Labor pains (John 16:21) by Rosemary Bernth

“When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.” ~ John 16:21 (full readings)

Rosemary’s Reflections: We encounter our own types of labor pains in our lives. During my last marathon, I encountered leg and back cramps. I could have quit at any of the water stations I passed. But something kept telling me “Just one more mile” after every station. When I Crossed the finish line, I had given it my all. As I sat in the med tent, I was so happy to have completed the race and didn’t care about my time. I had done what I thought I couldn’t do, and I wanted that finisher medal around my neck. Going into labor seems like an ultimate marathon. It certainly doesn’t sound pleasant with the hours of pain and sweat. Yet after all that comes the best prize–a newborn life. Sadly, some women choose not to finish the race, or even to begin, for fear of the physical and emotional pain. They have lost their eyes on the prize, their vision blurred by the pressure of society. We need to be the cheering crowd along the road, the ones offering aid and water to these women–similar to how Veronica offered Jesus a cloth to wipe His face along the Via Delorosa, the road of suffering. Pain is temporary, but the joy of salvation lasts forever.
* Rosemary Bernth (LIFE Runner) was a journalist for the Diocese of Sioux City’s newspaper and is now a writing/travel graduate student at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA.

Faith Challenge: What great strength women have! Yet there are women out there who don’t believe they have the ability to follow through with a pregnancy and feel alone on the road. They are surrounded by people who tell them to quit. This is where we come in. Let us show these women the support they need to finish the race. Volunteer at a pregnancy center, become a sidewalk counselor outside Planned Parenthood, or even be a reference point pregnant women can turn to for prayers.

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, Priests for Life, Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: St. John I.

Faith Quote: “Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back…play for her.” ~ Mia Hamm