Intercession
May expectant mothers who are either considering, or actively engaged in arranging foster care or adoption, be strengthened by the grace of God in embracing this loving option for life.
Prayers
Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be
Reflection
It is challenging for a mother, having brought her child to birth, to let that child go to someone else’s home. There can be feelings of sadness, or even guilt. But parents who choose adoption often exemplify the sacrificial love of Jesus, putting the needs of their child first, even at great cost to themselves. We also consider those parents who, through their generosity of spirit are ready to embrace new life through adoption or foster care.
Today let us reflect on Saint Joseph: the evangelists Matthew and Luke present him as the foster father of Jesus, and not as his biological father. Joseph shows us that this type of bond is not an afterthought. This kind of choice is among the highest forms of love, and of fatherhood and motherhood. How many children in the world are waiting for someone to take care of them! And how many married couples want to be fathers and mothers but are unable to do so for biological reasons; or, although they already have children, they want to share their family’s affection with those who do not have it. We should not be afraid to choose the path of adoption or foster care.
The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that, in the face of fears and trials, we can “hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm” (Heb 6:18-19). We pray that each expectant mother choosing foster care or adoption will be filled with “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:7) as she makes a loving choice for her child. Let us all cling fast to the anchor of hope, for we have received “a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Rom 8:15).
