Mary Kept All These Things,
Reflecting on Them in Her Heart"

Today's Mass Readings

The Solemnity of Blessed Mary, the Mother of God, completes the Christmas Octave just as the secular world celebrates the New Year. Although our liturgical year officially began with Advent, in some way, Mary herself represents a new beginning and a wonderful blessing. Our readings today speak to us about blessing. The reading from Numbers, for example, provides instructions for blessing the Israelites, while the responsorial psalm echoes this with the refrain, “May God bless us in his mercy.” The second reading describes that blessing even more specifically. Galatians tells us that, by Jesus’ coming, we are now children and heirs of God. It is an amazing claim that we are children and heirs of God! And it is also amazing that this all was made possible by God’s coming to us as an infant, born of a woman.

That woman, Mary, provides a profound model for us in today’s gospel passage. In the midst of so many people, in wonderment at her son, Mary “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Being the mother of God was no doubt a tremendous role for this young woman of faith, and in saying yes to bearing Jesus, Mary immersed herself in the mystery of God’s love for his people. Precisely because this was a mystery, Mary pondered these things, reflecting on them in her heart. She used her reason by thinking about the mystery, but it was constantly guided by her faith as she reflected “in her heart.”

Mary is blessed because she had the privilege and burden of being the Mother of God. Mary accepted this blessing by immersing herself in the mystery of God’s love, growing closer to her son each day of her life. So we too, during this time of Christmas, must let ourselves become immersed in this wonderful mystery: God loves us so much, that he comes to dwell among us. This is a blessing that we all receive, and we too, like Mary, must strive to grow closer to Mary’s Son Jesus each day of our life. As Christmas continues, let us accept Blessed Mary, the Mother of God, as a model for each of us of the Christian life.

- Maria Morrow