Pondering. Mother of God. New Year's Day (2024-01-01)

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2024 January 1, Solemnity of Mary

[_01_] "We learn from the Gospel of Luke that the Mary, our Blessed Mother, carefully considered and reflected upon the messages she received, keeping them close to her heart.

          This act of pondering involves deep reflection and contemplation, encompassing both joyful and troubling aspects. Mary, faced with uncertainties about Jesus' future, exemplifies the need to pause amidst the busyness that accompanies the arrival of a child.

 

    [_02_]     There is much to do  - in action and work and effort - when a child is arriving and certainly after the child is born. You know this from personal experience, or from observation,

Mary and Joseph had much to do lots of dreams, journeys to take. But they also had to stop and rest. They were called to ponder.

And if you've seen to witness the birth of a child is and to exam an example of stopping and resting and letting that child come into your life or doing what's necessary to allow the child to come into your life.

 

[_03_]       When I was 12 years old,  a young person, I found out that my mother was expecting a child. So I remember this very well, that that one more was going to be that I had two brothers, but there was going to be one more coming into our family.

I had no idea what efforts and actions were involved. I was more an observer than participant.  But it was good for me – it is good for young people – to observe what parents must do …. Both in demans that are difficult and moments that are joyful.

Also, it helped me to understand what interruptions or changes – and pondering – needed to take place.

This was particularly pronounced – this interruption – during a family vacation. And, at this point, the new child – my sister – had not yet been born.

About 3 months before she was born, we took a family trip to Washington, DC, sightseeing.

Both my father and mother were there. And, my mother was up for walking around, riding the metro, going to museums, the whole bit.

And, in addition to this, we had plans to visit the FBI building, the i.e., the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

My parents had a friend who worked in NY / NJ for the FBI and he made special arrangements for us to go to the FBI museum.

It was to be a tour on the day that that the museum was normally closed.

So, we were “hooked up”.

We were all looking forward to this.

On the day before the FBI visit, my mother stepped off a curb in downtown Washington and sprained her ankle.

It was not a serious injury but this concern led to us going to the ER Emergency Room.  (It was also the only time during that trip that we took a taxi. Everything else was walking or the Metro. This was important!)

Everything was fine.  My mother was really fine. The baby was really fine. No problem.

We went back to our hotel room and the next day is the FBI museum visit.  It did not occur to me that my mother might not come with us.  It seemed that there were only 2 options:  either, my mother comes with us to the FBI museum or we do not go at all.

There was a third option.

That is, 4 boys – my father, my brothers and me – go to the museum and leave my mother behind.

Not knowing anything about the lives of adults and parents, I thought this was a bad option.

Would not my mother be sad and lonely having to stay behind?

But, she was so happy waving good-bye to us as we left the Holiday Inn.

She loved us. But she really wanted that time to ponder.

Also, this was a pronounced example – during a family vacation – that someone new was coming into our lives.

My mother was not going to be alone. She was going to be with her child.

Mary keeps all these things pondering them in our heart. She reminds us to ponder these things. New Year's Eve and New Year’s Day is not just a time to party …but also to ponder.

Maybe we stay up a little bit later pondering or maybe we go to bed early pondering, but it's a time for us to ponder the year that has gone by the ponder the things that have been difficult,

the events or people from whom we have received joy or sorrow.

the sinfulness and faults of our lives we are called to correct.

The people we are called to forgive, the faults of others we are called to forgive….

The sacrifices we are called to make for the coming year.. And to make a New Year's resolution to ponder these things in our hearts.

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