A Catholic Mother’s Day Gift Guide

While Mother’s Day doesn’t appear on the Liturgical calendar, and “Hallmark holiday” may feel to many people like a more appropriate description of this particular Sunday in May than “Holy Day,” there is something about a weekend devoted to honoring moms, grandmothers, aunts, godmothers and mom-figures that feels decidedly spiritual for me.

Perhaps it is because I feel vocationally called to be mother; perhaps it is because I consider both my own mom and the children who made me a mom to be among the greatest blessings God has given me; perhaps it is because birthing, feeding, teaching, and nurturing my children feels like the most holy of work. Whatever the reason, I celebrate Mother’s Day wholeheartedly and in what feels like a deep and religious way.

With that being said, Mother’s Day seems like the perfect occasion for a Catholic Gift Guide. For all the Catholic women in your life whose mothering has blessed you and yours, consider one of these beautiful and uplifting gifts.

A Print Featuring Mother Mary

Celebrate the mothers in your life by gifting them a gorgeous print of the Queen of all Mothers — Mother Mary. I love the way Mother Mary looks at her child adoringly in this Holy Family Print, and I find the warm undertones of this simple Madre Maria print to be so soothing.

A Piece of Home Decor Featuring Flowers

Considering that so much of a mother’s work is done within the sacred walls of a family home, I love the idea of gifting items that can be used to make that home a more inviting, faith-filled and aesthetically pleasing place. With its pink pastel shower of blossoms, this floral cross is at once a reminder of the center of our faith and a decidedly feminine piece of art. This Liturgical Wreath for the Easter Season (which doesn’t end until June 5 this year), would be a lovely addition to any door or wall.

A Delicate Piece of Jewelry

I mean, can you go wrong when you gift jewelry? I’m sure the answer to that question is yes, but I, for one, have never received a piece of jewelry that I wasn’t touched by for one reason or another (whether because I found it to be just my taste or because I was excited to try a new style). This heart shaped Miraculous Medal necklace depicts Mother Mary with the added bonus of showing love through its shape, and this rose quartz rosary bracelet serves as both a reminder to pray and an eye-catching piece of jewelry.

A Well-Chosen Book

I truly believe that you cannot have a home with too many books, and that Mother’s Day is as good of an occasion as any to select a thought-provoking, faith-deepening, or inspiring book for a mother in your life. The Theology of Home series (Finding the Eternal in the Everyday and The Spiritual Art of Homemaking), written by three mothers, is full of beautiful photographs and uplifting ideas on finding and nurturing the divine presence in the everyday occasions and corners of a home. Either of these books would be an excellent Mother’s Day gift.

Love and Care

I cannot think about Mother’s Day without considering all of the individuals for whom Mother’s Day is painful rather than pleasurable: women who long for a child and struggle with infertility; parents who have lost their son or daughter; individuals who have difficult relationships with their mothers or children, or who are grieving the loss of their mothers. It’s worth remembering these individuals in a special way on Mother’s Day, maybe with a card expressing your care, or a small gift like these Scripture for Infertility cards or a candle and a note saying that you are holding them in the light.

Whether you are a mom, a son, a daughter, or a friend who has been touched by mothering women, I wish you a joyful and gratitude-filled Mother’s Day!