During this Christmas season I am overwhelmed by the contrasts in my life.  While I am experiencing love and joy with my family and friends in my cozy home, I am heart sick about the ravages of war in our world and the fragility of our planet. Today celebrating the birth of Jesus and honoring his mother Mary is a wonderful way to reflect upon and be guided by our faith.

Inspired by Pope Francis pleading for peace in the world, I decided to turn to his insights on today’s gospel from Luke.  In 2022, Pope Francis offered this reflection: “I ask, brothers and sisters, how do we make this passage, how do we surmount this clash between the ideal and the real? By doing exactly what Mary did: by keeping and by pondering. First, Mary “keeps”, that is she holds on to what happens; she does not forget or reject it. She keeps in her heart everything that she saw and heard.  The beautiful things, like those spoken to her by the angel and the shepherds, but also the troubling things: the danger of being found pregnant before marriage and now, the lowly stable where she has had to give birth. That is what Mary does. She does not pick and choose; she keeps. She accepts life as it comes, without trying to camouflage or embellish it; she keeps those things in her heart.”

Being reminded that Mary does not pick and choose but rather keeps everything she sees and hears in her heart brings me an immediate sense of calm.  Today as we honor Mary as mother, we are reminded of what a loving and accepting mother she is.  As I continue to pray with today’s readings and the reflection from Pope Francis, I can feel my sense of being overwhelmed start to fade.  I realize that I can hold the paradox of feeling realistic and optimistic at the same time. I am humbled to imagine how overwhelmed Mary must have been at times, yet she stayed calm through reflection and abiding faith.

As we turn the calendar to 2024, we can make spiritual new year’s resolutions that will be much more meaningful than vowing to eat less and exercise more.   We can resolve to ask Mary for the grace to guide us in our faith and to give us the strength to hold the beautiful things and the troubling things in our hearts.  We can ask for the patience to deeply reflect and to be comfortable with unanswered questions.  We can pray to listen to the voice of God and to be open to the message God is sharing.

The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!