Mary, did you know?
“So they [the shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:16-20
I can’t help but wonder what was going on in Mary’s mind. I have given birth. It’s a beautiful, painful, and remarkable experience. With my first child, I was terrified. I didn’t have any real knowledge of how things would go, how painful it would be, or if it would go well. I can’t even imagine what Mary was thinking as she rode that donkey while in labor (ouch), was traveling away from her mother and all the women she knew that would help her deliver, and ended up in a barn, giving birth to whom she knew was a special, holy child - her first born son, Emmanuel. Then, having survived the traumatic and wonderful experience of childbirth, she sat with her child as strangers came to see him because the angels announced to a bunch of shepherds nearby of his coming. Everyone is in an excited awe as Mary sat pondering these things in her heart.
I think Mary was a contemplative. It’s not surprising that she was pondering while this chaos was going on in the stable. I’m guessing she was filled with the paradox of pain and joy existing at the same time. I’m guessing she was tired. I’m sure she was overwhelmed with such love for her first child that she couldn’t put sentences into words. I’m sure she was busy thanking God for a safe delivery and for keeping the promise from God that Gabriel had shared. She knew she was blessed, in every sense of the word. Yet, she was also told that her son, was the Messiah. Did she comprehend what that meant?
I love that Mary took in all the beautiful things that were happening. I love that she treasured them. I love that she held them close to her heart and pondered them. Those words tell me she stayed with God during the whole experience. She was going to need these wonderful, joy-filled moments as her son grew.
There is a lot of time to ponder things these days. This pandemic has offered us a unique, scary, yet holy way to be contemplatives ourselves. When we can’t see people in person, when we are hearing of and caring for so many people who are dying, when we can’t run out, like the shepherds did, and tell everyone of the coming of Emmanuel, we can ponder these things in our heart. We can stay with God during this awful time. We can rest in the promise God will be with us - through everything. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:38-39
What beautiful treasures are we witnessing that we can hold onto in our hearts? How does the coming of Emmanuel, God with us, manifesting itself in our daily living? I invite us all to join with our Blessed Mary and ponder these things in our hearts. God is here with us. God is teaching us. God is inspiring us. To what end we don’t know. But, I urge us all to ponder the glory, hope, and love that God is presenting every day during this isolating time. Let’s share with one another what we’re learning and experiencing. Let’s celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in a new, thought-filled, and glorious way.
My brothers and sisters, may the peace of this babe, be with us through the hard times, the everyday times, and the times filled with joy.
Rev. Joan
