A Mother’s Vocation is to Love

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, in her book, “The Domestic Church: Room by Room”, writes:

“A mother’s vocation is to love her family and through that dedicated love, to work out her own salvation while she is guiding her family to work out theirs as well.”

To love, is what a mother is called to do. She is first and foremost, to love God, above all else; and in so-doing, will come to know how much He loves her. She can then take the love that God offers her and share it with her family; her spouse, whose helpmeet and companion she is to be, and her children, whose souls depend upon her influence and guiding hand in order to know God (and in knowing Him, to come to love and serve Him, too).

When a woman first learns that she is carrying a new life within her womb, she becomes aware of her own motherhood! Hence, she instantly feels a new and burning love in her soul , different from any love she has ever before felt. This love is overpowering, it is overwhelming, it is inexplicable, it is deep and immense, it is unconditional, and it is real.

It is because a mother loves her children with the love of God, first given to her, that she feels this love so strongly from the very beginning. God’s love is infinite and His love does not end…but only begets more love.

Those who ask if a mother is able to love 7 children as well as she loved 1 or 2, do not understand that motherhood is a reflection of God’s love and therefore, it can only multiply when given away.

What a blessing that God allows us to “work out our salvation” through loving.

Though the days and tasks of a busy mother at home might sometimes seem quite daunting and the obstacles and road blocks met along the way, seemingly insurmountable, God’s love, given to mother and passed on to the rest of the family , not only makes these times survivable, but turns them into worthwhile and valuable stepping stones on our journey toward heaven. By loving, we are uniting ourselves, as mothers, to the merits and sacrifice of Jesus. We lay our burdens at the foot of His holy Cross and He takes them upon Himself, in order that no pain, no sorrow, no struggle, no challenge, and no failure is ever lived in vain.

A mother’s love becomes a tool of Christ’s saving hand!

No day is without blessing and no day is wasted that has been lived in love by a mother.

Truly, our vocation is one of God’s greatest gifts; so great, in fact, that not even the angels have been given such a privilege as to bring forth new life!

As Mrs. Cooper O’Boyle said in her book, we are working out our own, as well as our family’s salvation through motherhood…more specifically, through loving.

God can bless us through each task and duty and heal us through the smiles and tears along the way, in this beautiful journey called, “Motherhood”.