Mary and Joseph have not been asked to walk an easy path. They have had to wrestle with the unknown, travel to a distant land, be denied a clean and warm place to stay and give birth, and make use of an animals’ feeding trough for their Child’s first bed. The King of the Universe is reduced to living at the level of an animal.
The shepherds, who in the eyes of observant Jews already live almost at the level of an animal, are blessed by an angelic Christmas concert and sent to be the first witnesses of this earth-shattering event: they rush to find Christ with his humble parents and enter the first Christian church. They then went and told others this amazing story, glorifying and praising God for this mysterious fulfillment of God’s Promise. Did others rush to see for themselves? The Gospel does not tell us. We only know that the shepherds were amazed.
It does tell us something subtle that reveals the inner workings of the heart of our Mother and the Mother of God: “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” God did not reveal to Mary or Joseph a step-by-step plan for how they were to bring the Messiah into the world, or teach the One through Whom all things were made about the world, or raise the One Who called the Chosen People and gave them the Law how to live within the Law of the Chosen People. They had to walk day by day in faith, without any bullet points or instructions, except those revealed to them in the depths of their obedient hearts (and sometimes in a dream). It was with loving trust that Mary held all that happened in her heart, observing the workings of God, repeating her fiat in every moment and never drawing back from it, even when it was hard to understand, even when it was difficult and painful.
Today, as we lift our prayers in honor of Mary, the Mother of God, on the eighth day of the Eight Days of Christmas, let us ask her to help us ponder God’s action in our hearts with the same loving obedience and trust. Let us ask her to help us be as eager as the shepherds to gather around the manger near her and St. Joseph, to receive the warm light of God’s gentle love. And let us ask her to be a mother to each of us, as Christ gave us his own Mother as his last gift from the Cross.
A María y José no se les ha pedido que sigan un camino fácil. Han tenido que luchar con lo desconocido, viajar a una tierra lejana, se les ha negado un lugar limpio y cálido donde quedarse y dar a luz, y utilizar un comedero para animales como primera cama para su Hijo. El Rey del Universo se ve reducido a vivir al nivel de un animal.
Los pastores, que a los ojos de los judíos observantes ya viven casi al nivel de un animal, son bendecidos por un concierto de Navidad angelical y enviados a ser los primeros testigos de este evento trascendental: corren a encontrar a Cristo con sus humildes padres y entran en la primera iglesia cristiana. Luego fueron y contaron a otros esta asombrosa historia, glorificando y alabando a Dios por este misterioso cumplimiento de la Promesa de Dios. ¿Se apresuraron otros a verlo por sí mismos? El Evangelio no nos dice. Solo sabemos que los pastores estaban asombrados.
Nos dice algo sutil que revela el funcionamiento interno del corazón de nuestra Madre y de la Madre de Dios: “María, por su parte, guardaba todas estas cosas y las meditaba en su corazón”. Dios no reveló a María ni a José paso por paso un plan de cómo debían traer al Mesías al mundo, o enseñar a Aquel por medio de Quien se hicieron todas las cosas en el mundo, o criar a Aquel que llamó al Pueblo Elegido y le dio la Ley, cómo vivir dentro de la Ley del mismo Pueblo Elegido. Tuvieron que caminar día a día en la fe, sin viñetas ni instrucciones, excepto aquellas que se les revelaban en lo más profundo de sus corazones obedientes (y a veces dentro de un sueño). Fue con amorosa confianza que María guardaba todo lo que sucedía en su corazón, observando las obras de Dios, repitiendo su fiat en cada momento y nunca retractándose de él, incluso cuando era difícil de entender, incluso cuando era duro y doloroso.
Hoy, al elevar nuestras oraciones en honor de María, la Madre de Dios, en el octavo día de los Ocho Días de Navidad, pidámosle que nos ayude a reflexionar sobre la acción de Dios en nuestros corazones con la misma obediencia y confianza amorosa. Pidámosle que nos ayude a estar tan deseosos como los pastores de reunirse en torno al pesebre, cerca de ella y de San José, para recibir la cálida luz del tierno amor de Dios. Y pidámosle que sea madre para cada uno de nosotros, como Cristo nos dio a su propia Madre como su último regalo desde la Cruz.
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and eleven 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 www.KathrynTherese.com
Feature Image Credit: falco, pixabay.com/photos/nativity-scene-crib-barn-joseph-212549/
The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.
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