A Reflection on Luke 2:16-21
A New Year Begins with Mary's Heart
When the shepherds arrived at the stable that first Christmas, they found
exactly what the angels had promised: a newborn child lying in a manger,
wrapped in swaddling clothes. But they found something else too, something the
Gospel tells us with quiet power. They found Mary, and Mary was watching. She
was listening. She was taking everything in. While the shepherds burst with
excitement, telling everyone what they had heard about this child, Mary
"kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." As we begin
this new year on the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, we're invited
to learn from her example of faith, pondering, and trust.
Mary teaches us something essential about how to live our faith. She
doesn't rush past the mystery of what God is doing. She doesn't demand all the
answers immediately. Instead, she treasures each moment, each word, each sign,
and holds them close in her heart. This is the same Mary who said
"yes" to God without understanding everything, who stood at the foot
of the cross without running away, who prayed with the first Christians as they
waited for the Holy Spirit. Her life shows us that faith isn't about having
everything figured out, but about staying close to Jesus, paying attention, and
letting God reveal His plan one step at a time. Mary's heart became a dwelling
place for God's word, and our hearts can too.
The Rosary connects us directly to this way of Mary's heart. When we Pray
the Rosary, we're doing exactly what Mary did: we're pondering the mysteries of
Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. The Joyful Mysteries begin with the very
events we celebrate today: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the
Presentation, and finding Jesus in the Temple. Each time we pray a Hail Mary,
we're asking Mary to help us reflect as she did, to treasure God's work in our
lives as she treasured it in hers. The repetition of the prayers isn't empty
repetition; it's like a heartbeat, steady and faithful, creating space for us
to go deeper into the mysteries. Mary becomes our teacher in prayer, showing us
how to stay with Jesus through every season of life.
Today's Gospel ends with something beautiful and important: Jesus was
circumcised and given His name on the eighth day, according to the Law of
Moses. His name, Jesus, means "God saves." From His very first days,
Jesus was being given to us, named for us, marked as the One who would save His
people from their sins. And Mary was there for all of it, saying yes,
treasuring these moments, trusting God's plan. As we start this new year, we
begin it not with our own plans and promises alone, but with Mary's example
before us. We begin with her Son's name on our lips and in our hearts: Jesus,
God saves.
As you reflect on this Gospel and this new year beginning under Mary's
care, consider these questions:
- What moments or experiences from
this past year have I been called to "treasure in my heart" the
way Mary did?
- How can I slow down and truly
ponder God's work in my life instead of rushing past it?
- When I Pray the Rosary, am I
opening my heart to learn from Mary's way of staying close to Jesus? And what
keeps me focused on the Mysteries?
- What does it mean for me
personally that Jesus' name means "God saves"? Where do I need
His saving love most right now?
- How can I imitate Mary's faithful
"yes" to God in the opportunities and challenges I'll face in
this new year?
May Mary, the Holy Mother of God, pray for us and guide us through every
day ahead.
©2026 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
