Two times in the second chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we specifically read about Mary’s heart. The first time, it is in Bethlehem, and the shepherds have just related what they were told by the angels, “a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” Mary, then, “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”
A little later, Mary and Joseph are in the temple to consecrate Jesus to the Lord, and Simeon tells Mary, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” Likewise, earlier in the Gospel, when Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her “The Lord is with you,” Mary ponders what sort of greeting this might be.
The other time Mary’s heart is mentioned is in the Gospel for today, after she and Joseph find the boy Jesus in the temple. They were worried sick their child was missing, and we can only imagine the joy and relief they felt upon finding him. Mary’s motherly instinct kicks in: “Son, why have you done this to us?” Jesus replies, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Still, he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient, and Mary “kept all these things in her heart.”
The common denominator in all these instances is what that heart represents, what that heart is. We call it immaculate. We know that God created Mary without the stain of original sin, but it seems to me, what makes Mary’s heart immaculate is her pure and complete love — her love for God, for Jesus, for who Jesus is, for what He will do for humanity.
Mary’s immaculate heart is a model for all of us. As the Marian Fathers say on their Divine Mercy website, “She contemplated the mysteries of the life of her Son, keeping them in her heart, in her memory, at the very center of her being. Doing this, she becomes a model and icon of the Church.
“It’s the Church’s task to ‘do this in remembrance of Me’ — to offer the Passover of the Lord, the Eucharist, over and over again till the end of time. It’s the Church’s task to preach the Gospel … and preserve and spread the one faith in Jesus Christ in all ages till Christ’s Second Coming. It’s the Church’s job to remember the events of Christ’s life, to ponder them so thoroughly that we are transformed by them, that we come to resemble them, that we become the Body of Christ to the height and depth of our being.”
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Dos veces en el segundo capítulo del Evangelio de Lucas, leemos específicamente sobre el corazón de María. La primera vez, es en Belén, y los pastores acaban de relatar lo que les dijeron los ángeles, “les ha nacido un salvador que es Mesías y Señor”. María, entonces, “guardaba todas estas cosas, contemplándolas en su corazón”.
Un poco más tarde, María y José están en el templo para consagrar a Jesús al Señor, y Simeón le dice a María: “Este niño está puesto para la caída y el levantamiento de muchos en Israel, y para ser señal de contradicción ( y a ti mismo una espada te traspasará) para que sean revelados los pensamientos de muchos corazones.” Asimismo, anteriormente en el Evangelio, cuando Gabriel se le aparece a María y le dice “El Señor está contigo”, María reflexiona sobre qué tipo de saludo podría ser este.
La otra vez que se menciona el corazón de María es en el Evangelio de hoy, después de que ella y José encuentran al niño Jesús en el templo. Estaban muy preocupados por la desaparición de su hijo, y solo podemos imaginar la alegría y el alivio que sintieron al encontrarlo. El instinto maternal de María entra en acción: “Hijo mío, ¿por qué te has portado así con nosotros?” Jesús responde: “¿No sabían que debo ocuparme en las cosas de mi Padre?” Aun así, volvió a Nazaret con ellos y fue obediente, “y María conservaba en su corazón todas aquellas cosas.”
El denominador común en todos estos casos es lo que representa ese corazón, lo que es ese corazón. Lo llamamos inmaculado. Sabemos que Dios creó a María sin la mancha del pecado original, pero me parece que lo que hace que el corazón de María sea inmaculado es su amor puro y completo: su amor por Dios, por Jesús, por quién es Jesús, por lo que Él hará por la humanidad.
El corazón inmaculado de María es un modelo para todos nosotros. Como dicen los Padres Marianos en su sitio web de la Divina Misericordia, “Ella contempló los misterios de la vida de su Hijo, guardándolos en su corazón, en su memoria, en el centro mismo de su ser. Haciendo esto, se convierte en modelo e icono de la Iglesia.”
“Es tarea de la Iglesia ‘hacer esto en memoria mía’: ofrecer la Pascua del Señor, la Eucaristía, una y otra vez hasta el final de los tiempos. Es tarea de la Iglesia predicar el Evangelio… y preservar y difundir la única fe en Jesucristo en todas las edades hasta la Segunda Venida de Cristo. Es tarea de la Iglesia recordar los acontecimientos de la vida de Cristo, meditarlos tan a fondo que seamos transformados por ellos, que lleguemos a asemejarnos a ellos, que lleguemos a ser el Cuerpo de Cristo en la altura y profundidad de nuestro ser”.
¡Inmaculado Corazón de María, ruega por nosotros!
Mike Karpus is a regular guy. He grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, graduated from Michigan State University and works as an editor. He is married to a Catholic school principal, raised two daughters who became Catholic school teachers at points in their careers, and now relishes his two grandchildren, including the older one who is fascinated with learning about his faith. He also has served on a Catholic school board, a pastoral council and a parish stewardship committee. He currently is a lector at Mass, a Knight of Columbus, Adult Faith Formation Committee member and a board member of the local Habitat for Humanity organization. But mostly he’s a regular guy.
Feature Image Credit: Hna Carolina BR, cathopic.com/photo/15102-the-immaculate-heart-of-our-mother
Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is the co-founder of 
J.M. Pallas has had a lifelong love of Scriptures. When she is not busy with her vocation as a wife and mother to her “1 Samuel 1” son, or her vocation as a public health educator, you may find her at her parish women’s bible study, affectionately known as “The Bible Chicks.”
Dakota lives in Denver, CO with her husband, Ralph, and their two sons, Alfie & Theophilus. She is the Dean of Enrollment Management for Bishop Machebeuf High School where her husband also teaches. You can find Dakota at the zoo or a brewery with her family or with her nose in a book at home. For more of Dakota’s writing check out 
Elizabeth Tomlin is the author of Joyful Momentum: Building and Sustaining Vibrant Women’s Groups and contributing author to the Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers. She is General Counsel for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Elizabeth is an Army wife and mother of three and currently lives in the DC area. She blogs at 
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and seven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is 
Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at 
Allison Gingras ( 
Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. For the past 19 years, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials and website content. Thirteen of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan freelances and writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the executive editor of Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program—an educational nonprofit program for K-12 students. You can reach her at 
1-800-994-9817