What I Wish for You: The Mystery of Motherhood

Sunday, April 27, 2008

The Mystery of Motherhood

Melanie quoted a blog with some thoughts about nursing and the Eucharist that sound a bit like my own recent musings.

I mentioned the other day that I have found myself contemplating the mystery of motherhood more during this pregnancy than any other. When I was nursing Matthew, the connection of the words "this is my body given up for you" gave me great comfort. And in this sixth full-term pregnancy, they have come back to me again and again.

When John and I first began to learn about Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body, we ran across a Mary Foundation CD of a talk by Christopher West called "Marriage and the Eucharist." In it, West links the spousal gift of the body to Christ's gift of Himself in the Eucharist.

Over time, the gift of the body for another and its relation to Christ's gift of Himself have become a part of the way I think about marital love. Through my recent musings on why pregnancy is so physically, mentally, and spiritually demanding, in addition to directing a bit of mental scolding at Eve, these ideas of self-gift have been working themselves into my thoughts about motherhood.

The connections between the Eucharist and motherhood, sacrifice and love, pain and joy, all come together in these moments of sciatica and stretch marks, exhaustion and mental vacancy, awkward waddling and getting stuck in chairs: those small and great things suffered to give life to another. This also happens as I nurse my babies: my time is not my own, my body is not my own, and my brain still seems absent. Although I love babies and I love nursing them, with each of our children I have also had times when I wondered when--or if--I would ever find my way back to myself again.

Now I am beginning to wonder if I am not more deeply myself in those moments of pain and anguish and frustration and exhaustion. Because in those moments of self-giving, I am most deeply in need of Christ and at the same time most closely connected to Him: physically connected to His sacrifice, just as when I receive Him, body, b lood, soul, and divinity, in the Eucharist. In those moments, I can brush my fingertips against the fringe of his mantle. I can reach out to touch Him, and in response, He will heal me with His presence, with His word, with His peace. If I pay attention; if I enter into this mystery of motherhood, it will bring me to Christ, and it will help me to reflect Christ.

This vocation of sacrifice that God has given me is my path to heaven. It is the path of every mother. And in it, we reside with His Son. The mystery of motherhood is inextricably connected to Christ's sacrifice for us, the Mystery of the Eucharist: "This is my body, which is given for you." (Luke 22:19)

2 comments:

Taryn said...: Thank you for this post, Judy. It expresses a lot of what I felt (and tried to feel) when I was struggling with nursing this time last year.; April 30, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Judy said...: You're way ahead of me :) With our first ones, I really wasn't thinking spiritually at all. God has been so patient. Of course, maybe that's why we needed all these babies--to finally begin to see it His way.; May 1, 2008 at 8:43 AM

A Prayer Before Logging onto the Internet

by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Almighty and eternal God,
who created us in Thy image and bade us to seek after all that is good,
true and beautiful,
especially in the divine person of Thy only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant we beseech Thee that,
through the intercession of Saint Isidore,
bishop and doctor,
during our journeys through the internet we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee
and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Sancte Isidore, ora pro nobis!

Tsundoku: what we've piled up to read (or wish we had time to read) right now

Meghan:Pius X: The Farm Boy who Became Pope, Walter Dithelm, OSB
Matthew: revisiting the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborn; Read aloud by Dad: St. Ignatius Loyola, August Derleth
Joseph: The King of Ireland's Son, Padraic Collum; (and for book club)
Katie: All Things Wise and Wonderful, James Herriot; Les Miserables, Victor Hugo; (and for book club) Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
Patrick: a lot of Irish literature
Judy: Sanditon, Jane Austen and "Another Lady";(and for book club) The Life of St. Faustina Kowalska, Sr. Sophia Michalenko CMGT
John: The Song of Roland; The Deerslayer, Cooper;

Prayer to Our Lady of La Leche for Another Child

Lovely Lady of La Leche, most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother, listen to my humble prayer. Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need. To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother, has your Divine Son given to understand the sentiments which fill my soul. Yours was the sacred privilege of being the Mother of the Saviour. Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother, that, in accordance with His will, I may become the mother of other children of our heavenly Father. This I ask, O Lady of La Leche, in the Name of your Divine Son, My Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

Prayer to St. Gerard for Safe Delivery

O great Saint Gerard, beloved servant of Jesus Christ, perfect imitator of your meek and humble Savior, and devoted child of Mother of God, enkindle within my heart one spark of that heavenly fire of charity which glowed in thine and made thee a seraph of love.

O glorious Saint Gerard, because when falsely accused of crime, thou didst bear, like thy Divine Master, without murmur or complaint, the calumnies of wicked men, you have been raised up by God as the patron and protector of expectant mothers. Preserve me from danger and from the excessive pains accompanying childbirth, and shield the child which I now carry, that it may see the light of day and receive the purifying and life-giving waters of baptism through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena for Life

Novena begins each day for nine days with this beautiful prayer composed by John Paul II, in Evangelium Vitae:

O Mary, Bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the Living, to you do we entrust the cause of Life. Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of Life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives, and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.

