SOLEMN FEAST OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, NEW YEAR B
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SSSHHHHH!
It is New Year. For many it is
the festivity of light, of sound, of noise! Just imagine how many fireworks are
lit up to destroy the placid sky, how many gongs and trumpets and cannons blow
to carry a signal, and how any firecrackers burst like uncontrolled laughter
aimed against evil spirits and bad luck. New Year is a time of light, of
movement, and of noise!
In the Gospel today, the way to
encounter Jesus is through Mary, the mother of the Incarnate Son of God.
Instead of noise, Mary signifies above all, serenity and calmness. In our
imagination, Mary received the archangel Gabriel while she was in a state of
prayer, study or doing her silent tasks. In todays reading, as Mary cared for
her infant, she reflected quietly in her heart. There was no other way Mary
could have received an angel and welcomed the Son of God in her life than
through her silence.
We need silence to receive the
message of the Lord. We need quiet to recognize the presence of Jesus in our
various situations. This is what happened to Mary. This was what happened to
Moses too, in the wilderness before the Lord spoke the Lord spoke to him in a
burning bush.
Every New Year is an invitation
to not only hear actively, but to listen passively to what the Lord has to say.
Often when we listen, we do it actively – trying to catch the message,
analyzing what was said, and questioning it even in our mind. Even with our
mouths shut, our minds are working, calculating and reasoning.
Our Lady listened passively. She
was bewildered but she did not argue. She did not fathom but she did not
resist. She simply listened by receiving the Lord’s message and his presence
with a quiet hospitality.
Each year, our simple lives are
punctuated by the noise of unexpected events like sickness, death, sorrow, and
surprising experiences. In those moments we will need to keep the balance and
maintain our peace of mind and heart in order not only to survive but to mature
and blossom. We will need to seek Mary’s help in guiding us to the sacred
silence that makes Jesus present in our lives.
This New Year, we truly rejoice
at the new beginnings, fresh opportunities, and novel chances open to us. But
let us learn to receive all the blessings and all the challenges to come in a
spirit of silence, prayer and surrender, like Mary, Mother of God and our
Mother, did.
The Lord is with you!
