Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 1, 2023
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.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.
“Lord, grant me the grace in my daily prayer to slow down and practice silence.” That was my petition back in 2016 for the upcoming Advent season. Thirty minutes of daily prayer was a habit, but I struggled to include silence, listening, and reflection.
Weeks later, on the Solemnity of Mary, unable to attend Mass, I was reading today’s gospel passage while propped up on pillows. No, it was not from an excessive New Year’s Eve celebration.
Two weeks earlier, I underwent surgery to remove cancerous tumors from my tongue and neck. During recovery from surgery and the six weeks of daily radiation that would soon follow, I was slowed down and reduced to silence.
Today we hear, “And Mary kept all these things reflecting on them in her heart.” In the translation I was reading in 2016, Mary pondered them in her heart. What other events in Luke’s Gospel causes Mary to ponder?
We see this at the Annunciation and again when finding Jesus in the temple. I don’t know how long I was lost in thought, but suddenly it occurred to me that my petition—slowing down and silence—had been answered, albeit not in a way I would have chosen. Mary put on my heart that going forward, she would stay close and guide me in silence and pondering.
It was Easter before I was mobile and speaking again. I often refer to this time from Advent to Easter as my season of grace, for so much was revealed about God and myself through this new gift of pondering. Answers can come instantly, but understanding often takes time and reflection.
Our Lady of pondering, pray for us.
Prayer
Good and loving God, you give us the gift of Mary as a model of faith, hope, and love. In her motherly protection, we offer to you the needs and prayers of our hearts. Help us to grow in our faith when we doubt, our hope when we despair, and our love when we face difficulty. May we be humble of heart and witness to joy in our world. 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.