Feast of the Solemnity of Mary (Lk. 2:16-21)
The Blessed Mother has been given many titles through the centuries. Perhaps the one we invoke today more than any other is Mary Queen of Peace. Presently, we have approximately 40 countries at war in the world. What can Mary teach us about peacemaking?
We can learn something from what we see in the infancy narratives of Jesus. She gives us an example of how we should approach life. Mary constantly steps back to contemplate what is going on around her.
It is said several times in the Gospel of Luke that Mary ponders things in her heart. The first time it says this in the Gospel is at the announcement of the birth of Jesus. Mary wrestles with what the Angel Gabriel says to her about being the mother of Jesus. And in the end, she agrees. The second time she deeply reflects is at the Visitation. She encounters the good news of her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy. We see how she distills this blessed event into a poem she proclaims which speaks of how the powerless will be liberated from oppression. The third time we read of Mary deeply reflecting on events is in today’s Gospel. The shepherds come to visit the child Jesus. The shepherds share how the angels have brought them the news. Mary listens in wonder. The last time in the Christmas story that Mary is motivated to reflect is when Jesus is lost at twelve years old and found in the temple with the religious teachers. We are told in Luke 2:51 that, “His mother, meanwhile, kept all these things in her memory.”
The word ponder is used repeatedly in these stories. What does it mean? In the scriptures, to ponder refers to the practice of not reacting spontaneously to situations in our life, but it refers to connecting things that happen to us to our faith life. We get the impression that Mary was able to navigate the challenges she faced as a mother, because she took time to reflect before she acted.
We live in a world that values what we call decisiveness. Social media might prompt us to share our problems instantaneously. Solutions are lighting fast. We might also hear about what is going on in everyone else’s life before there is a chance for full reflection. In earlier times, if people wanted to share an important event in their life they had to travel to where friends and family were. In the time it took to unite with loved ones, a lot of thinking went on. The message to be delivered was thought about and revised many times.
What can this teach us about peacemaking? We should act slowly when we are angry. We should seek advice. We should listen to good counsel. We should especially listen for the voice of God. Thinking out loud, or as we are typing a social media post, shows a lack of depth. Wisdom isn’t a matter of coming up with answers, but it is like making a meal in a crock pot. Thoughtful, holy people let things simmer for a while.
The Pope always gives the world a Christmas message each year. The message is called the Urbi et Orbi message (to the city and to the world). Popes weigh each word carefully as they try to push humanity towards solidarity. One thing that we know about Pope Leo is that he is a man of deep reflection. He is also a peacemaker. He said in his Christmas message at one point, “If all of us, at every level would stop accusing others and instead acknowledge our own faults, asking God for forgiveness, and if we would truly enter into the sufferings of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, the world would change.”
He concludes, “In Jesus every wound is healed, and all hearts find rest and peace. The Lord’s birth then is the birth of peace.”