A fellow dotMagis blogger, Tim Muldoon, wrote a very moving and inspiring piece on his blog Holy Desire on not only parenting, but on his and his wife’s desire to adopt a third child. 

His words below resonated deeply within about my own vocation as a parent: 

I have spent my adult life studying the phenomenon of religious faith over history and in the context of postmodernity.  I have mined texts both ancient and modern, trying to understand something of the meaning in the words and actions of Jesus.  I have cross examined the doctrinal traditions of the Catholic Church, bringing them into conversation with the cultured despisers of religion. 

I have sat at the feet of men and women of prayer, receiving and later giving spiritual direction in the traditions of greats like Benedict of Nursia and Ignatius of Loyola. 

And yet after all this, what moves me the most is parenting, for nowhere else have I been more directly the witness of what Moses saw atop Mount Sinai: that is, the faintest remnant of God having passed by.  Saint Paul said it most perfectly: what remains is love.  In the end, love is possible only if God is possible, for otherwise love is little more than an endorphin rush.

While I am no theologian, like Tim, I understand where he comes from.  I have a deep desire to learn about my faith, I have a call to ministry, and I have read many wise people who came before us.   At the same time, though,  I could not agree with him more, “what moves me the most is parenting”. 

I encourage you to read Tim’s post:  “Adopting Again”, and if you feel so inclined to support him and his wife in adopting their 3rd child, I know they would appreciate it. 

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.