Eucharistic Motherhood: It will end soon

Monday, January 24, 2022

It will end soon

How much longer will he dress up?

Here he is donning a ninja shoulder piece, a priest's stole, protective lenses for the nerf gun, and a helmet that might just be the detachable hoodie from his winter coat. I'v never seen this particular configuration and will likely never see it again. His costume ensembles are always variations on a theme. One thing I know for sure, however: my older children DO NOT DRESS UP ANY MORE. After years and years of almost daily masquerades in cowboy and knight costumes, ballgowns and fairy costumes, not one of my older girls or boys dresses up in costumes any longer. It seems certain that THIS WILL END. How unbearably sad!

Sebastian is eating double what he used to eat. Every dinner he eats two plates of food instead of one. Today, right now in fact, I am testing our family on the major question: "How much macaroni and cheese is too much?" I am making 2 kilos of pasta with a homemade cheese sauce (no Kraft over here!). IS 2 kilos too much? It looks like so much that I think it myself, "I must have overshot." But this weekend I brought home about 5 kilos of fruit and it was ALL GONE the next day. The point is that Sebastian is tearing through food like a termite in a forest and I bet he is about to shoot up in size. Will that have an impact on his growing up and out of playful games and dress up? I can see this chapter soon coming to a close!

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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.