A PRAYER FOR MOTHERS

BLESSED BE all the mothers of the world
those who have died, those alive, those yet to come
who brought, bring, and will bring life into the world
who nurture, cherish, and support their children
and model the maternal love of the Divine.

SOLACE BE upon all those women
who wanted to be mothers but, for whatever reason
were unable, but who despite their great grief
mothered life in other ways.

APPRECIATION FOR women choosing not to have children
but who bring forth, care for, nurture, and reverence life
in numerous creative and efficacious ways.

GRATEFULNESS FOR all the grandmothers of the world
who selflessly mothered or are now generously mothering
their children’s children.

LAUD to women who have adopted children birthed by others
whose saving love prevents another son or daughter
from becoming a motherless child.

CONSOLATION for all the mothers
who for endless days and endless nights
suffer from mother-love as they
suffer with and for and because of their children
and who want no consolation prize but only
what is best for their children.

MERCY BE upon those mothers who did not mother well
or were unable to mother well, whatever the reason,
those who had not been adequately or lovingly mothered themselves
those who were unprepared, ill-equipped, or too sick,
and for the healing of their children.

BLESSED BE all the finned, furred, and feathered females
who bring forth life into water, earth, and sky
and for all life forms who so generously give life:
the sunflower seed, the desert spring, the apple tree
the grapevine, the rain cloud, the herb garden.

REVERENT GRATITUDE for mother earth
who daily, hourly, moment to moment
brings good things to life, cradles, nurtures, and sustains us
beautifies our lives, brings us pleasure, evokes awe and delight
and multiplies our joy. Forgive us our ignorance and arrogance
for doing you such harm, for what we have done and failed to do
to put a stop to your desecration.

PRAISE AND HALLOWED BE the Ineffable, Holy One
in whose watery womb we floated before our grand entrance,
the life-giver from whom all blessings flow, who mothers us still
despite how often we are inattentive, unappreciative, self-absorbed,
as if we were self-made men and women and children,
instead of begotten by Love, one in all being, now and forever.
Amen.

© 2021, Dan Miller. All Rights Reserved.

GOODPEOPLE, please send this post on to anyone you feel would appreciate or benefit from A PRAYER FOR Mothers

ARTWORK: The image above titled “Garden” is by the late ((1936–2019) artist-mystic Meinrad Craighead. I have loved her evocative gesso relief prints, block prints, and charcoal images ever since I discovered her work in the latter half of the 1980’s. I cherish my (now out of print) copy of her book The Mother’s Songs” Images of God the Mother.

MOTHER’S SPIRITUAL by Lauro Nyro

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