“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.”
Song of Songs 6:3
God ultimately desires and plans all new life to be started in love, to be raised in love, and to become love for others. He creates each soul with a need for love. Our call to love is based in who we are – God’s beloved children! God loves us and requires us to love like Him.
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.”
–John 15:12
The love we were created for is meant to nourish us in this world and ultimately lead us to Eternal Love in Heaven. God in His love created us for a special purpose. God knows our deepest needs and the longings of our heart because He placed them there as He carefully formed us.
God created mankind in His image;
in the image of God He created them;
male and female He created them.
God blessed them and God said to them:
Be fertile and multiply.
–Genesis 1:27-28
God gave the gift of marriage from the beginning of Creation so that man might not be alone. Marriage facilitates the experience of and the sharing of the love of God with another. It is a love that exceeds the rush of infatuated, sensual pleasure. It is a love that endures standing beside that other soul through the delightful times and even the seemingly impossible ones. Marriage is for unselfish love, for the salvation of both souls, and for the union of the two to become one flesh. The sacred union of a man and a woman in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is a call to love and to the giving of life.
God fashioned marriage in a special way that we might share in creation. The miracle of life is always first and foremost a gift from God that man and woman are bestowed with the capability of sharing in. The joining of our complementary bodies was designed to bring forth mutual love and unity while being life-giving to each other and to the creation of a new soul as God wills.
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”
–Jeremiah 1:5
For the coming months, we will take a journey month by month through the miracle of an unborn life. We will reflect upon the truly miraculous growth that a pre-born baby will take in a mother’s womb. We will marvel at God’s intricate design and how each step along the way shows His handiwork and care for the unique and unrepeatable person that is carefully being fashioned within a woman’s womb.
Before the parents are aware, God is already at work creating
and directing a new human life within a woman’s womb.
At the moment of conception, a baby is simply one cell
but that one cell contains all that is ever needed for a new human being.
This one cell already has “the entire blueprint”
for that unique human life from the
color of their skin, eyes, and hair.
The one cell specifically determines the
baby’s gender, adult height, characteristics
and personality as well as “aptitude for math, art, and sports.”
The baby has been given from God and the parents
all that is needed for development
except continual nourishment from the mother
and time to grow into the unique person. (Conception)
Here are a few suggested ways to support the miracle of life:
Consider taking the journey to greater appreciation by Spiritually Adopting a Baby that is at risk of abortion. This beautiful nine-month prayer journey was encouraged by Archbishop Fulton Sheen to daily pray for the safety and health of the baby that only God knows and will share the graces of your prayers with. Our children desperately need to learn about this miracle so they can be a force for life for the coming generations.
Join fellow Sacred Heart parishioners in the 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils at Planned Parenthood in Spring beginning February 23. Learn about this and the Respect Life Ministry to get involved and help support women in crisis pregnancies.
During this National Marriage Week from February 7-14, take time to honor your spouse and encourage those recently married to persevere in their reflection of the communal love of the Trinity to each other. Check out this at home retreat for married couples to focus on their relationship with God and with each other.
References:
Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash
Conception quote adapted from Spiritual Adoption material posted for education at https://www.respectlifekcsj.org/spiritual-adoption.html
Author: Laura Stephens
