Mater Dolorosa

Last updated on: May 10, 2020 at 5:07 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

Mater Dolorosa 2020-05-09T23:20:25-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Mater Dolorosa

This taffy tastes like coconut, Mama.

Did you put coconut in it?

– Coconut nothing.

– Did you have a big party when you got married?

– Sure. Huge.

– What was it like?

– Nothing. We just got married.

– That’s all?

– Yup, that’s it.

One time we went on a picnic.

She made meatballs for us to put on bread.

I remember the curve of the river and sitting on the sand.

It was Sunday, she wasn’t exhausted,

she patiently answered all my questions.

If heaven is simply that, it will be perfect.*

Adelia Prado captures the painful, simple wonder of being a mother. Every good mother is an image of the Mother of God, Mary, the Mother of Sorrows. Carrying and having children is labor about which I cannot say anything other than “Thank you.”

Prado can do better than I, she captures the truth that some labors are both hard and mystical. The act of mothering in this poem is not given glorious metaphysical words, but becomes metaphysical nonetheless. The enduring love of a mother makes the simplest day, spent with a child, a foretaste of paradise.

Once we were out of food, but there was enough in the couch and in the cracks of the car cushions (kids’ hands are good at searching such nooks!) to buy some bread. We had onions, and Miracle Whip. Mom fried the onions and we had delicious sandwiches on the floor, because, she explained, this was cowboy food. Given my love of cowboys, the meal was sold, tasty, and only years later did I understand Mom was making do.

We were having glorious times as far as I knew. My wife shares this trait and once, when a real estate venture had gone awry, she suggested living someplace else as a grand adventure. Times were hard, but Hope ceased to talk about hard times and began to speak about possibilities. She made dinner, talked to some college students, and changed a diaper.

The one thing that is certain is the pain that comes with motherhood now that creation is broken. Children grow up, even those who do right do not do perfectly. A mother feels pain with each misstep. Other mother’s sons and daughters also cause pain and these stabs also hurt a mother. Mary was the mother of the son of God, He never disappointed her. Still, other people killed Him and a sword pierced her heart.

That’s big talk. Mostly, motherhood, as we experience it, is taffy that tastes like coconut, stories of a marriage, hard work, days when weariness vanished for a moment. A good day with a mother is a foretaste of Paradise, because another Mother is the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church. All of us, male and female, can participate in the Church. We can be the bride of Christ that has many children. We can be part of the Mother, the Orthodox Church, that endures even when clerics fail, church members stumble, and all seems cold and dead.

Our Mother the church endures. This is easier to see if, like I have had, one has a godly mother and a good lady wife. One sees motherhood done correctly and so can get a glimpse of the motherhood that was, is, and will come.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom, Hope, and Church!

—————————————————

Prado, Adélia. The Mystical Rose: Selected Poems . Bloodaxe Books. Kindle Edition.

Culture

On Books

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

May 9, 2020

False Prophets

Next Post

May 11, 2020 Maytime in Pandemic Time (Adélia Prado)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In 2 Timothy, what did Paul leave with Carpus at Troas?

Select your answer to see how you score.

His letters His money His cloak and scrolls His tent-making tools

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »