Our Eves

During the Advent readings, the Scriptures present to us two blessed women, Elizabeth, the mother of John Baptist and Mary, the mother of Jesus. These are two of the greatest women in all of Scripture. Along with Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, these women are renowned for one particular thing, bearing the children of God’s people.

         Our culture makes too little of this great calling of women. Some have looked at our many full quivers and said that we make too much of it. But that is not true. If anything, even we make too little of it. Our mothers are great saints and whether they have one baby or many, the blessing is real and glorious. Let us take this seriously, knowing that even our children are God’s means of saving the world. And not only our mothers will be saved by child bearing, as it says in Scripture ( 1Tim. 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing), but all the Earth will be saved in this same way if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. And let us repent for failing to see this blessing as stark as it really is and for failing to hail our mothers as the mothers of all living.