Sunday, May 1, 2005

WHAT MAKES A MOTHER...AND A FATHER

While John Pual II was making his way through his last illness, there were a great many posts about his beliefs (or perceived beliefs). John Paul did have a special devotion to Mary. There were a great many posts arguing back and forth whether Mary was actually Jesus's mother-in the physical sense.

The sense of a lot of the posts made Mary at best a surrogate mother and at worst, an incubator. This has been percolating since then, so here goes.

A lot of you journalers are parents. I don't have kids, but I have five nephews, I've changed a lot of diapers over the years. Actually getting the child into the world is just the beginning.

Most of the people who were posting probably didn't really think through what they were saying. Think of all the foster parents, friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, step-parents who become mothers and fathers to children they have little or no physical link to.

If Jesus was fully human getting born was just the beginning of all the fun. God/dess as a totally helpless baby. It has to be fed, changed, bathed, walked when it has the colic or teething, gets sick and has to have its nose wiped. When a baby discovers what those little hands and feet are for, it has to be watched over to make sure those little hands and feet don't carry it into danger. Someone's hands have to be there for those little hands to hang onto when the baby learns to walk. Someones voice helps the baby to learn to talk. The parents have to be there to teach the baby to love and be loved.

God/dess couldn't be there to do these things for that baby. So he sent Mary and Joseph. They were His mother and father in every way that counts.

Imagine things from the Creators' point of view. Think about God/dess watching someone else cuddle that baby. Watch someone else hold out their hands for those first faltering steps. Watch someone else encourage those first lisping sounds. Someone else offer comfort in the dark hours of the night when the child was sick. Watch someone else offer comfort when knees get skinned. Listen while that child calls someone else mother or father.

It's hard to imagine God/dess as sacrificing something, but I can't imagine a greater sacrifice than allowing someone else to raise your child.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful point...I once pointed out to my child who came to me through adoption that both Jesus and Superman had been adopted.  :-)

Anonymous said...

I've never stopped being grateful to my birth mother.  She gave me life and in giving me up, gave me my family.  Beautiful entry.

Anonymous said...

That's why I have a tremendous amount of respect for someone who gives their child up for adoption. Because to me they are putting their own feelings aside and thinking of their child more. Enough people don't do that. :-) ---Robbie

Anonymous said...

Please don't tell me that people were posting negative things about Mary and Joseph...  Knowing the language and...lack of intelligence often associated with message boards, I can't believe they endeavored to even debate this point.  And I wouldn't have wanted to read the garbage that was written!  Lisa  :-]  

Anonymous said...

Bravo!  That's the way I feel about it also!  I mothered my adopted children in every sense of the word.  Their "birthmother" brought them into the world...I did the mothering!  Lisa