The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
As I write this, I experience the sting of disappointment that comes with an unsuccessful attempt at conceiving a child. My husband and I are still in the early days of trying, but the pain of our thwarted effort is still keenly felt. It’s fitting—and comforting—to dive into today’s readings and know that my love for my unconceived child mirrors God’s love for us. God says to Jeremiah in the first reading, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” Our openness to God’s invitation to welcome the gift of a child has already expanded my heart’s capacity for love. With each cry or babble of a nearby baby, I am more inclined to imagine those sounds coming from a child of our own. The thought fills me with wonder, love, tenderness, and a desire to experience a love that tethers me even closer to what the Lord feels for me.
I have health conditions that can make conceiving more complicated and take longer. As we are just beginning this conception journey, I don’t know how long or complex this journey may become. I turn to Elizabeth and Zechariah, the parents of John the Baptist, as I stare down this uncertain road. The two were advanced in age; Elizabeth was declared barren. What I’m most drawn to is the couple’s faithfulness. I infer from this reading that Elizabeth and Zechariah didn’t abandon their obedience to the Lord due to a lack of a child. Their commitment was to the Lord first, and God blessed that fidelity with the gift and responsibility of rearing a child who would play a key role in the transformation of our world. Their example reminds me that in all things, God is to be honored, worshipped, and praised.
Today’s Psalm reads, “Since my mother’s womb, you have been my strength.” I take comfort in that verse today. Wherever this path to conception leads us, God will be our rock and our constant. He will give us the strength to muster through disappointments and challenges. He will hold us in our sadness and smile alongside us in our joy. My husband and I’s “yes” to God’s invitation is about more than receiving the gift of a child—it’s about welcoming the transformation we will experience after surrendering to Him this part of our lives and all the hopes and fears that come with it.
I offer this reflection as a prayer for all women like myself who hope for motherhood, that God blesses our desires and readies our hearts for the experience. As we wait in joyful hope, may we practice faith in the ways we nurture the loved ones in our lives; may we practice patience with our partners; and may we always remember that God’s love for us transcends all time. Amen.
Perpetua Cannistraro is a Haitian American Bostonian who works as a nonfiction book publicist. She loves the Lord, TV, Disney princesses, books, 90s-00s teen pop, and the color pink. Say hi on Instagram!
