Day 14: My Spirit Rejoices

“But service risks being fruitless without praise to God. Indeed, when Mary enters the home of her cousin, she praises the Lord. She does not talk about her weariness from the journey, but rather a song of jubilation springs from her heart.” – Pope Francis

Unlike Mary in Pope Francis’ quote, I’d like to talk about my weariness for just a moment. On a typical afternoon about a year ago, I held my napping baby. I lounged on the couch with him, thinking about the work that I still had to do, the sink full of dishes that haunted me, and the pile of dirty laundry that I could never put a dent into. Regardless, I joined my son by dozing off. I realize now that by doing so, I lived the ministry of presence.

In that moment, God gave me a loving reminder. Being a wife and mother is my ministry, and my home is my mission site. His gentle encouragement changed the way I approach where I’m called to live my lifelong mission.

I prayed for a long time to be a wife and mother. This is the vocation that I waited for and prepared my heart for. My spirit rejoices with gratitude that I get to live my answered prayers. Now, I recognize that these answered prayers come with responsibilities, so I happily take on the responsibility to serve and be present with my family.

Loving my husband and my son naturally involves service. I see how my service can be productive when the sink is empty and the clean clothes live in our dressers instead of the laundry baskets. Still, I find myself questioning how my service can be fruitful. There are days when I feel discontent and I worry that I don’t do enough for my family. When I prioritize time to pray and offer my praise to God, these thoughts vanish. I like to think that God “ordains” my days to be fruitful according to His will. Like any toddler mom, I struggle to find time to pray. My simple daily prayer involves praying with the Mass readings, asking God to multiply my time, and opening my heart to whatever grace He wants to share with me. 

When I feel overwhelmed or frustrated, our Blessed Mother comforts me. I think of her and remember that Jesus was once my son’s age. When Max is my little shadow in the kitchen, I wonder if Jesus followed Mary this closely in their home in Nazareth. When Max squirms in my arms at Mass, I wonder what Jesus was like for Mary and Joseph when they went to synagogue. When I contemplate Jesus as a toddler and Mary as a young mom, my bad mood is quickly replaced with reverence for our Lord and admiration of our Lady. 

In the Visitation, Mary and Elizabeth experienced the ministry of presence. They shared their hearts with each other, woman to woman and mom to mom. Together, they rejoiced in the blessings that God gave them. Likewise, Mary often enters my home and my heart and reminds my spirit to be joyful. She shares her Immaculate Heart with me, and I keep her love in my heart.

This Advent, I want to join Mary’s “song of jubilation” through genuine gratitude. My spirit rejoices because my husband and I are celebrating four years of marriage today and because our son is healthy and home with us. We have everything we need and more. I’m grateful that God has chosen me to be a steward of so many blessings. It’s a gift to serve the family that I prayed for, and it’s a joy to witness the fruits of service.

Question for Reflection: How does your spirit rejoice where you’re called to serve?

My husband, Nathan, my one-year-old son, Max, and me during Max’s first trip to a pumpkin patch.