You will have seen in our parish mass intentions a regular “Children in the Womb” and you may be glad to know of the thinking behind that constant prayer.
One of our people told me of the feeling of oppression at the thought of how many babies die in the womb – miscarriage, termination, abortion – and of the many women suffering the loss of their child, whatever the circumstances. Could we pray for the children and their mothers? Of course. Then the insistence of making an offering for mass to be celebrated regularly that the whole parish might share the prayer.
So we do. If in your family there has been the death of a child in the womb you know the sorrow. We knew it in our family. My mother and father celebrated the birthday of the baby (Joan the name chosen and registered as “born dead”) throughout their lives. When my father died we found in the inside pocket of his suit the baby’s death certificate. He had carried it next to his heart.
But they never talked to us about her, nor about their celebrating her birthday, except for a very occasional word. I remember my mother’s saying simply “Remember she is my daughter as much as you are my son.” What beautiful faith shared by my parents. They knew Joan was with God and waiting for them. When our parents died, within nine months of each other, we knew our sister was waiting with God for them.
That is the faith we are sharing in the “Children in the Womb” mass: the children waiting for their mothers and fathers to share God’s love with them for all eternity. What a message we have to share if only we could find the words to touch those who do not see a child but only an inconvenience,
God bless them to hear us who believe, God bless us to explain our faith more
convincingly and lovingly.
Fr John
8th October 2017
Related Links: Popular Reads and Fr John’s Parish Newsletters
