MOTHERS: VESSELS AND TREASURES OF HOPE

There is a story about a woman who lived in very trying times long ago. She
could be rightly classified among the poor, helpless and perhaps non-existent
persons in her contemporary worldview. To make matters worse, the society
she found herself in further reduced her ilk to subhuman conditions and
legislations that directly impugned the basic right to life, nay to generate life.
This woman, albeit timid and insignificant, did something so brave and
significant that through her hope was restored to her people, a people chosen
by God, the God of Israel. Thus she became a vessel and treasure of hope.
She gave birth to one who would save her people, a son to the rescue, and
that son was Moses (cf. Exodus 2).

Motherhood in common parlance connotes a vessel of fruitfulness and

fulfilment, as well as a treasure of such great worth that defies present
estimation but rather heralds future harvest. This character of mothers and
motherhood has been endemic in man ab initio. The Holy Book lends
credence to this truism with accounts too numerous to include here. Suffice
to mention, those presented in print are but a sample of these esteemed
qualities. At several points we encounter the likes of Shiprah and Puah (Ex.
1), Deborah (Judges 4 5), Naomi and Ruth (Book of Ruth), Hannah (1
Sam. 1), Abigail (1 Sam. 25), the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17), the
Shunemite woman (2 Kings 4) and countless others who left invaluable
legacies of hope, altruism and productivity. The lives of Anna (Lk. 2),
Dorcas/Tabitha (Acts 9), and most especially our Blessed Virgin Mary are
not lost on us. These women of grace represent the zenith of motherhood, for
they consistently strove to make the human world better than they met it.
Mothers as vessels of hope remind us of the intermediary role of mothers. In
fact, this seems to be the main purpose why God introduced the womenfolk
into the human race. Through the ages and nonetheless now, we are
inundated with the selfless and limitless involvement of virtuous women in
salvaging both their families and their larger communities, often overturning
despair to disposition.

As treasures of hope, mothers are consistent in bringing succour when all

hope is lost, unleashing rays of renewal and rebirth. Esther and Judith easily
come to mind here. Armed with a rare courage, these noble women restored
the sunshine of their people from the horrifying clouds hanging over them.
Thus they proved themselves conveyors of brighter moments worth looking
forward to.

In our own time, nevertheless, mothers have proved themselves to be a

source of unending inspiration and indefatigable optimism in their contact
areas. They exhibit an aura of admirable preparedness to craft a better
society. Filled with faith and animated by charity, they characteristically and
ever gallantly dole out pockets of hope when all hope is gone. The mother
cannot eat and drink while even presuming her children are in unwholesome
condition. An instance is the recent Bring Back Our Girls Movement which
has gathered global recognition. Mothers are for us today the voice for
orphans, downtrodden and broken-hearted. Their influence is felt in religion,
politics, industry, education, economy, health, trade, security and every other
worthy enterprise. In all of these, their presence always effuses hope,
radiates joy and produces harmony.
All the above notwithstanding, we cannot ignore the shadows trailing the
perception of women in our society today, both from unfortunate errors and
uncharitable stereotypes. Neglect, abuse, inequality, stigma and
thingification of women still hold sway in almost all spheres of human
endeavour. To those who still find themselves involved in these inimical acts
as perpetrators or perpetuators, we urge you make a U-turn. As bastions of
hope in our society, we can only challenge ourselves to do better.