Chaplain’s Spot

‘What Mothers Say’

I wonder what memories you have of things your mother said when you were growing up. Mine said things like, ‘if you don’t eat your main course, you can’t have dessert’, and ‘think of the starving Biafrans’ [in Africa], if I didn’t eat all of my food. Here is my Mum holding me when I was 5 weeks old. 

Mums certainly gain a lot of wisdom during their many life experiences. 

One of the most famous ‘mothers’ in the world is Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia, on August 26, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. She was honoured in the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and was a Roman Catholic nun and missionary. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.  She was awarded many other awards, including The Order of the Smile - an international award given by children to adults distinguished in their love, care and aid for children. She died on September 5, 1997 in Kolkata [Calcutta], India.  

Here are 2 of her quotes: 

“Live simply so others may simply live.” and “A life not lived for others is not a life.”

Mother Teresa served in a sacrificial way, making a difference to thousands of lives. Wikipedia states, ‘To the homeless and destitute, she is the beacon of hope to their desperate existence. Dubbed as “The Living Saint,” Mother Teresa made a massive impact on many people’s lives. She changed the world and inspired a lot of people. She devoted her life to caring for the sick, poor, and disadvantaged, challenging stereotypes, breaking boundaries, and teaching us the true essence of charity.

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, called her "a rare and unique individual who lived long for higher purposes. Her life-long devotion to the care of the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged was one of the highest examples of service to our humanity."

Our life in Australia is relatively rich and safe, compared to many places around the world. Mothers around the world serve their families every day. Let us be thankful for our Mums, who have often been through many difficult circumstances. Let us follow their example, and make a difference in other people’s lives. As we think about mothers, we know that not all experiences with our Mums work out well. However, we can always do the best we can to ‘change the world, one person at a time’. 

Please feel free to contact me via Compass, or at school, if  you would like to talk with me. I am here to support our school community with whatever is challenging us. 

Quote for the week: “Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together.” —Susan Gale

Alan Silverwood – Chaplain - Pastoral care for our community. [Monday, Tuesday, Friday] 

[alan.silverwood@education.vic.gov.au] Supporting the School community in emotional, social, spiritual and practical wellbeing. The Chaplaincy program is funded by the Federal Government, donations and GRPS School Council.