“Reflecting on Them in Her Heart” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)
The LORD said to Moses: "Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:22-27)
May God bless us in his mercy. (Psalm 67:2a)
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. (Luke 2:16-19)
Piety
Gentle Mother, guide my thoughts, my lips, and my hands. Show me when to speak—and when to ponder.
Study
It had been, ahem, a rather unusual year or so for the young girl.
First, Mary is betrothed to Joseph. (I will not enter the debate about what exactly that meant, whether they were “engaged” or had entered into a marriage not planning to consummate the union.) Then an angel tells her she’s going to conceive in a unique way. Then she goes to visit an older relative, who it turns out is pregnant for the first time as well. Then there’s the trip to Bethlehem, the less than comfortable setting for her baby’s birth, and the visit by the shepherds, who carry an angel’s message.
Even one of those peculiar circumstances, let alone all of them, for most of us, would result in great teeth gnashing, social media what-the-heck postings, processing with friends, and a whole lot of prayer requests.
And yet, we see Mary in today’s Gospel reading as calm, peaceful, serene. She doesn’t ask Joseph or anyone else what all this means. She reflects in her heart because no other human being can understand exactly what’s happened to her. She reflects in her heart because she knows the Lord knows her… and will continue to guide her.
That’s not to say it’s always wrong to vent about our situations, in person or on social media. But sharing can be a crutch. It can put us at the center of the storm, rather than He who is always there and will take us through the choppiest of waters and the highest of gales. May we learn from Mary’s example and discern the times our fears and concerns are best kept in our hearts, awaiting His healing balm.
Action
Check out this video or another based on Numbers 6:22-26. Meditate on the ways in which the Lord’s face is shining upon you.
Credit is: Mattia Preti [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons.
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