Eucharistic Motherhood: Saying Goodbye

Saturday, July 25, 2020

Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye to Jacob--taking him to the airport at 4am in Rome, sending him off to Dallas--was one of the hardest things I've ever done. And yet who could ask for more? Who could have more reason to give thanks and celebrate? This is my first-born child who has been faithful, loving, and totally committed to our family. He hopes that by going to the University of Dallas, his sisters will follow him there, and then they will all settle down in Texas near each other and raise their families together. Be still my heart! I do not think I could be more fortunate.

So why are my eyes so red and puffy, my stomach in knots, and my heart broken in two? How is there such a huge, gaping hole in our home today? Why isn't there someone wondering where his next 3,000 calories are going to come from and if there is adequate protein in them? Why isn't there someone who brightens my mood when he walks into the room? How do we be a family without him?

I cannot write this message without bawling! I can't even see the screen! {lease fgorive typos

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About Me

Born in Texas, raised in NYC, I earned my Ph.D. in philosophy and married a gorgeous theology student who rides a motorcycle and looks like James Dean. We now have six kids, are based in Irving near the University of Dallas where my husband teaches theology and where I sometimes teach philosophy. We currently live in the Castelli Romani, just outside of Rome, Italy. In addition to teaching some semesters and raising our 6 wonderful children, I am studying theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. Passionate about the vocation of motherhood, I founded a Catholic mother's ministry, Mighty Is Her Call. Our retreats and blog can be explored here: https://mightyishercall.com.

My book, Motherhood: An Extraordinary Vocation was released August 2021.

What's Special about Motherhood?

Motherhood is patterned on the life of Christ, particularly the Eucharist, in a way that no other vocation is. Some mothers shed blood for their children in childbirth--just as Christ shed his blood for us, a gift we celebrate in the Eucharist. Some mothers nourish children with their own bodies--just as Christ nourishes us with his body in the Eucharist. Mothers give themselves up in countless ways for their children--just as Christ gave himself up for us: "This is my body, given up for you." Every aspect of our day, from feeding our children, to cleaning up their messes, to disciplining them, to listening attentively to them, to hugging them, to laughing with them, to cherishing them, reflects the ways Christ gives himself to us. Motherhood is a role fashioned in the image of Christ, more so than perhaps any other vocation. It is singularly close to and reflective of the Heart of Christ.