About 11 years ago, when our children were young and we still sought out Disney movies for their wholesome “G” rating (boy have things changed!), we came across a sweet little movie called Mars Needs Moms.  At first I was a bit put off by the whole premise, but quickly changed my mind. The movie presented a very good and positive message about motherhood, and the importance of fathers.
          In the story, based on the children’s book by Berkeley Breathed, Martians live in a society ruled only by females who have very literally, thrown all of the males away. Since no one is left to care for the young, the Martian females program an army of robots to serve as caretakers.  Every so often to upgrade the robots when a new batch of baby Martians are about to ”hatch”,  a human mother is kidnapped from planet Earth and her experiences and motherly wisdom is sucked out and used as programming for the Nanny bots.  This process of course vaporizes the poor human mom.
          The story follows young Milo who stows away on the Martian ship in efforts to rescue his mom.  While on Mars, Milo discovers a culture where males have been exiled to an underground junk yard, but while exploring, he also discovers a secret.  While the “elder” female Martian ruling the planet  insists this is the way Mars has always been, Milo and friends discover cave paintings that reveal, the two parent family, with mom, dad and children, was how things existed on Mars “in the beginning”.  Motherhood and fatherhood were celebrated there, once upon a time.  As it turned out, Mars needed moms alright but it also needed to restore the dignity of fathers.
          Motherhood is a state of being for women that our culture doesn’t quite understand.  On the one hand, social and other media become obsessed when the next royal or celebrity baby is announced.  Who’s showing off their “baby bump” this week?  Is another Kardashian in the family way?  On the other hand, we have women at war with themselves absolutely shunning motherhood, and militantly advocating for abortion; as if having a baby were the worst thing that could happen to a woman! 
          Our Church has not been immune to the ideological conundrum. It too has a conflicted history when it comes to the treatment of women, and motherhood. In his Letter to Women (1995), St. John Paul II addresses the historical social “conditioning” that has negatively impacted women, even in the Church.
          “Unfortunately, we are heirs to a history which has conditioned us to a remarkable extent,” writes the Saint.  “In every time and place, this conditioning has been an obstacle to the progress of women. Women's dignity has often been unacknowledged… they have often been relegated to the margins of society and even reduced to servitude. This has prevented women from truly being themselves and it has resulted in a spiritual impoverishment of humanity,” he wrote.
          St. John Paul II, continued by noting women still experience many obstacles which keep them from being fully integrated into social, political and economic life.  He wrote that we need only think about how the gift of motherhood is penalized, rather than rewarded in society.
          “Certainly, much remains to be done to prevent discrimination against those who have chosen to be wives and mothers,” wrote St. John Paul II. “As far as personal rights are concerned, there is an urgent need to achieve real equality in every area: equal pay for equal work, protection for working mothers, fairness in career advancements, equality of spouses with regard to family rights and the recognition of everything that is part of the rights and duties of citizens in a democratic state,” the Pope wrote.
          In another document, On the Dignity and Vocation of Women (1988), St. John Paul II reflected on the unique role of motherhood.
          ”Motherhood involves a special communion with the mystery of life, as it develops in the woman's womb. The mother is filled with wonder at this mystery of life, and "understands" with unique intuition what is happening inside her. In the light of the "beginning", the mother accepts and loves as a person the child she is carrying in her womb. This unique contact with the new human being developing within her gives rise to an attitude towards human beings - not only towards her own child, but every human being - which profoundly marks the woman's personality”.
          “It is commonly thought that women are more capable than men of paying attention to another person,” continued the Holy Father, “and that motherhood develops this predisposition even more.”
          The Saint, acknowledges the Spiritual motherhood of women who are unable to have children. He writes about Spiritual motherhood as part of the “feminine genius” which has great value for human development, and which is freely given by all women who simply care for and educate others.             
          In this month of May, I would be remiss if I neglected the Motherhood of our Blessed Lady.  In reference to Mary, to whom St. John Paul II had a profound devotion he wrote…
          “The maternal "reign" of Mary consists in this. She who was, in all her being, a gift for her Son, has also become a gift for the sons and daughters of the whole human race, awakening profound trust in those who seek her guidance along the difficult paths of life on the way to their definitive and transcendent destiny,” he wrote in his Letter to Women.
          So in this month of May, and especially on Mother’s Day, celebrate the beautiful and unique gift of motherhood with all the women in your life.  Pray to our Blessed Mother to enlighten and give patience and courage to all moms… everywhere on the Earth and in all of God’s universe!