I have a hunch that the vocation of Catholic motherhood is like a jet sitting on the runway. Catholic mothers are living out the Gospel privately and quietly. Their unassuming daily lives can be among the purest and most powerful embodiments of Christ on earth. As a mother, are you overwhelmed by lots of children? Or maybe by the loss of children? Are you being stretched by special needs children, adoptive children, or foster children? Is your life poured out for others, a reflection of Christ on the cross? Is Christ’s gift of Himself in the Eucharist reflected in the way you nourish your children with your body and blood?  Have you been broken in body, spirit, heart or soul for your children, as Christ was broken for us on Calvary? Your deep level of sacrifice and your unique conformity with Christ are like the leaven–unseen, calling no attention to themselves, yet powerfully impacting the whole Body of Christ.

The Church is aware that she does not yet appreciate the vocation of motherhood for all its Christological significance. She says that we need to engage in “the task of bringing full dignity to the conjugal life and the experience of motherhood. Today new possibilities are open to women for a deeper understanding and a richer realization of human and Christian values implied in the conjugal life and the experience of motherhood” (Christifideles Laici, 51). In other words, the meaning of the roles of the laity are not yet fully appreciated. “The personal dignity of woman and her specific vocation ought to be respected and promoted” (ibid). The role of mothers is just waiting to be more fully revealed.

My prayer for you as a Catholic mom is to discover the secret genius, the unspoken brilliance of the sacred calling of motherhood. Please pray for this ministry that as a community, we can help fulfill this important mission. Together, let us probe more deeply into the spiritual meaning of motherhood, so that our vocation will be launched, set forth into the Church and world.