seasons of motherhood | pray the rosary | Behold Your Mother
Today we will pray the Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist.
“Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.’” (Luke 22:19)
With my first pregnancy, I read books and kept up with a week-by-week app on my phone. I marveled at the changes in my body and my baby’s, and I also struggled with them. I wanted to love being pregnant, but I felt sick, and the vast changes in my body were difficult to keep up with. I looked forward to buying maternity clothes and then found it challenging. I was ridiculously hungry, but many foods made me feel nauseous. Then I had twins and carrying them was one of the hardest things I’ve done.
Fast forward to my fifth pregnancy: many pregnancies in a relatively short timeframe finally took their toll on my body. By eight weeks pregnant, I was in physical therapy with back pain and was struggling to walk.
As mothers, we give of ourselves in many ways. However, most profoundly, we literally offer our bodies for our unborn babies to grow. Our bodies are the first place our children are nourished, loved, and provided for. In vulnerability and dependence, I have birthed all my children, and this is a verse I have often tried to fix my thoughts on during labor.
Think of the love you have for your unborn child—I think of the love with which I have labored for all my babies, and the pain I have willingly offered up for them. When Jesus gives us Himself in the Eucharist, He offers His body to us with even greater love. His willingness to suffer for us, and labor for us, is greater than the most we can give.
The writers of Catholic Mom enthusiastically gathered to share meditations on each Mystery of the Rosary in a special way for pregnant mothers. We invite you to join us throughout the month of May as we pray together each day, and to share these reflections with other moms who will enjoy them.
Images: created by Ted Schluenderfritz for Holy Cross Family Ministries