There are many stories in the Bible about couples who have difficulty having a child, and the Bible is a book that treasures these struggles as part of God’s saving plan. We might recognize the stories of Sarah (wife of Abraham), Rebekah (wife of Isaac), Rachel (wife of Jacob), Hannah (mother of Samuel), the mother of Samson, and Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist), who all experienced long years of waiting and pain before finally receiving the gift of a child. Among them, tradition also tells the story of Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary, who for a long time were without children. They too carried the sorrow and shame that came with childlessness in their time. But one day, an angel revealed to Anne that God had heard her prayer, and she would conceive a daughter whose name would be spoken of throughout the whole world. Mary’s birth, therefore, was not only a grace for Joachim and Anne but also a grace poured out for the entire world.
The beginning of this story is also related to the experience of many parents today. One of them is my friend from my youth Catholic group. They have been married for at least seven years, and until now, they are still waiting and praying for a child. After so much time of hoping and longing, they even experienced the deep disappointment of a miscarriage. I know how frustrating and heartbreaking this kind of reality is for them, and surely for many other parents around the world. To face such a situation is to be tested in hope and faith. They felt sadness and anger toward God, and it is only human and natural for them to cry out in prayer, “Why has this happened to us?” As a friend, when I heard the news, I felt my own heart break. It was a heavy reminder of how fragile human hope can be.
Many other stories also tell us that in such situations, parents turn to God with even greater faith. They pray with all their hearts and sometimes make a promise that if they are given the gift of a child, they will offer this child back to God. Miraculously, God has truly answered such prayers in history, and later on, many of these children grew up to dedicate themselves as priests or religious sisters, serving the Church and the world.
But then we may ask: Why does God let these parents wait for such a long time and endure so much suffering before finally granting them a child? Why does it seem necessary that a promise or vow must first be made? The answer lies not in the words of the promise itself, but in the depth of faith that is purified and strengthened through years of waiting, struggling, and persevering. The delay is not a punishment but a preparation. The longer the wait, the greater the grace that God is preparing. Grace is God’s answer to those who remain faithful despite their tears, doubts, and desperation. Mary’s birth is one of the clearest examples of this truth. It has been written in the Bible repeatedly through many figures to show us how immense and extraordinary God’s grace is, and how much He delights in bringing new life where it once seemed impossible.
Moreover, these long-awaited children—Isaac, Jacob, Samuel, Samson, John the Baptist, and finally the Virgin Mary—did not live ordinary lives. They became great and prominent figures in salvation history. They carried out God’s mission for His people, and through them, God’s plan unfolded for the whole world. Mary, in particular, is remembered as the special Mother of Mission, for she bore in her womb Jesus Christ, the Savior of humanity. Through her, the greatest grace of all entered our world.
This reflection also reminds me of my own vocation as a Xaverian. My mission, like Mary’s, is also born out of grace, a grace that answers the cries and longings of the world. My vocation is meant to respond to the desperation of people who, in their suffering, are asking the painful questions: “Why is this happening to me? Where is God in all of this?” These are not easy questions. They cannot be answered by theology books or lessons alone. They are answered by love—by presence, by listening, by compassion, and by acts of service.
This is, at its heart, the mission of the Church. When people are suffering, they are not looking for abstract answers; they are looking for real help and genuine love. Mother Church, like Mother Mary, must be a visible sign of God’s grace, born into the world to care for the lost, the hurting, and the abandoned. All of us, as members of the Church, share in this mission. We are called to help one another, to become instruments of God’s grace especially for those most in need, and to remind the world through our actions that God is still with us. In this moment let us pray for all who is longing to have children. May God granted them a graceful child and so we may praise God as in Psalm 113:
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
both now and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
let the name of the Lord be praised.
High above all nations is the Lord;
above the heavens his glory.
Who is like the Lord our God,
enthroned on high,
looking down on heaven and earth?
He raises the needy from the dust,
lifts the poor from the ash heap,
Seats them with princes,
the princes of the people,
Gives the childless wife a home,
the joyful mother of children.
Hallelujah!
