Celebrating the Joys of Parenthood

By Fr. Michael Herlihey, OFM, Cap

Joy is a powerful motivator. Have you considered the power of the joyful witness of your parenthood? Think of the smile of a mother as she lovingly watches her child playing on the playground; the grin and twinkle in the eye of a father who is sharing with you how joyfully

proud he is of his child accomplishing a difficult task; of the joyful smiles of parents as they share that their son took his first steps yesterday; of a grandmother's radiating, joyful face as she reads a book to her grandchild sitting on her lap? A massive movement of sharing the joys of parenthood will lead to a great change to a culture of death.

Many people dread parenthood. They constantly hear stories of its struggles: “Kiss your social life goodbye when you become a parent”; “I’m constantly tired as a new parent”; or “the terrible twos are the worst”. They see the disrespectful middle school child or the rebellious teenager. They hear about the financial stressors: the cost of diapers, daycare costs, and college prices. Since parenthood is tiring, challenging, and expensive, it is understandable that when a mother and father find out that a child is on the way, they may feel fear, anxiety, and sadness. And in a culture that prioritizes presumptive convenience over the difficulties of being a mother, there is a temptation to rid oneself of the source of those difficulties: the child. The abortion industry thrives off of a culture that fears parenthood. Fear of struggle is a powerful motivator and can push fathers and mothers to the point of abortion.

So how can the pro-life community respond? A culture of fear is best combated by the powerful witness of joyful love. In general, people are willing to undergo struggles and make sacrifices in order to experience the love and joys of what these struggles and sacrifices will bring. Ask any athlete why they are willing to lose sleep to get up early in the morning and

train. We all make sacrifices for things that bring us joy.

Jesus acknowledges the anguish and the eventual joys a mother will undergo: “When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So, you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16:20-22). In Mark’s Gospel, people were bringing children to Jesus. The disciples, seeing the children as a nuisance, rebuked the parents and the children: “When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom like a child will not enter it.’ Then he embraced them.” (Mk 10:13-16). Jesus rebuked those who complained about the children. He then delighted in them and embraced them as His spiritual sons and daughters. You can imagine the witness that was for the people to see Him hugging, playing, and smiling in His spiritual parenthood. Be a living witness to the power of the Gospel! Since “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18), share your testimony of the joys of parenthood and how much you love your kids!

Our late Pope Francis witnessed so many joyful parents over his lifetime. In a general audience on February 11th, 2015, he shared his reflections on the joy of parenthood: “The joy of children makes their parents’ hearts leap and opens up the future. Children are the joy of family and of society…. They are a gift.”

If you as a part of the pro-life community want to change our culture of death into a culture of life, share your witness of the joys of being a parent and watch how the culture transforms to see children as a gift!