Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the beautiful vocation of motherhood and the gift of life. It calls us to cherish the gift of life that we receive from our mothers and to pray for all women to whom God has entrusted life in a very special way.

 

While Mother’s Day is not a liturgical or Catholic observance, many parishes still use this holiday to honor and pray for mothers. The month of May has traditionally been dedicated to Mary, Mother of Jesus. Mother’s Day provides an opportunity to pray for mothers while honoring and seeking the intercession of Our Blessed Mother. It is a fitting day to ask God’s special blessing on all mothers. Consider creating a Spiritual Bouquet to Our Blessed Mother as a way to pray for your own mothers.

 

Spiritual Bouquet to Our Blessed Mother

Materials:

• Flowers, greenery, or some other type of small gift like hearts or flowers cut out of colored construction paper

• Small note cards or slips of paper

• Pens, crayons, or markers

• Small basket or other container to hold the prayer intentions

• Vase of water (if using fresh flowers or greenery)

• Statue, icon, or image of the Blessed Virgin Mary

This activity can also be completed without flowers or any other type of gift. Simply place your written intentions in a basket before the designated statue or image of Our Lady. Or you could draw a flower or another image next to your prayer intention on the paper.

 

Directions:

• Gather your materials. Look around your own yard for flowers or greenery that might be available or pick some up at the store.

• Set up a small table for your Marian spiritual bouquet.

• Place on the table your statue or image of Our Lady with a small basket for prayer intentions and a vase with water or other receptacle for your little gifts. Put writing utensils and something to write on nearby.

• Pre-cut notecards or small slips of paper.

• Invite household family members to participate in the spiritual bouquet. Participants can write down on the notecards or slips of paper what they would like to ask Our Blessed Mother to intercede for. They can then be invited to place their prayer intentions in the basket, as well as to place their flowers or other gifts in the vase or other receptacle in thanks for Our Lady’s maternal love and care.

• When all participants have presented their prayer intentions and gifts to Our Lady, offer the Mother’s Day Prayer as a closing Prayer.

Mother's Day Prayer

"I thank you, Creator of us all, for my mother. I thank you that she gave me life and nurtured me all those years. She gave me my faith, helping me to know you and to know Jesus and his ways. She taught me how to love and how to sacrifice for others. She taught me that it was okay to cry and that I should always tell the truth. Bless her with the graces she needs and which you want to give her today. Help her to feel precious in your eyes today and to know that I love her. Give her strength and courage, compassion, and peace. Bless her this day with your love." Amen.

• Encourage family members to pray throughout the week for all the intercessions placed under the care of Our Blessed Mother.

The purpose of this activity is to seek the intercession of Our Blessed Mother for all the intentions of our hearts

related to the observance of Mother’s Day, as well as to thank her for her motherly love for us.

 

Resources from: Diocese of Little Rock; USCCB