About 70 women came together on May 1 morning to reflect and share on the topic of motherhood.
Being a mother is a special blessing and vocation, Sr Florence Wong, who led the half-day retreat, told participants.
“This is clearly illustrated by the example of our Mother Mary, who was chosen by God to carry Jesus in her womb and bring him up as her son; and she accepts this calling without question,” she said.
The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood nun was speaking at the 9th Catholic mothers’ retreat organised by Joyful Parenting, a programme of the Family Life Society.
The event had the theme, In pursuit of Happiness: Finding True Joy in Catholic Motherhood, and was held at the Church of the Holy Spirit.
“Mothers must always remember that motherhood is God’s grace and gift towards creating a home where needs of loved ones are met and where family bonds are formed in the midst of worldly temptation,” said Sr Florence.
She added that “whether you are a single mom, a widowed mom, a separated mom, or a married mom, you are called to embrace this vocation to love and to be holy”.
“It is definitely not an easy task but it is a call from God and He will reward all acts done in love,” she said.
Participants then broke into groups to discuss the topic of motherhood.
Several said they found the retreat inspiring.
“Being a new mother of a 16-month-old daughter, I came for this retreat because I wanted to learn from the more experienced mothers,” said Ms Abigail Goh, 29, a teacher.
“The sharings of other mothers at the retreat opened my eyes to their struggles. I realised my struggles are not that bad after all, and I am comforted to know that I am not alone on this journey.”
Ms Christie de la Cruz, a 34-year-old Filipina, shared that the retreat was useful as she learnt to cope with living away from her three children, aged between seven and 12.
“I came to Singapore by myself in January to work, and want to learn how I can play my part in my children’s lives even when I’m so far from them. This retreat helped me remember what a blessing my kids are to me.”
The Joyful Parenting programme aims to help parents and parents-to-be in their role of bringing up a loving, close-knit family unit. CONTRIBUTED BY JOYFUL PARENTING
To get updates on Joyful Parenting activities and programmes, email susie@familylife.sg (subject line: Sign up for Joyful Parenting Events).
