No Less Real: The Spiritual Motherhood of a Consecrated Woman

By Gudelia Guerra

Just like any other woman my dream was to marry a handsome, God fearing, (and preferably) rich young man and have beautiful, well behaved, perfect looking children.

And I was already on the path to it. I had a handsome, God fearing, and rich young man for a boyfriend and was ready to marry him, when all of a sudden God presented a detour in the highway of my life.

With many tears and mixed feelings of pain, joy, and excitement for the adventure that was to come, I told my boyfriend that our relationship needed to end. When I told him that I felt God was calling me to discern my vocation in the consecrated life, he took my hand, looked at me with so much love and told me: “Gudelia, I can’t fight against God. Go ahead and discern your vocation”

And after this I officially started my new relationship with Jesus. At first it was very difficult, because I was not giving my 100% to this new relationship. I was still looking back on the things I thought would make me happy: to have a man for a husband and give birth to my own children.

Until one day I realized that this internal conflict was there because of the pain of my break up and letting go of the plans I had for my life. One day, by God’s grace, I chose to embrace His plan for me and to be generous. And oh! It was only then that I experienced a freedom in my heart that I had never felt before. My eyes were finally open, and I saw God’s plan for me as the most beautiful and perfect plan I could have ever choose for myself. My heart felt full to know that I had Jesus for a husband, and multitude of spiritual children.

As people say, ” you are first a wife and then a mother”. So I deepened myself in the discovery of this spousal relationship with Jesus. I have always thought that for a married woman to be totally fulfilled, she has to hold with one hand the hand of her husband and with the other the hand of God. In my case it is obvious that God was holding one of my hands. But, what would happen to the other? As a consecrated woman, God holds my two hands. As my spouse, and my God. And so He is the source of my fulfillment.

And it is through this spousal relationship with Jesus that I give birth to spiritual children in my heart everyday.

When a woman gives birth to a child, she nurtures the baby, she feeds the baby with food from her own body in order for the baby to grow healthy and strong. Through my spiritual maternity I feed my spiritual children through the “food” and the “gifts” that the Holy Spirit gives to me, for the person to grow healthy and strong in virtue and in his or her relationship with God. According to St. Paul the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Now, I have been consecrated for 11 years. And I have been in Mexico, Spain, and in the Philippines. In each one of this countries, Jesus has given to me spiritual children to guide and bring them closer to His heart. And throughout these years I have witnessed that once a woman gives birth to a child, she cares for the of the child physically and spiritually. She provides the child with his needs, prays for him, and guides him to grow in virtue and faith. This makes her a physical and spiritual mother.

One may say that the physical maternity “ends” when the body dies. While the love of a mother goes well beyond the grave, she and her child are physically separated by death.

However, there is hope in the belief that the spirit never dies. Therefore the spiritual maternity never ends. If God has entrusted to me the spirit of a human being, then that must mean that my maternity never ends. Isn’t that beautiful?

And this is why I believe that while no child has ever called me “mother,” my maternity is no less real…

Gudelia Guerra is a young consecrated woman of the Regnum Christi Movement. Originally from Saltillo Mexico, she moved to Manila in 2009 after several years of formation in Madrid, Spain. Today, most of her time is spent on quality time with her husband (in prayer) and on apostolic activities with youth organizations. She is well loved by many and has a seemingly unlimited source of energy to minister to her numerous spiritual children.