PONDERING THINGS WITH THE HEART OF MARY - 06/17/23 (Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary)

Luke 2:48-51

When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061723.cfm

Blessed Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary! After celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus yesterday, we continue with this important memorial as we remember the Sweet and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lord Jesus gave up His life on the Cross for all of us for us to be saved from our sins and for us to give our whole lives to our Beloved. Who is the greatest example of Christ's disciple whom we may look up to? It's the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother. Her heart did not have any stain of sins, and because of the purity of her heart, all that she did in her life was to love God. Although we may not be exactly the same like our Blessed Mother, we should remember that we can still imitate her. In what way? It's in the way she pondered everything in her heart. Our hearts will be more purified as we persevere in our reflection. There are at least three ways that we can do to imitate how our Mother Mary pondered everything in her Immaculate Heart. 

First, we should spend time reflecting on the Word of God. In the acclamation before the Gospel, the verse that we read says, "Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God and pondered it in her heart." Our Mother knew that through the word of God, our Lord spoke to her. The same is true for us. God speaks to all of us because of His love for us. And, He reveals to us Himself through the Scriptures. The Bible is also called as the living Word of God because through the Bible, God has a personal message that is applicable in our daily lives. Are we struggling with many problems? Are we discouraged by our sins? Let's spend time reading the Word of God, especially the Mass readings everyday in the Catholic Church. If there are things which we may want to know more, we can ask some Catholics who are knowledgeable about it or we can also research through Catholic sources. What's important is that we make a time for it everyday so that we may not miss out the message of God for us, especially by seeking the help and intercession of our Mother Mary before our Bible readings. 

Second, we can reflect on the events in our daily lives. It's because God doesn't just speak through the Scriptures, but He also speaks in the depths of our hearts based on what happens in our lives. In our gospel reading, the Blessed Virgin Mary was looking for her Son, and Jesus told her that He's in His Father's house. At first, Mary did not understand the words of Christ. But, she kept all of these things in her heart. Perhaps, as she reflected on this, she had a deeper understanding that God is present within the temple of her body and soul. She could also ponder on her love for Jesus and on the will of God for allowing it to happen. Though we may not know the specific reflections of our Mother Mary, what we know is God also wants us to listen to Him. He dwells in the temple of our hearts, and God desires that we speak to Him who is present within us. Let's offer to God our feelings and thoughts when we are disturbed or whether we have problems. May we tell Him the reasons why we feel and think in certain ways, and let's not forget to ask Him for His message for us. If we struggle with being materialistic and other sins, let's also ask God how we can avoid such temptations. With the help of our Mother Mary, we will grow in our love for God. 

Lastly, we can also remember the events of Jesus in our own prayers. It's important for us to remember that with Mary, her personal experiences were also experiences of our Lord Jesus. As such, she was not just pondering merely on what she experienced but also on the life of Jesus Himself. For us to be detached from the world, our minds should be filled with God. One way of doing this is through the rosary. In the rosary, we don't just ask for prayers from our Mother Mary, which is really essential in spiritual life. But, we also meditate on the mysteries or life events of Jesus through the use of imagination in our rosary. Let's not mindlessly pray the rosary. Instead, God is inviting us to pray with devotion and to have a picture of Jesus in our minds in association with the mysteries that we are offering to God. As we remember thus memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we are all called to give ourselves to God through her. This is the essence of the Act of Consecration to Her Immaculate Heart. But, we need to live out this consecration daily by pondering all of these things with the help of the Pure Heart of our Mother. As we honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let's ask that by the help of her prayers, we too may share in the fullness of God's grace. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth