Being a Mother is God’s Gift to Women 

A few months ago, I went to a talk about women being the grand finale of God’s creation story– it was eye-opening! 

I would love to one day share more details about that talk because it went through the beauty of being a woman as God intended. But today, I want to focus on the gift of nourishment that has been particularly given to women as we celebrate Mother’s Day. 

One point I want to mention from the talk is that women were created last because it was the last piece to complete God’s human creation story. The place, earth, and all its habitats were made; the provider, man, was created and organized the rest of creation, preparing a good foundation for the one to nourish the world, the woman. 

I am having difficulty putting that into words, but I hope you understand the point I am trying to make. We were not an afterthought. And we were not created to entertain men. 

God made us the ones who receive love and the fountain through which love pours into creation. 

Our Pro-Life Bodies.

Every inch of our figures is designed with that purpose in mind. Our curves allow better hugs and a comfortable place of rest. 

Our brains can keep track of more information and better social skills. Many studies have shown that women have better facial expression recognition abilities than men. This is not to discredit men; on the contrary, it’s meant to illustrate the complementary differences between the two. 

We are givers! Our organs scream pro-life and sustainability. Breasts provide nourishment, and our uterus makes a cozy home for a new baby to develop safely. 

Everything about us speaks of the nurturing side of God. 

Women are Body and Soul.

We also know that God does not intend every woman to be a physical mother. Jesus said in Matthew 19: 12, “Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”

Because of this, some women are called to renounce their ability to be physical mothers to build up God’s kingdom. These would be consecrated women like nuns, sisters, or consecrated virgins. Their vocation requires more of an open heart to serve people in ministry and accompaniment full time, something a married woman with children would be limited in doing. 

There are better resources that speak on this, but the important thing is that these women are not more or less in the eyes of God. They are called to live out their spiritual motherhood.

Becoming a Spiritual Mother

It wasn’t until two years ago when I began my discernment journey, that I heard we are all called to be spiritual mothers. It’s this beautiful concept that speaks specifically to our soul. 

As we’ve discussed, our bodies display our calling to motherhood. But as human beings, we cannot forget that we are also souls. Therefore, our souls also have the nature of mothers. In other words, because God created women to receive life and nourish it, our souls have a unique ability to make everyone feel that grace from God, even if they are not our physical children or if there’s an age gap. 

The soul of a woman is more receptive to the needs of others, and she will do anything to make things right. Or tell me, is there anything better than getting a warm hug from a woman you trust? Whether it’s your mom, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, or mentor, you will always find special comfort from those ladies. 

Women, Let Your Spiritual Motherhood Shine.

Like many gifts from God, we must learn how to use our motherhood well. More often than not, that maternal figure from whom we understand what it means to be a mother is our mom. I know that is the case for me. 

My mom taught me selflessness, responsibility, charity, forgiveness, and more. Sometimes, I may not express it well, but when I fail to live up to my motherhood, I hear my mom’s gentle reminder to persevere and seek God’s will. 

And if you haven’t noticed, I’ve been on a journey to build a friendship with Our Lady. Who better than her to teach us about the beauty of motherhood? 

In John 19, Jesus tells the Beloved apostle and us to take Mary into our homes. She is not our physical mother; spiritually, we have become her children through Christ.

Like a good mother, Mary is constantly seeking our well-being. She wants us to help us grow in holiness so that we live out our identity as children of God. 

You are Living out Your Motherhood. 

Isn’t it lovely that God always keeps us in good company? We are broken human beings in need of God’s endless mercy. We will fail. It might be in our physical motherhood through neglect. It might be in our spiritual motherhood through ignorance. But God will always put someone in your life to fill up that missing piece of motherhood love.

Now that you know that you don’t need to give birth to be a motherly figure, make good use of this gift from God!

The world needs holy mothers. 

So this Mother’s Day, make an effort to celebrate those women who’ve shared their gift of motherhood with you as they brought you closer to God.