To celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Blessed Virgin Mary, it is best to honor this glorious occasion with a reflection and sharing from 5 different women who, through their personal journeys, was able to discover the heart of Mary within them…
“All who heard the shepherd’s story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” – Luke 2:18-19
This is one quality in Mary which truly amazes me. How she pondered things in her heart. Imagine the things she had to go through in life – she was only a young girl and a virgin when she was told by the Angel Gabriel to be conceiving a child… have faced the disgrace of getting pregnant before marriage… betrothed to a man she barely knew… experienced the pains of childbirth in the most uncomfortable of places… a mother who witnessed the suffering and murder of her son.
Such is the irony in the life of Mary. She was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus Christ, conceived without sin, blessed among women and gained special favor in the eyes of God. This is her privileged life. But inspite of this, she suffered so much. Yet, Mary found it in her heart to remain humble, obedient and ever-trusting of God’s plan for her life. True enough her rewards were far greater afterlife and her legacy continue to inspire generations.
Just like Mary, we are all blessed with a privileged life with God. But this life doesn’t guarantee a life free from sufferings and challenges. There are experiences in our lives which oftentimes make us wonder what God is indeed planning for us. We all encounter situations in life which we find difficult to accept or to understand at first. There may be moments when we feel that God doesn’t care about us or that He is not hearing our cries. But it is precisely during these times when we have to bring out the “Mary” in us. A heart like Mary’s is what we need in times like these.
READ MORE... A Heart Like Mary's
*Article published in the CFC ME RMO Official Regional Website (http://www.cfcmiddleeast.org/), September 8, 2011