seasons of motherhood | pray the rosary | Behold Your Mother
Today we will pray the First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation.
“The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary and she conceived of the Holy Spirit.” This first part of the Angelus prayer reminds us of the great announcement of all times: God would become flesh in the womb of Mary Most Holy so we could be saved. As we know from St. Luke, Mary wasn´t expecting such news and she was troubled by that visit. She questioned the angel and as soon as she understood that it was the will of God, she answered her “fiat,” her “yes” to what God had planned for her life.
Every mother receives an “annunciation” when she discovers her pregnancy. Sometimes that “positive” in the test may trouble her heart. “I´m not ready,” or “I don´t know if I can handle this,” followed by “what if the baby is not healthy?” and so many other questions. If that happens, we should try to hear the angel saying, “Do not be afraid, my dear, for you have found favor with God.”
Every child is conceived by the infinite love of God and that is one thing that we can be 100% sure that is the will of God. Only God has the power to create a new life, a new soul and He chose the womb of the mother to make that miracle. Even if the circumstances of that particular pregnancy are not perfect, that baby exists because of the express will of God, and God never makes a mistake.
As we meditate the scene of the Annunciation, let us ask for the intercession of Mother Mary so we may answer “yes” to everything that God asks from us, especially during the pregnancy and labor that we may educate this new soul so that one day, he or she may be perfectly happy in Heaven.
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