Gospel: Luke 2: 16-21
Today's Gospel portion introduces a theme that we will find throughout the public life of Jesus. In the reading today we encounter marvelous happenings: angels announcing the birth of the Messiah, shepherds coming to see the newborn child who is born among them in the roughness of nature, born in the world just as their children are born. The shepherds go from the place to tell everyone they know about these happenings, creating a stir among the people in the area.
By contrast, Mary has experienced a great many marvelous happenings. She had been visited by an angel herself, an event that started all these other occurrences. She then sees the marvelous deeds done to her cousin Elizabeth. Now she finds herself giving birth to this child with whom everyone is fascinated. Angels are present at this scene too, and shepherds come to celebrate the event. Mary's response is to treasure all these things, and ponder them in her heart.
Throughout Jesus' public life we find this same dynamic. He encounters someone who experiences a marvelous occurrence. Jesus instructs them to tell no one. They go and tell others anyway, creating a stir among the people. Only a very few listen to him. They treasure these things and ponder them in their hearts, just like Mary. Mary is our model disciple. Let us this year imitate her, treasuring and pondering rather than gabbing and pandering. And perhaps our new year will have more peace, at least within our own hearts.
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