In 2026, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 10. Across the world, families honour mothers with flowers, greetings, meals, phone calls, and social media posts. Yet Mother’s Day is much more than a celebration of gifts or ceremonies. It is a day to pause and recognize the silent strength, hidden sacrifices, and enduring love that shape human life.
My mother is living through old age and illness. Our daily prayer is that she may remain with us for a few more years. The French poet Saint-John Perse once said, “Old age is not the season of ashes but the season of embers”. In old age, the body weakens, but the spirit often grows stronger. Physical strength declines, yet spiritual strength becomes radiant. Every day, my mother quietly continues her routine of praying the Rosary, reading the Bible, watching devotional programs, and remembering her children before God. Even when we forget to pray, mothers continue to pray for us. Their prayers become invisible pillars holding families together. Perhaps that is the hidden reason behind our desire to keep them with us a little longer: their prayers continue to guide our journeys, protect our families, and sustain our lives.
The Long Journey of Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day has a long and varied history. Ancient Greeks and Romans held festivals honouring mother goddesses. In Britain, “Mothering Sunday” invited people to return to their mother church and spend time with family. The modern observance, however, is largely connected to Anna Jarvis, who campaigned in the US for a special day to honour mothers after the death of her own mother in 1905. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day. Over time, the celebration spread across the world, including India, where families now observe the day with affection and gratitude. Yet the true significance of Mother’s Day goes beyond celebration. It reminds society of the emotional, physical, and spiritual labour mothers carry every day.
There Is No “Perfect Mother”
Modern culture often creates an unrealistic image of motherhood. We hear phrases such as “holy mother,” “mother from heaven,” or “perfect in every way.” Though spoken with admiration, such language can unintentionally burden women with impossible expectations. Real mothers are not perfect. They are human beings. They experience exhaustion, anger, disappointment, loneliness, and fear. Many mothers quietly carry emotional wounds while continuing to support their families. What they need is not idealization, but understanding, respect, and companionship. Motherhood is not measured by perfection. It is measured by presence. A mother does not need to do everything flawlessly. What matters is the love and sincerity she brings into daily life. Society must stop glorifying self-sacrifice in ways that ignore mothers’ own needs, dignity, and individuality. Mothers deserve support, equal respect, and the freedom to remain fully human.
Motherhood Beyond Biology
Motherhood is larger than biology. A woman does not become valuable only by giving birth. Rachel Chrastil, in her book How to Be Childless, reminds society that women without children also live meaningful and generative lives. Some nurture students, patients, communities, ideas, or social movements. Some become caregivers, teachers, mentors, or companions to the lonely. In this deeper sense, motherhood is the ability to generate life, hope, courage, and goodness in others. So, how do we look at women who do not have children? The maternal spirit teaches society compassion, patience, tenderness, and responsibility toward others. To be “motherly” is to recognize the beauty hidden within another person and help it grow.
The “Maternal Martyrdom” of Everyday Life
St. Óscar Romero spoke of “maternal martyrdom”. He explains that giving one’s life does not always mean dramatic sacrifice. Often, it means giving life slowly, quietly, and daily. A mother does this constantly – carrying a child, nursing, feeding, worrying, waiting, forgiving, and loving without applause. Much of motherhood happens in silence, unseen by the world. “Mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of selfish individualism,” said Pope Francis. This silent giving is one of the greatest forms of human strength. A society without mothers would become deeply inhuman. Mothers preserve humanity by teaching children how to love, trust, pray, and care for others. Often, faith itself first enters a child’s life through a mother’s voice: a small prayer whispered at bedtime, the sign of the cross, a candle lit before an image of Mary, or hands folded together in times of fear. Before faith is learned through books, it is first experienced through a mother.
A Time to Return to Gratitude
Mother’s Day should not remain only a commercial celebration. It should become a moment of reflection. It is a day to thank mothers who are still with us, to remember mothers who are no longer here, and to honour grandmothers, caregivers, teachers, sisters, adoptive mothers, and every woman who has given life to others through love and sacrifice. Above all, it is a day to remove misconceptions about motherhood. Mothers are not angels without weakness. They are human beings carrying extraordinary responsibilities with ordinary hands. They do not need to be perfect to deserve honour. And perhaps this Mother’s Day, the most meaningful gift we can offer is not flowers or expensive presents but our presence, listening, gratitude, and love. “O God, grant our mothers a little more life.”
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Fr. M. Titus Mohan, a priest of the Diocese of Kuzhithurai in South India, has authored more than 50 books and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Moral Theology in Milan.