Mother's Day 2010

+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
9 May 2010

Eating and talking go together as one of life's greatest pleasures. The food does not have to be very fancy. Often the best conversations are had over a simple meal in the kitchen.

Everyone in the house gravitates to the kitchen when something's cooking, and somehow the welcome feels warmer when you visit a house full of its good smell. A busy kitchen makes a house a home. A cold kitchen makes for a cold house.

Cooking is no longer exclusively mum's job, and while most fathers are not very versatile, some make quite decent cooks. But overwhelmingly organising the meals still falls to mothers. With all the pressure trying to balance work and family, it can be hard to keep the kitchen fires burning.

For almost every mother the first commitment is to her family. Those who choose to stay at home with the children, even just for the few years when they are small, often suffer financially for doing so. You should not have to be a moral hero to make this choice, which is often the one that mothers would prefer. But our society and economy are more and more making it this way.

The costs of buying a home in the major cities mean that most mothers have to work, at least part-time. For some the work is interesting and fulfilling, for others it's just what you have to do to pay the bills. But for almost everyone it also causes worries about not being around enough for the kids.

For everyone who is busy and "time-poor", extra effort has to be made to put what time we have into important relationships. It does not have to be an enormous effort. Something quite simple like getting the family around the table to eat together most days and a few times over the weekend can make a big difference.

Eating and talking together is humanising and civilising. It builds relationships when there are none, and makes good relationships stronger. It can be a challenge when you are new to it-it is surprising how many young people have not had much experience of eating together at home-and often it is great fun.

You miss out on both talking and tasting when you eat in front of the TV. We also over-eat! Mother's day is a good day to start eating round the table.