Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 1, 2020
The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
My freshman year at Notre Dame was the first year that women were admitted as undergrads. While I was aware that this was an historic moment, (the television cameras in my dorm room were proof!) my day-to- day concerns did not center on the momentousness of it all. I was more concerned with making new friends, writing papers until 3 a.m., and learning how to navigate a sailboat with the Sailing Club. Later, I learned that the term “pioneers” had been applied to our class. I suppose that we were pioneers, but that was not the reality of my everyday world.
Similarly, I imagine that Mary must have moved about in two worlds. On one level, she was probably a bit overwhelmed with caring for a newborn child, not even living in her own home, and just a little exasperated that she had to “entertain” visitors both regal and common. On the other hand, she realized that it was an historic moment and that she was the mother of God. The Mother of God!! No wonder she was pondering in her heart!
How often do we move through life completely absorbed with the minutiae of our daily jobs? While tending to the important details of our existence, we should take some time periodically to ponder in our hearts. I wonder what we might learn. Are we an important piece to a bigger puzzle? What is that bigger picture? As our lives fit into a grander scheme, how can we contribute to the greater good? We may not find all the answers to these questions, but the pondering could bring us closer to them.
Prayer
Gracious God, you have given us the mother of your Son to be our mother and protector. With the support of her prayers may we grow in holiness and experience the rewards of everlasting life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today’s feast, which honors Mary as the Mother of God—the one who bears Christ to the world—has been on the Church calendar since the seventh century. Given the role Mary plays in the narratives of the birth of Christ, it is appropriate that the Church honors her in the days after Christmas, and this feast falls within the octave that extends the feast of Christmas through eight days. As it says in the Catechism:
"Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense, the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the 'Seat of Wisdom.'"
— CCC 721
The chapel in Malloy Hall, which houses theology and philosophy programs and faculty, is named after Mary, Seat of Wisdom. A bas-relief of Mary with Jesus, pictured above, is placed on the exterior wall of that chapel. Today's featured image of the statue of Mary and Jesus stands in the Log Chapel.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in this new year!
To learn even more about Mary, watch this video lecture from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame.