What did the late Pope Benedict XVI have to say specifically about childbirth? Well, not much that I'm aware of, though he did write and speak prolifically about the birth of Christ! But in honor of his passing into eternal life and in gratitude for the service and wisdom he gave to the Church, I'd like to offer a small gift to my readers here.
I've collected a few of my favorite quotes of his that can absolutely be used as an encouragement to mothers before and during birth. Click below to download them all and print. Just like the affirmations in the shop, they are formatted as 5x7 but can be sized down via your printer settings if you would like them smaller. Print on card stock and use them as reminders in your home and during your birth. They can be hung, placed in a prayer journal, framed, packed in a hospital bag, or stuck on the bathroom mirror...wherever you feel they will be most helpful!
Download here:
Included are the following ten quotes:
"Even when no human being can or will help you, you may go on, trusting in the One that loves you." Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration
"The theology of glory is inseparably linked with the theology of the Cross." Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives
"The cross reminds us that there is no true love without suffering, there is no gift of life without pain." On the Message of Lourdes, 2008
"The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." (Interestingly, no one seems to know where this quote originates but it is universally attributed to him!)
"It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love." Spe Salvi, 37
"The love, loyalty, and dedication of Mary and Joseph are an example for all Christian couples, who are neither the friends nor masters of their children’s lives, but the guardians of this incomparable gift from God." Angelus, December 30, 2012
"One aspect of becoming a Christian is having to leave behind what everyone else thinks and wants, the prevailing standards, in order to enter the light of the truth of our being, and aided by that light to find the right path." Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narrative
"Each of you has a personal vocation which He has given you for your own joy and sanctity. When a person is conquered by the fire of His gaze, no sacrifice seems too great to follow Him and give Him the best of ourselves. This is what the saints have always done." Address to the Young People of the Archdiocese of Madrid, April 2, 2012
"Accepting the Cross, entering into fellowship with Christ, means entering the realm of transformation and expiation." Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection
"Jesus, I love you." His last words before death
I hope these affirmations will bless you in your pregnancy and birth! May Papa Benedict now be interceding for us all before the throne of God.