And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. – Luke 2:19
I imagine Mary’s Immaculate Heart like a beautiful jewelry box: decked with delicate flowers on the outside, yet still pierced with a sword (Luke 2:35). Like Christ’s Sacred Heart, it is on fire with love. Inside, her heart is lined with soft velvet, a sacred place to ponder the mysteries of Christ’s childhood. Her beautiful heart contains precious memories, prayers, and love for God and us, her children.
Mary did not dwell on her worries when she could not find Jesus those three days after the Passover. Of course she was anxious out of her deep motherly love. Later, she pondered what was meant by His words and what happened in the temple. To ponder means to consider deeply. Notice that she reflected on these things in her heart. She didn’t ruminate in her mind; she moved her thoughts and fears from her mind into her heart. In other words, she turned her worries into prayers.
How can we imitate Mary in this way? We can begin by spending time in silence with our Lord. We cannot reflect with a heart distracted by noise and activity. Another idea is to pray the rosary daily. You could start with a daily decade to build this habit. Each day, as you pick up the string of smooth beads, lay your worries out upon them. One by one, as they move through your fingers, offer the prayer for your concerns, anxieties, frustrations, and hopes. The thoughts will move from your head through your heart and hands to the beads. Finish by holding up your rosary and offering it to Mary, your loving mother, a visible sign of you handing over all your cares to Christ through her intercession.
Mary, pray for me that I might have a heart like yours! May it be pure and holy, wiped clean of sin that corrupts and anxieties that distract. May it be open to suffering as well as giving and receiving love. Be with me as I give you all my worries to give to Jesus.
Readings for December 26, 2021: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
- Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
- Psalm 128:1-5
- Colossians 3:12-21
- Luke 2:41-52