Mothers Chose to Store Up for Themselves Treasures in Heaven
Saint Mothers Followed the Path of Truth, Who Are They?
Exclusive: Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
She carries in her name the entire mystery of the plan of Salvation. She is the Mother of God, the Mother of Jesus and the entire universe. She is the one who carried in her life patience, sacrifice, tenderness, and security. The Virgin Mary endured hardships and difficulties, and through her path crowned with holiness, became a source of grace and hope. She is the Queen of Peace, distinguished by her obedience and submission to the will of the Lord with humility and faith. She is the ideal mother, a symbol of devotion and support.
The Virgin Mary remains the most sacred example for many mothers who today work diligently and silently with love to provide support for their families and embody their faith in word and deed by raising their children and protecting them from the dangers and pitfalls of life.
In its divine pages, the Holy Bible calls on all mothers to adhere to the Church's Teachings and to deeply embed them in their lives, presenting the qualities of the ideal Christian mother. It describes her as a source of comfort: "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem" (Isaiah 66:13), and a source of tenderness and sacrifice: "Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children" (1 Thessalonians 2:7). As well as, a mother that leads her children to divine grace: “But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety” (1 Timothy 2:15).
Following in the footsteps of the Virgin Mary, many mothers have chosen to “store up for themselves treasures in heaven” and have become Saints in the Lord’s heaven, crowning their lives with a journey filled with blessing, grace, and purity. On Mother’s Day, we remember some of these Saints who dedicated their lives to service, obedience, and Prayer.
Saint Anne, the wife of Joachim, the grandmother of Christ and mother of the Virgin Mary, grew old and barren. She was deeply saddened, especially since barrenness was considered a shame at that time. However, she held on to hope and continued her continuous Prayers until God answered her and chose her to be the mother of the Mother of God. Saint Anne received this grace as a crowning glory of her life, which was marked by virtue and piety. When the Virgin Mary reached the age of three, Anne and Joachim presented her to the Temple of the Lord. Afterwards, Anne spent her life in fasting, Prayer, and acts of charity and giving.
Saint Sophia lived in Italy with her three daughters: Faith, Hope, and Love. Their lives were marked with piety and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. After moving to Rome, Sophia preached the Gospel of Christ among the pagans. Adrian arrested her and her three daughters and tortured the girls before their mother's eyes until their heads were cut off. However, the mother, who was patient and steadfast, encouraged her daughters to persevere. Adrian left her in grief and suffering, and released her. She remained praying at her daughters' tombs for three nights and three days until she is dead.
Saint Elizabeth, daughter of the King of Hungary, was married at the age of fourteen to Louis IV, King of Thuringia, Germany, with whom she bore three children. Her life was filled with Prayer and contemplation. She built a hospital at her own expense and took care of her own patients as well as all those in need. After the death of her husband while she was pregnant with her last child at the age of twenty, she decided to live a life of austerity and Evangelical poverty, entering the Third Order Secular of St. Francis. She died in the prime of her life after a journey of service, giving, and humanitarianism.
Saint Dolagy is considered one of the most famous Saints of Upper Egypt, proving to the world that the love of Christ cannot be shared by any material or mortal possessions. She became the Patron Saint of this city and the entire world. She was a widow with four children: Soris, Horman, Abanoufa and Shentas, who worked in agriculture. She was known for her wealth and generosity in distributing her wealth to the poor, following the commandments of the Bible. She is also known as the "First Martyr of Esna" in Upper Egypt, as she is the strong Coptic mother who asked the governor to postpone her beheading until she was certain that her children had attained the crown of martyrdom and that none of them had weakened.
Saint Zélie Martin, mother of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, married Louis Martin, and God blessed them with nine children, four of whom died at an early age. The remaining five daughters—Marie, Pauline, Thérèse, and Céline—were dedicated to the Lord in the convent of the Discalced Carmelites of Lisieux, and Léonie to the Monastery of the Recluse Sisters of the Visitation in Cannes. The dedication of the five daughters was the result of the profound spiritual life that characterized Saint Zélie Martin's family.
The lives of the Holy Mothers who adorn the Garden of the Lord are a call to all mothers to continue their Prayers and to be beacons of faith and hope despite all life's challenges. On Mother's Day, we ask you, O Lord, to bless them and grant them health, peace, and steadfastness so that they may raise their children according to the Teachings of the Church, an education worthy of the children of the Kingdom. O Lord, have mercy on all mothers who have fallen asleep in the hope of Resurrection and eternal life.