Reflect, today, with our Blessed Mother, stage that first Christmas

So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message they had been told about this child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds had told them. And Mary kept all these things by reflecting them in her heart. Luke 2: 16-19

Merry Christmas! Our preparations for Advent have been completed and we are now being invited by our Lord to participate in the glorious celebration of his birth!

How well do you understand the majestic mystery of Christmas? To what extent do you understand the meaning of God becoming a human being, born of a virgin? While many are quite familiar with the beautiful and humble story of the birth of the Savior of the world, that familiarity can have the startling negative effect of preventing our intellect from delving deeply into the depths of what we celebrate.

Notice the last line of the Gospel passage quoted above: “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting them in her heart”. What a beautiful line to ponder this Christmas day. Mother Mary was the only person who would understand the mystery of the birth of her Son, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, much more deeply than anyone else. The Archangel Gabriel appeared to her, announcing her pregnancy and her birth. It was she who carried her Son, the Son of God, in her immaculate womb for nine months. It was to her that Elizabeth, her cousin, cried out: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:42). It was Mary the Immaculate Conception, the one who was preserved from all sin throughout her life. And it was she who gave birth to this baby, carried him in her arms and breastfeeding him. Our Blessed Mother, more than any other, understood the incredible event that had occurred in her life.

But, once again, the Gospel above says that "Mary kept all these things, reflecting them in her heart". One thing this tells us is that Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of God, also needed time to meditate, reflect and savor this most holy mystery. He never doubted, but his faith deepened continuously, and his heart meditated on the unfathomable and incomprehensible mystery of the Incarnation.

Another thing this tells us is that there is no end to the depth of "reflection" we must commit ourselves to if we want to enter more deeply into the mystery of the birth of the Son of God. The reading of history, the setting up of a nativity scene , sharing Christmas cards, attending mass and the like are central to a holy celebration of Christmas. But "meditating" and "reflecting", especially during prayer and especially during the Christmas mass, will have the effect of drawing us ever deeper into this mystery of our faith.

Reflect today with our Blessed Mother. Meditate on the incarnation. Put on that first Christmas. Hear the sounds of the city. Smell the smells of the barn. See how the shepherds go out to worship. And enter the mystery more fully, recognizing that the more you know the mystery of Christmas, the more you know how little you know and understand. But that humble awareness is the first step to a deeper understanding of what we celebrate today.

Lord, I look at the wonder of your birth. You Who are God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, God from God and Light from Light, have become one of us, a humble child, born of a virgin and lying in a manger. Help me meditate on this glorious event, ponder the mystery with awe and grasp more fully the meaning of what you have done for us. Thank you, dear Lord, for this glorious celebration of your birth into the world. Jesus I believe in you.