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The saints have a variety of helpful images that can assist us in our prayer life. One of them is the image of Mary’s womb, placing oneself inside her womb in a mystical way.
A mother's womb is a place of warmth, safety, and nourishment. The time in the womb is a time in every person’s life where they develop, slowly but unceasingly.
In the spiritual life, Jesus himself said that we need to be “born a second time:”
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:3-5)
Nicodemus may have been confused, but he was on the right track. We may not be able to enter our mother’s womb a second time, but we can spiritually enter into the womb of Mary and there be born of “water and the Spirit.”
Womb of Mary
St. Louis de Montfort uses this imagery in his book, True Devotion to Mary:
St. Augustine, surpassing himself, and going beyond all I have yet said, affirms that all the predestinate, in order to be conformed to the image of the Son of God, are in this world hidden in the womb of the most holy Virgin; where they are guarded, nourished, brought up, and made to grow by that good Mother until she has brought them forth to glory after death, which is properly the day of their birth, as the Church calls the death of the just.
In this instance, St. Augustine and St. Louis de Montfort refer to our true “birth” being our “birth” into Eternal Life.
Mary’s womb is the perfect place to remain to be nourished by the Word of God, so that one day we may enter into the Life that is to come.
We can enter into Mary’s womb by simply going to her in prayer and asking her to guide us to her Son.
We can find Jesus is already there in her womb and so when we picture ourselves in Mary’s womb, Jesus is there right at our side.
The next time you enter into prayer, consider letting yourself be spiritually enveloped by Mary’s womb.
