MOTHERS’ DAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 969, 12 May 1930, Page 14

MOTHERS’ DAY

CHURCH OBSERVANCES CHIVALRY TOWARD WOMEN Tribute to the mothers of the nation or to their memory was made in Auckland churches and the Y.M.C.A. yesterday. Services were largely attended by young men, many of whom wore buttonholes of white flowers, signifying the beauty of the pure life. Canon C. H. Grant Cowen, vicar of St. Matthew’s, addressed a large assembly of young fellows in the Y.M.C.A. yesterday afternoon. He made an appeal to keep the moral standard of life high, for the danger of easier morals was real owing to the influence of subtle forces. Since the war there was a danger that the standard of womanhood might be lowered. During that time it seemed that there was a greater lack of chivalry toward women. Most men who had achieved any great success in life in any way had given credit to the influence of their homes and mothers. Canon Grant Cowen recalled the old Jewish proverb, “God could not be everywhere, and so he made mothers.” “Power, success, wealth—these things are passing, but the life and influence of a good woman is eternal.” Mothers’ Day was celebrated at the Church of Christ, Ponsonby Road, when at all of the services special reference was made to the mothers. At the morning service Mr. Edwards stressed the importance of obedience to God’s laws if one would get the best out of life. The law, as given to the children of Israel, was emphatic in its promise of the lengthening of days to the one who had parental honour. “Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, said; “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother: which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Solomon said: “Forsake not the law of thy mother, and despise her not when she is old.” The person who had lost respect for his mother had lost the last gem of goodness, said the speaker. She it was who went down to the gates of death for her child, and it was to her that the child owed most. The memory of a godly mother was « priceless heritage, and with that

memory came others, foremost of which was the memory of Jesus Christ, who had raised mothers from slavedom to the highest place in the hearts of men. At the Sunday School in the afternoon Mr. K. Melvin spoke on the beauty of a good mother. He described mothers as fragrant roses. The true mother living a life in the company of Jesus Christ spread around an influence that told of the wonderful love of God. The speaker pointed out the pitfalls that would be avoided by following the advice of a godly mother. There was a good number present at the evening service, when the Rev. Palgrave Davy took for his text a portion of Exodus, “Take this child away and nurse it for me.” He spoke of the necessity of pure motherhood’s influence on the life of the children if we would have a God-fearing people, the setting up of the “altar” in every Christian home, so that in the impressionable years the child might learn more of those things which counted most in the lives of men, and having learned of the way of the Lord, walk as became the children of light.