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Today’s
text
So the shepherds
hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had
been told about him, and everyone who heard
it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. As for Mary, she
treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Reflection
Mary pondered these things. And what is this?
To ponder is to throw things together in one’s mind to
compare, to see what fits, to notice what sticks together to create meaning and
significance.
Mary might have pondered the angelic messenger who told her
she would bear a special child, the child of God. She might have relived her
fear, her uncertainty, her incredulity that this could happen at all, let alone
to her.
She might have savored her prayer of thanksgiving to God for
choosing her, for blessing her, as well as the stares of those who shamed her
for this out-of-wedlock child.
The discomfort and uncertainty of the long trip to Bethlehem would have come
to mind, the night search for a place to lie down and labor to birth this
child, feeling alone and afraid of what birthing would mean for her.
A thousand thoughts could well have raced through her heart
and mind, awakening conflicting feelings and confusion, so much that it was
impossible to sort it all out, pain, joy, promise, anxiety, relief, elation,
apprehension
All this washed over her as a few smelly shepherds, fresh
from their sheep, arrived with an unbelievable story and the voices of angelic
song still ringing in their ears.
What was she to think, to feel, to know … from all that came
together in her mind?
But maybe this moment was much simpler.
Maybe as she gazed into her infant’s face, maybe as she played
with his tender fingers the torrent of feelings disappeared and all that remained
was the wonder of the precious life in her hands--and the awareness that
somehow, beyond her knowing, this child was a holy blessing to the world.
Maybe all that mattered was loving and caring for this
child. Maybe the love this child awakened in her overwhelmed all the thoughts, questions,
fears, uncertainty, shame, elation, pain and anxiety that had filled her for
the past nine months.
Maybe if you add it all up, that is all that really matters
much to God … or to Mary.
Maybe that’s the crystal clear message of this night for every new day.
Pr. David L. Miller
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