Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
My name is Miranda and I am 39 and a half weeks pregnant with my second baby 😊 It’s nice to meet you *handshake emoji*.
If you’re a high school teen and you don’t know this – pregnancy typically lasts 40 weeks, so basically – I’m SOO close!
I couldn’t help but think about pregnancy and childbirth as I read through and prayed with Sunday’s readings – sue me, I guess you could say it’s on my mind these days😉
In the letter we read part of a letter from St. Paul to the Romans, he tells us that “the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed to us.” Being 39 weeks pregnant is no joke, my body is doing a lot of work right now, giving away nutrients to grow a life, passing along calories and vitamins and everything that the baby needs in order to sustain this little life, my organs are moving and changing shape to make room for this baby, my legs are carrying my weight and plus baby, nerves get pinched, backs get twisted, hips need to open. It takes a toll on the body physically. And the sufferings are emotional as well, hormones are changing constantly, sleep is less restful, pregnancy can be isolating if you don’t have anyone to talk to about being pregnant who could understand. There are many sufferings of this present time for me. But something beautiful is coming. I know because I’ve done this all before with my son a year and a half ago. And as he runs through our living room kicking his soccer ball shouting “goal” as I write this, I am experiencing the glory. (Yes, we have been watching the World Cup😉)
I know that these sufferings, even when they are many, are as nothing compared with the glory that will come when we finally get to see his/her little face and hold him/her in our arms. And that glory that is the life of our baby will last far longer and be far more memorable than the sufferings of pregnancy. (And when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll do it all over again without hesitating!)
Most of you probably can’t relate to the sufferings and woes of a very pregnant woman. But the truth is, we encounter suffering in our world today. Each of you has experienced suffering in some way, maybe little maybe big, our world is broken and there is sin and there is suffering in this present time.
But be encouraged by St. Paul that these sufferings, even the biggest ones we face in this life, are nothing compared to the glory that will come when Jesus comes again or when we are united with Him in Heaven for eternity!!