Christmas Day 8: Pondering is not ponderous

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TODAY’S READINGS

The Gospel reading from Lk 2:16-21 focuses on Blessed Mary and the infant Jesus — appropriate for the Christmas Season and this day when we consider the baby Messiah as what He was: the Second Person of the Trinity incarnate, making His bearer the Mother of God.

Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart. (v. 19)

“In very few words this verse tells us a great deal about our Lady. We see the serenity with which she contemplates the wonderful things that are coming true with the birth of her divine Son. She studies them, ponders them and stores them in the silence of her heart. She is a true teacher of prayer. If we imitate her, if we guard and ponder in our hearts what Jesus says to us and what he does in us, we are well on the way to Christian holiness and we shall never lack his doctrine and his grace. Also, by meditating in this way on the teaching Jesus has given us, we shall obtain a deeper understanding of the mystery of Christ, which is how ‘the Tradition that comes from the Apostles makes progress in the Church, with the help of the Holy Spirit. There is a growth in insight into the realities and words that are being passed on. This comes about in various ways. It comes through the contemplation and study of believers who ponder these things in their hearts. It comes from the intimate sense of spiritual realities which they experience. And it comes from the preaching of those who have received, along with their right of succession in the episcopate, the sure charism of truth’ (Vatican II, Dei verbum, 8).” (The Navarre Bible: St Luke, 56)

“Mary ‘kept all these things’: the Greek word ‘kept’ has connotations of preserving something, being concerned about it, treasuring it. Mary treasured the events that had unfolded, ‘reflecting on them in her heart.’ The Greek word for ‘reflecting on’ means putting things together, pondering them. In the biblical view, the ‘heart’ is the seat of thinking and feeling and willing. Mary takes to heart to amazing things that are happening and tries to fathom their meaning. ’Mary’ is a model of treasuring all that God says and does, meditating on his word, pondering his plans for our lives.” (Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, 64)

We encounter a lot of action words in the two commentaries above: contemplating, pondering, reflecting, meditating, studying, experiencing, storing, guarding, preserving, treasuring, preaching, understanding. A full program for our lives, not only in prayer, but also in action. As a new year begins, it is worth working through each of these aspects of our consideration of Jesus as we imitate His mother. Consider looking up each of these twelve words in a regular dictionary and cycle through them throughout the year. How best do we implement in our own minds and hearts, contemplating Jesus, studying about Jesus, really experiencing Jesus, understanding Jesus’ message to the world and to us, personally, etc. Ask Blessed Mary for her intercession, invoke the same Spirit through whom she conceived a child for guidance, and ask Gabriel and your angel for their prayers; our sincerity in these petitions will certainly be profitable.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS I READ IN 2023

YEAR SCARY

I was disappointed to knock off on twenty-five books last year. Summer got really messed up, so that prime time yielded nearly no results. Of those I read, only a handful stood out, including some great classics. I list them below. You can check out Goodreads where I’ve done short reviews for almost all of these. In no particular order:

YEAR: SCARY

I can’t shake the feeling that, considering the escalating difficulties the world over, we are in for a year that may make 2020 seem like a walk in the park. Challenges: hear and abroad, in the Church or directed at the Church.

Let us pray for all veterans and clergy..

Happy New Year. As today began with much joy amidst the noise, let us hope it at least maintains the whole year through.

God bless.

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