The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
This advent, I facilitated a parish retreat titled, “My soul magnifies the Lord!” As you recognize, those are the very first words of Mary’s Magnificat. I used those words as a launch pad to introduce and invite the participants to a more contemplative lifestyle. My focus on contemplation, however, was derived from the words in today’s gospel reading, “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). From the news of Jesus conception in her womb, to the birth of Jesus in a stable, to the fleeing to Egypt to protect her infant child, to standing at the foot of the cross, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” The gospel portrays Mary as a contemplative – not the cloistered kind of contemplative – but the active kind of contemplative, like you and me. We too can be like Mary, living active lives but living it contemplatively, “keeping all these things and reflecting on them in our hearts!”
As we celebrate the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, and begin a New Year, I would like to reflect on Mary as a contemplative. Here are my three practical implications.
Contemplation: Discovering the Sacred Space Within
The gospel infancy narratives read very easy. Even though decisions of great magnitude had to be made, things seem to move smoothly throughout the story. Angels appear at every juncture, the characters in the stories remain unquestionably docile, and the conundrums of life get resolved in ways that can only be termed miraculous. Even tragedies like Herod’s massacre of the children and the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt do not shift the focus away from the main plot of the story.
Without questioning the veracity of sacred scriptures, perhaps I would not be wrong if I said that for many of us, life is not as smooth as the infancy narratives. Angels do not appear to us at every juncture and tell us what to do.
I am proposing that the key to understanding Mary and Joseph’s response to the events of the entire mystery of the incarnation are the words, “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” The angels could mean literal angels. But they also point to Mary and Joseph as people with a contemplative spirit. They were people in touch with the sacred space within them. Since they “kept all these things, reflecting on them in their hearts,” I like to think of the angels as God speaking to them in the depths of their soul.
Practical implication: Today, Mary and Joseph invite us to be people in touch with the sacred space within. They invite us to be a contemplative people, a people who “keep all these things, reflecting on them within our heart.”
The Challenge of a Contemplative Life
The contemplative life is a challenge for us today. Not only do we have busy lives, but it is hard to dedicate time to the sacred space within us. Fulfilling the demands of work, the family, housekeeping, and other commitments call for a delicate balance. Moreover, our technology, our gadgets, and social media make our already complicated life even more distracted.
On the other hand, the gospel infancy narrative tells us that “reflection in our hearts” is the key to a more contemplative lifestyle. They tell us that God speaks most intimately in the depths of our being. They tell us that our focus on the external can make us overlook the God’s presence within us. As Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, “God sent the Spirit of his Son INTO OUR HEARTS, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Paul’s focus is within.
Practical Implication: Similarly, Mary is inviting us today to pay attention to our life within. Mary is teaching us to develop an intimacy with God within. Mary is calling us to be a contemplative people in an active world.
Contemplation: A New Year Resolution?
Today is the first day of a New Year. Many people who were with us last year, did not live to see this day. But we did. A New Year is always a promise of something new. I wonder whether our new year resolution could be to become people a more contemplative people like, like Mary and Joseph.
Practical Implication: There are few steps we could take to be more contemplative. Perhaps, we could commit ourselves to just a few minutes of silence each day. More often that less, maybe we can try get off the grid and connect with the divine presence with us. In the coming year, perhaps we can resolve to read the scriptures, and like Mary, “keep all these things, reflecting on them in our heart.” May God speak to us in our hearts. May angels appear to us within us.
As we receive Christ into our hearts in Communion at the very beginning of this New Year, let us also resolve that like Mary we we ponder and keep his presence in our hearts. And as we so, may “The LORD bless us and keep us! May the LORD let his face shine upon us, and be gracious to us! The LORD look upon us kindly and give us peace!" Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph