Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception! Today’s feast is near and dear to my heart. The chapel at the University of Dayton where I went to college is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.

Today also marks the beginning of the Year of Mercy. Click here to learn more about the incredible opportunities we have to celebrate and participate in this year.

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Able to Love without Requiring Love in Return: The Reality of Motherhood

The most fundamental task of motherhood is giving life, being open to life. Coupled with this live-bearing ability is the capability of loving another person, even if there is no expectation of reciprocal love. When a woman first conceives a child, for the first few months the only signs of the life growing within her are nausea,  fatigue, odd eating habits, new sensitivity to certain smells, and random bouts of tears during commercial breaks.

She has felt no movement, sometimes hasn’t even heard a heartbeat yet. But already she is making extraordinary changes for the sake of her not-yet-known child.  Perhaps she is quitting smoking. She has reduced or ceased drinking alcohol. She is sleeping more and has increased the amount of water she is drinking. Very likely she is more closely watching her diet. She is or will be going to the doctor regularly.

The reality is that this new life has at this point, given her nothing. But in the depths of her heart, indeed her very being, this child is grown in love. The changes, the suffering, the anxiety, all come from this deep place of love.

Do you love anyone without needing them to love you in return?