What is marriage? What is a fetus? What does it mean to be a woman? These questions swirl around us in today’s so-called “culture wars.” There is another question to which we should give our attention, namely: What does it mean to be a mother?

God could have come to us as a great warrior king, or a renowned philosopher king, or as a social revolutionary, coming down to us from heaven above in awesome splendor. Instead, he came to us as a baby born of a loving mother. In doing so, Jesus gave being a mother an unsurpassed dignity that we should never overlook.

Down through the centuries, artists have showered their beautiful gifts on their depictions of Mary, the Mother of God. In doing so, they have exalted all that it means to be a mother – the wellspring of all human life.

This being the Year of Mercy, we cannot fail to note that mercy is surely one of the most important attributes of mothers. Let’s take the time today to thank our mothers for all they do. Let’s also thank God for the mothers he has given to us.

Certainly, mothers exemplify God’s mercy as no others do. Our mother Mary’s heart is the refuge of sinners. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death” is a prayer with which we are all familiar. She is the great intercessor for sinners everywhere. May we never tire of seeking out Mary when we are heavily burdened by the weight of our sins.