Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
In today’s gospel, after the shepherds arrive at the manger and deliver the message that they had heard from the angels—that the Messiah has been born and is lying in a manger—we are told that Mary “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19).
That’s quite a bit to reflect on! At the announcement of Jesus’ conception in her womb, the Angel Gabriel had told Mary that her son would be the Messiah—the one whom the Jews expected God to send to restore God’s reign among them. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, she greeted her with “most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Lk 1:42). Mary proclaims God’s greatness. She and Joseph travel to Bethlehem and she gives birth in a stable. Then shepherds arrive, proclaiming the same news she had heard from Gabriel and from Elizabeth.
It seems that she couldn’t have been surprised by what the shepherds had to say because she had heard it multiple times before. It seems that she must have been reflecting upon the manner in which all of these things were taking place—the unfolding of it all: the long trip, the manger, the shepherds. God’s ways are clearly not what we always expect and God acts to save us in ways that are often surprising to us and require much reflection. Let us remember Mary’s initial response to the Angel Gabriel: “How can this be?” (Lk 1:34).
As the octave of Christmas comes to close and we are left with one week of the Christmas season, let us follow Mary’s lead and continue to ponder God’s work in our hearts. Perhaps the challenge of the Christmas season is for us to see that ways that God is already working in our lives, especially in the ways that we least expect Him to be.
Tim Gabrielli