Love and Reflection

“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk.2:19.

We read these words only weeks ago, during the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. We can only begin to know exactly what she was feeling at the time; certainly exhausted after giving birth only a short time ago, yet amazed at what was happening around her as a result of that birth. Angels, shepherds, Magi, all kneeling in awe, bringing gifts, and singing songs of praise. Then the Presentation in the Temple, with Simeon’s prophetic words. Yet, when all was said and done, she and Joseph were looking into the eyes of their son, doing the things that parents do; counting toes, learning the feeding routines, etc. In every sense, Mary and Joseph were the first to adore Jesus because, especially in Mary’s case, love began at the Annunciation, and only grew as the child grew within her. And Mary kept all these things in her heart.

Think about it; Mary had the first true scrapbook of her son’s life. But unlike ourselves, who keep our memories on paper for graduation, Mary kept memories of all of Jesus life, from birth, to finding Him in the Temple, to the Wedding at Cana. It was she who followed Him to Calvary, watched Him die, and held His lifeless body after it was taken from the cross.

The month of February included Valentines Day, the day in which we celebrated love in our lives. How do we personify love in our lives? If someone were to open our memories, would they be filled with a lifetime of stories of interconnection with others? If asked, could we tell others how we chose to connect with our family and friends? More importantly, could we explain how we chose to connect with people with whom we are not related so we could, hopefully, make a permanent difference in their lives? Hopefully we can choose to take this month of love to truly personify Mary’s manner of love for each of us.