Blessing of The Child in The Womb
Having a baby is a wonderful thing. Children are great. No matter what the circumstances are, no matter who the mother or the father is, no matter how conceived, a child is a gift from God, and an occasion for celebration. The first celebration is held when the child is still in the womb. The child is officially acknowledged and blessed when still not yet born by a special rite.
The “Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb” was crafted to support parents awaiting the birth of their child, to encourage parish prayers for and recognition of the precious gift of the child in the womb. It is also aimed to foster respect for human life within society. This also makes people aware of the sacredness of life as from conception.
This blessing may be offered within the context of the Mass as well as outside of Mass. On the 25th of March 2012, the Vatican has approved this new rite of The Blessing of The Child in The Mother’s Womb. It was with the initiative of Pope Benedict that it was included in the calendar of the Catholic Church and in our calendar.
In Gozo, the first celebration was held in 2012 on Mother’s Day. This was repeated the following year. However, then, the day and frequency were changed. Now it is held twice yearly, on The Day For Life first Sunday of February and in June close to the Solemnity of the birth of St. John the Baptist. This makes it possible for all the pregnant mothers who wish to attend for this blessing to make it before the baby is born.
Each year, the number of those who attend is increasing and couples come even from Malta. The event requires a lot of preparation. An invitation is sent to the mothers to be and their families through social media and special flyers. They then register telling us how many people would be attending. The families are involved with the readings, the prayers of the faithful and the offertory procession. After Mass, they go by the Blessed Mother and pray the three Hail Mary and finally stand for a group photo with the Bishop. A frame where they can put the picture of the ultrasound and mark the date of the blessing is given out as a remembrance to all participants.
“The Church welcomes with joy and compassion the mothers who, recognizing that all life is a gift from God, come to the Church seeking a blessing for their unborn child.” – Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb
