A Reflection for Mothering Sunday

The Revd Canon Liz Leaver, Norwich Cathedral's Canon Pastor, shares a reflection for Mothering Sunday.

Watch the video message above and read the full text below.

"Welcome to Norwich Cathedral. I'm Liz Leaver, the Canon Pastor.

I'm standing next to the font, which is used for baptism. It contains water, a physical sign of God at work, as children and adults are brought into the church.

But below the water, we have these beautiful copper bowls that reflect the Cathedral around. These two bowls came from the Rowntree Mackintosh chocolate factory. Ordinary, industrial, built for making sweets, and now they stand here, repurposed for baptism. They weren't designed for it, but here they are.

Traditionally, Mothering Sunday was the day when people went back to their homes and the church in which they were baptised. More commonly today, along with that, we give thanks for those who've nurtured us, both spiritually and physically.

Mothering Sunday is right in the middle of Lent, not as a break from the journey, but as a moment to ask, who has carried us along this journey? Because any growth, whether spiritual or physical is rarely in a straight line, and sometimes, one of the most important things we can do is to stop, look back, and give thanks.

My own baptism was in a small town in Northern Ireland, nestled at the foot of the Mourne mountains. Two months old, my parents took me along to be baptised.

And as I think about Mothering Sunday, I also think about my own mother.

Every morning, she would be there quietly praying and reading the Bible, a non-negotiable for life. Her faith kept her going through difficult times, raising a family in the midst of the Troubles, coping with my father's illness.

But alongside those difficult times, she kept an open home, where everyone was welcome, whether celebrity, or former prisoner, stranger, or friend.

Her faith was simply lived out in a way that impacted all of her life. And her faith reflected what she'd been given and how she understood God's love.

That's how grace travels, not in huge grand gestures, but in ordinary, faithful lives, that keep reflecting back what they've received.

These bowls were made for something else, but here they are, reflecting the beauty of this place, holding something they were never designed to carry.

So, as we celebrate Mothering Sunday, let's look back, and look at the people whose unshowy faithfulness has helped us understand God's love, and grow physically and spiritually in life. And give thanks."

All are welcome to join us for the Mothering Sunday Family Eucharist at Norwich Cathedral on Sunday 15 March at 10.30am.