A Hidden Altar

"The Polish Madonna" (image source) is one of my favorite (if folksy) representations of the Blessed Virgin Mary because it reminds me that she and I both have many domestic duties (often considered drudgery) in common. If the Blessed Mother could do these many tasks with cheerfulness and (often hidden) purpose, then I can try to do so also.

Lately I have been feeling a gamut of distressed emotions about motherhood and how I am fulfilling (or not fulfilling) my duties. This morning (I think that) God has sent me two little messages to help cheer my dark spirits a bit.

At breakfast, I grabbed an old copy of the Catholic newspaper The Wanderer, where I stumbled upon a poem that touched me:

"Motherhood"
by Mark Ambrose

Mary was wholly hidden. No one knew
the archangelic greeting--where the path
of wisemen led--the flight from royal wrath--
Simeon's prophecy--the child who grew,
before her eyes, in wisdom, age, and grace.

Even as God incarnate hid his face
with human features, heaven's handmaid kept
her glory hidden in a humble heart.
To make her master's home was her whole art:
to cook and clean, and watch him while he slept.

Mary has set her seal on motherhood,
and all who follow after cannot falter:
A mother makes herself a hidden altar
on which she offers God a glorious good.


Later, John said something that helped redeem what I see as some worthless days lately. Margaret was crying loudly during a diaper change, so John came over and kissed her. He then told me:

"I gave her the biggest kiss in the world, so now she has all my love and I have all her sadness, so she won't cry anymore."

What a sweet brother! And from a Catholic perspective, that John wanted to take on Margaret's sadness (suffering) reminded me of Jesus taking on our sins and suffering. That my four-year-old has never once shown irritation at his baby sister's loud shrieking (or how much of my attention is diverted to her) makes me feel like maybe I'm not doing everything all wrong.

I've been meditating on the transition to three children and hope to write a blog post about my thoughts on it so far, in which I want also to hear from other mothers what they thought of the transition specifically from two to three. More to come!