Blog

From the Principal

The College joyfully celebrated Mother’s Day last Friday, as we have done for the past seven years. The event has grown from humble beginnings, when we were joined by about fifteen mums and their sons in our first year, to this year, when it is estimated we had 200 mums, grand mums and carers in motherhood roles join their boys in a gathering in excess of 400 for Mass and Breakfast. The Mass was held in the Chapel with breakfast being enjoyed in the College Hall. The feedback I received indicates that a wonderful time was had by all in attendance.

Unfortunately, I had a clash in my calendar and was required to attend a Principal’s meeting in Hobart with my Salesian colleagues, a situation which I hope to rectify for next year. I too attended a Mother’s Day Mass at St Dominic’s College Glenorchy which was also a beautiful occasion. I was nearly brought to tears when the hymn ‘Gentle Woman’ was played as I reflected on the mothers in my life; obviously my own, my mother in law, my wife and now my daughter and daughter in law, all of whom are beautiful, special mothers. This brought me to ponder the celebration of Mother’s Day which by and large is a worldwide phenomenon.

The special day to honor mothers and mothering is a part of every major tradition, culture and nation. That is because we know instinctively the wonder, miracle and gift of mothers and mothering. They give us life, and I am sure that many mothers could relate to the reality of Jeremiah 1:5 within their heart and soul: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” They nurture us through a network of relationships which gives life meaning. Through their wisdom, example and practical experience they teach us, they pick us up when we fall and they love us unconditionally.

The job of a mother is complex and I think all mothers can relate to this complexity and even the idea of the messiness. There are no instructions or rules that apply to all babies, children or family situations, and there are no guarantees that what they do will work out and have a positive outcomes. Indeed mothering is an act of faith born out of the great love these women have for their children.

Mothers will endure times of great pain as well as joy, shed tears as well as enjoy great laughter. More often than not mothers have to park their egos and be humble as they endure the myriad of onlookers ready to judge and label. I invite all mothers to rejoice in the job that they do, the compassion they demonstrate and the love that they bear as quite literally we wouldn’t exist without them.

I also want to share a thought I had whilst sitting in Mass on Sunday when the priest invited all mums in the church to come forward for a blessing. As expected and rightfully so, most of the women proceeded up to the altar beaming in the knowledge of the joy they bring to the world, but I couldn’t help but notice a number of women left in their place, some of whom, in my eyes, had a touch of sadness in their expressions. So I would like us all to remember the women in the world who have tried, but have not been blessed with bringing a child into this world.

I have listed my 10 top reasons why mums are great. I encourage you all to come up with your own top 10 list as there are thousands of reasons why mums are great.

10 Reasons Why Mums are Great

  1. They love you unconditionally.
  2. Mums always know what to say and what NOT to say
  3. Their hugs are unbeatable.
  4. They ALWAYS have that one recipe that you need… memorised.
  5. When angry, their voice can be projected and heard up to 3.64 kilometers away.
  6. They are great nurses when you are sick.
  7. There is always something good to eat in their fridge.
  8. Mums are the ultimate cheerleaders.
  9. They are Mums to every child under 17 in the neighbourhood, especially your mates.
  10. They provide a very efficient and cheap taxi service.
  11. They pray for you. A LOT (Oops, that’s one extra point!)

I am sure we could all add to this list and come up with hundreds of more reasons to argue why mums are so great. During this week I set the challenge for all in the community to do just that, and then to tell their Mum why she is so great, and if possible give her the biggest hug you can muster, and tell her that you love her, because I don’t think we can ever do this too much. Have a great week and perhaps do something special for Mum to let her know how special you think she is.

To finish, here is a couple of quotes about Mums to contemplate as well as a reading from the Bible.

Mums are as relentless as tides, they don’t just drive us to practice, they drive us to greatness. – Steven Rushin
(With this in mind, we have to forgive Mum as she nags us about our homework and study as it may be just  the tonic to drive us to greatness in our studies.)

There has never been, nor will there ever be, anything quite so special as the love between a mother and son. – Author unknown.

I use this special reference: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as it sums up the love a mother has for her children.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all

God bless.

Rob Brennan 
Principal