HAIL MARY--GLORY BE--OUR FATHER

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe

First Day
Dearest Lady of Guadalupe, fruitful Mother of holiness, teach me your ways of gentleness and strength. Hear my humble prayer offered with heartfelt confidence to beg this favor......
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.
Second Day
O Mary, conceived without sin, I come to your throne of grace to share the fervent devotion of your faithful Mexican children who call to you under the glorious Aztec title of Guadalupe. Obtain for me a lively faith to do your Son’s holy will always: May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.
Third Day
O Mary, whose Immaculate Heart was pierced by seven swords of grief, help me to walk valiantly amid the sharp thorns strewn across my pathway. Obtain for me the strength to be a true imitator of you. This I ask you, my dear Mother.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.
Fourth Day
Dearest Mother of Guadalupe, I beg you for a fortified will to imitate your divine Son’s charity, to always seek the good of others in need. Grant me this, I humbly ask of you.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.
Fifth Day
O most holy Mother, I beg you to obtain for me pardon of all my sins, abundant graces to serve your Son more faithfully from now on, and lastly, the grace to praise Him with you forever in heaven.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.
Sixth Day
Mary, Mother of vocations, multiply priestly vocations and fill the earth with religious houses which will be light and warmth for the world, safety in stormy nights. Beg your Son to send us many priests and religious. This we ask of you, O Mother.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.
Seventh Day
O Lady of Guadalupe, we beg you that parents live a holy life and educate their children in a Christian manner; that children obey and follow the directions of their parents; that all members of the family pray and worship together. This we ask of you, O Mother.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.
Eighth Day
With my heart full of the most sincere veneration, I prostrate myself before you, O Mother, to ask you to obtain for me the grace to fulfill the duties of my state in life with faithfulness and constancy.
Our father, Hail Mary, Glory.
Ninth Day
O God, You have been pleased to bestow upon us unceasing favors by having placed us under the special protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Grant us, your humble servants, who rejoice in honoring her today upon earth, the happiness of seeing her face to face in heaven.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.

Novena Before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Opening Prayer

God, Our Father, you have given us Mary whom we honor as the Immaculate Conception. You have favored her with holiness and purity, freeing her from the stain of sin, to be chosen as the Mother of Jesus. Through her intercession and protection, may we live our lives in holiness and in complete trust of your loving plan for us. Amen.

Day 1

O Blessed Virgin Mary, from the beginning of time God chose you, sinless and full of grace, to be the Mother of Jesus. Because of your unselfish “fiat,” you are for us the example of perfect faith and obedience to what God is calling us to do.

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, help us to be open to the Word of God

in our daily lives. Hail Mary, full of grace…

Day 2

O Mary, Mother of God, we honor you for your submission to the unfolding mystery of salvation history. From Bethlehem to Calvary, you were present to Jesus as faithful mother and courageous disciple, sharing in the mysteries of his life.

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, may we be for others a living presence of God’s joy and compassion. Hail Mary, full of grace…

Day 3

O Mary of Nazareth, you were filled with the light of the Holy Spirit as you prepared for the birth of Jesus. You became the Mother of God and the Mother of the Redeemer, our mother and intercessor for the People of God, his Church.

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, may we wait in hopeful expectation this Advent for the coming of the Lord Jesus in our hearts. Hail Mary, full of grace…

Day 4

O Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, you were in a sense the first tabernacle for Jesus. In your womb his Sacred Heart beat under your Immaculate Heart. You are the Vessel of Honor, the Ark of the Covenant, and Gate of Heaven. Filled with grace, you give Jesus to us that we may bring him to others.

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, may we have a deep and reverent love
for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Hail Mary, full of grace…

Day 5

O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, your heart was pierced with a sword as you stood on Calvary beneath the cross of your Son. Only a mother could experience such deep pain and anguish to see her only son die such a death.

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, may we acknowledge that suffering can become for us redemptive and truly identifies us as one with Jesus. Hail Mary, full of grace…

Day 6

O Mary, our Life, our Sweetness and our Hope, from age to age you are called blessed among all women. You, above all others, have a deep communion with God. You are the model of virtue, prayer and discipleship.

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, lead us into a prayerful and deeply authentic relationship with Jesus so that we may be holy and reflect his goodness to others. Hail Mary, full of grace…

Day 7

O Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, your holiness and obedience changed the course of history through the redemptive power of your Son. You give us the example of discipleship and what it means to witness to the Way, the Truth and the Life—Jesus.

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, we pray for holiness, especially as lived through the priesthood and consecrated life. Hail Mary, full of grace…

Day 8

O Mary, Mother of Divine Grace, you intercede for us and lead us to your Son. Jesus said to John, “Behold, your Mother.” You are our spiritual mother, who draws us ever closer to your Son.

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, may our devotion to you increase our love for Jesus. Hail Mary, full of grace…

Day 9

O Mary, Seat of Wisdom, you gave Jesus, the Eternal Word made flesh, to the world. What a privilege was yours—to bring him forth into the world so that all peoples and nations may be drawn to him, Incarnate Wisdom.

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, may the Gospel of Jesus Christ, reach the farthest ends of the earth. Help us to grow in knowledge and love of the Blessed Trinity. Hail Mary, full of grace.

Closing Prayer

Mary, we honor you as the Mother of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, we delight in your singular privilege of being born with the fullness of grace, completely preserved from the stain of original sin. Blessed among all women, you are especially favored by God. Confident in that honor we place before you our needs and intentions (name the intention). Through your intercession, may it be brought to fulfillment. In gratitude for your motherly concern, O Mary Immaculate, patroness of the United States of America, we pray:

You are all beautiful, O Mary.

The original stain is not in thee.

You are the glory of Jerusalem,

The joy of Israel,

The great honor of our race,

The advocate of sinners.

Virgin most prudent, pray for us.

Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen

(Taken from the Latin Hymn, "Tota Pulchra Es, Maria")