they desire. They are your most precious treasure. Care for them.
No comments:
Post a Comment