One line in Il Divo’s song Mama always chokes me with emotion. I think of my mother’s sacrifice and every mother’s sacrifice. When a baby is born, a mother’s life is on hold. Everything else takes second place.
The line that always affects me is “I know you had dreams.” We all do, but a mother’s dreams are put on hold for us. And I think of Mary, the mother of Jesusm and how she completely gave up everything with her saying “Yes” to God’s plan.
And I think of my Mother and how our dreams became more important to her than her dreams.
Now imagine God as a mother and apply the words of Il Divo’s song Mama. Every line relates to the love God has for us as a mama.
“Mama thank you for who I am (there but for the grace of God…)
“Thank you for all the things I'm not (I really didn’t turn out too badly)
“Forgive me for the words unsaid (how many times have I not talked to God?)
“For the times
“I forgot
“Mama remember all my life (God looks at our whole life and our efforts)
“You showed me love, you sacrificed (and sent your Son to save me)
“Think of those young and early days (God’s hand and God’s angels have always been with me)
“How I've changed
“Along the way, along the way
“And I know you believed (God has faith in me even when I don’t)
“And I know you had dreams (God has dreams for us and He gives us dreams)
“And I'm sorry it took all this time to see
“That I am where I am because of your truth
“And I miss you, I miss you
“Mama forgive the times you cried (especially when your son died)
“Forgive me for not making right
“All of the storms I may have caused
“And I've been wrong
“Dry your eyes, dry your eyes (God should not have to weep for us)
“Mama I hope this makes you smile
“I hope you're happy with my life
“At peace with every choice I made
“How I've changed
“Along the way
“And I know you believed in all of my dreams
“And I owe it all to you mama.”
And our heavenly mother Mary has dreams for us and loves us into perfection. In Pope Saint Pius X’s Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum of 1904 we read:
“The Apostle [St John] continues: ‘And, being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered’ (Apoc. xii., 2). John therefore saw the Most Holy Mother of God already in eternal happiness, yet travailing in a mysterious childbirth. What birth was it?”
Surely it was the birth of us who, still in exile, are yet to be generated to the perfect charity of God, and to eternal happiness. And the birth pains show the love and desire with which the virgin from heaven above watches over us …
Our mother Mary also has dreams for us and with an agony of love urges us to fullness of life.
Yes! It is with gratitude we continue living. You and I are God’s greatest love song. I pray that we may be ‘love-smacked.’ God’s abundance, so evident in nature, is never ending in love for us.
Thank you to the God who helps us when we cannot help ourselves.
