Mothering Sunday at Christ Church Tunstall
The Fourth Sunday in Lent is know as ‘Mid-Lent’, ‘Refreshment Sunday’ or ‘Laetare Sunday, when the rigors of Lent were relaxed more than was normal for a feast day.
Thus Mothering Sunday is about the freedom that we gain through the promise of Jesus Christ delivered through our Mother the Church.
People were encouraged to go to their ‘Mother Church’ (their home church or their home Cathedral) to worship and give thanks.
Hence apprentices, and others, went home for the weekend and often brought gifts (or accumulated pay) home to their family.
On the other hand, Mother's Day is a secular festival invented in 1904 and is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in May in most countries in the world. The British Isles seem to be the exception.
In recent years Mothering Sunday has sadly been hijacked and commercialised to take the place of a special, secular day to give thanks for our mothers.
Mothering Sunday takes place on Sunday 31st March.
At the 8am and 10am Masses at Christ Church there will be posies of flowers and also candles to light in memory of loved ones, if it is a difficult day, especially for those who have lost mothers or children.
