Happy Mothers' Day! 
    Of all the New Testament authors John is the greatest mystic. I think that this was probably the result of John's special relationship to Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  Today's selections from the first letter of John and John's gospel are wonderfully appropriate for Mothers' Day.  "Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love."  And, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends..."  When you reflect on today's beautiful gospel passage, you may want to think about how your mother lived it out in her life.  John has put it very well.  It is all about love; love that bears fruit. 
    Mothers, we are grateful to you for giving us life.  Beyond that you have given us the tools to cope with life.  You have taught us how to accept and return the gift of love.  You have taught us when to speak and when to be still in order to listen to the world around us.  You have taught how to walk and where to go and where not to go.  Most difficult of all, you had to let go and give us the freedom to become what we are called to be. 
    On this Mothers' Day we pray a prayer of blessing on all of our mothers, living and dead.