seasons of motherhood | pray the rosary | Behold Your Mother
Today we will pray the First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection.
The Resurrection of Jesus is the necessary truth and foundation of our Catholic faith. Jesus has died but has risen from the dead. Jesus comes out of the darkness and into the light of life. The Cross comes before the Resurrection. Without the Cross, there would be no Resurrection.
Your unborn child is the living reflection of spousal love. For nine months, your precious baby has been developing and growing as you nurture him/her. At birth, this tiny human will emerge from the darkness of the womb and into the light of life outside the womb.
For women, carrying a baby for nine months is a sacrifice: morning sickness, fatigue, headaches, sleepless nights, and labor itself can weigh you down physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. If you have other children, this sacrifice can be more overwhelming. Nine months can seem like a lifetime. It can feel like you’ll be pregnant forever. Pregnancy helps us to grow in patience. The sacrifices you endure for this beautiful child are necessary and must come before the birth of your child.
In his book Life of Christ, Archbishop Sheen writes, “Deferred joys purchased by sacrifices are always the sweetest and most enduring.”
When you finally gaze into the face of your newborn baby, it’s easy to forget the pain and embrace the sweet joy. Your child, the living reflection of your and your husband’s spousal love, is an eternal, unrepeatable, and irreplaceable gift from God.
As you look forward to the birth of your unborn baby, remember that the sacrifices of this life will someday lead to the immeasurable joy of eternal life and the Resurrection.
Let us pray for patience and grace to endure the sacrifices of pregnancy so we can embrace the sweet joy of our baby’s birth.
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