The best laid plans etc. . . . .

Well, I was feeling pretty pleased with myself yesterday . . .

I had my Laetare/Mother's Day post all ready and 'scheduled' for posting today in anticipation of my being busy 'waited on hand on foot' as befits the day! I should have known better of course - 'pride alert . . . pride alert' - I should have recognised the signs! It never fails - whenever I'm feeling pleased with something I've done, you can guarantee I'll get my 'come-uppance' somehow.

I'd decided that I'd write about the outward signs of Laetare Sunday as witnessed at Mass this morning. Naturally, the signs weren't exactly as I'd predicted so I had to rush to my trusty iPhone and quickly stop the scheduled post before it hit the general public.

Here is the now amended version of that post.

Laetare, Jerusalem!

"Rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow."

Did you notice any changes in your parish at Mass today? Vestments, flowers, music . . . ?

Flowers? Well, we haven't been having any flowers in church during Lent, and I was expecting to see some today but there were none in evidence. It had obviously been decided that 'no flowers in Lent' means just that.

Music? We have been having music during Lent so no change there, but I was expecting especially joyous hymns but to my untrained ear, they seemed to be very much as we've been having during the rest of Lent.

Vestments? I was hoping to see both our Parish Priest and our Deacon 'resplendent in rose' this morning but as our Deacon was not present at the Mass I attended, I had to forego that pleasure. Nevertheless our Parish Priest did wear rose-coloured vestments - hooray!

Despite my predictions being slightly out, it was a lovely Mass and even better thanks to a bit of sunshine and the feeling that, finally, Spring might really be just around the corner.

As well as being Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent is also Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day though the origins of both of these terms is a little different. I wrote quite a detailed explanation about the customs of Mothering Sunday last year so I won't repeat it again here. If you're interested you can have a look back here.

Mothering Sunday, a reference to the Second Reading from Corinthians, which indicates our right to be called the sons of God as the source of all our joy, and also because in the past the faithful used to make their offerings in the cathedral or mother-church of the diocese on this day.

In England, Spring bulb flowers are often given to mothers. In our parish the children all present their mothers with a daffodil. Mind you, until fairly recently they would be brought into church at the offertory after the Children's Liturgy session and as a result not many of them survived intact until the end of Mass!

This year they were handed out to all the Mums as they left the church at the end of Mass so hopefully they at least survived until they got home.

Simnel cake is also traditionally made to celebrate the occasion (this cake has also become an Easter Cake recently, however - shame!). The word "simnel" comes from the Latin "simila," a high grade flour - Now that's something I've only just discovered this year.

I hope all you Mum's were treated in some way today. Happy Mother's Day!