Motherhood
see also
Spiritual Motherhood, women
Motherhood (See series of 5 art. inspired on Mullieris Dignitatis) Motherhood: Women's gift to society
Mother of 5 canonized saints
Martyrdom of Mothers
We all owe our lives and many other things to our mothers, yet they are not always heard or helped in daily life. At the contrary, often their are exploited because of their availability. Not even the Christian community values them as they should, despite the eminent example of the Mother of Jesus. ...Mothers, in their unconditional and sacrificial love for their children, are the antidote to individualism... Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero said mothers live a 'maternal martyrdom'. In his homily at the funeral of a priest killed by death squads, he said, echoing Vatican Council II, 'We must all be willing to die for our faith, even if the Lord does not grant us this honor... Giving ones life does not only mean being killed; giving ones life, having the spirit of martyrdom, is self giving in duty, in silence, in prayer, in the honest fulfillment of one's duty; in that silence of everyday life, giving life a little at a time. Yes, as it is given by a mother, who without fear, with the simplicity of maternal martyrdom, conceives a child in her womb, gives him life, nurses him, nurtures him and cares for him with affection. It is giving life. It is martyrdom'. Yes, being a mother does not mean merely bringing a child into the world, but it is also a choice of life, the decision to give life. This is great, this is beautiful.
A society without mothers would be an inhuman society, as mothers always know how to show tenderness, devotion and moral strength, even in the moments of greatest difficulty. Mothers often also transmit the deepest sense of religious practice. -General A Audience, Jan 7, 2015. Full Text / youtube
