FR. DAN MACALINAO
We just ended the Christmas season, found ourselves reading from Luke’s account of the nativity and the visitation of the shepherds.
In this account of the shepherds’ visit, we hear one of the most tender descriptions of Mary in the gospel:
“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”
This single sentence speaks so much about who Mary is and why the Church invites us to begin each new calendar year by looking to her as our model for faith.
Mary reflected –
She paused, pondered, and carried deep within her all that had transpired. For Mary, the arrival of the shepherd and their proclamation of angels must have been both puzzling and astonishing.
Imagine if angels came to visit you at the birth of your son or daughter! Would you be excited? Or a little scared?
Mary doesn’t rush to conclusions or demand answers. Luke says – she held everything close to her heart: the miraculous birth of Jesus, the words of the angel Gabriel, their journey towards Bethlehem – Mary pondered and reflected.
This posture of reflection isn’t passive. It’s an act of deep faith. Mary’s pondering heart is a heart open to God’s plan – even in the face of mystery.
Even when Mary couldn’t yet see the full picture, she trusted that God was weaving everything together, believing and trusting that God held her life and the lives of those around her.
As we stand at the beginning of a new year, Mary’s example invites us to reflect on what it means to trust in God.
Like Mary, we may have parts of a picture, not fully knowing what lies ahead. The uncertainty of the future may feel overwhelming at times.
But Mary’s quiet confidence reminds us that we don’t have to have everything figured out in order to move forward in faith.
Mary’s trust was not something she conjured in a single moment. It grew over time as she experienced God’s faithfulness in her life again and again.
From Mary’s yes at the Annunciation to the humble setting of Bethlehem, from the adoration of shepherds to the mysteries she would continue to face, she teaches us that trust is built through relationship with God – one that only grows if our hearts continue to be open to receive God’s gift of himself.
We too are invited to reflect on the ways God has been at work in our lives.
The past year, like every year, has probably been a mix of joys and challenges, of times of clarity but also of frustration.
Yet as we look back, where can we see God’s fingerprints?
What moments of grace can we treasure in our hearts, even if they didn’t unfold as we expected?
To have Mary’s heart is to trust that God holds the reins of the world, no matter how chaotic life might seem.
The same God who brought light from darkness at Bethlehem, who made His face shine upon us in the birth of His Son, continues to guide our lives today. He is not distant; He is Emmanuel, God-with-us.
As we begin this new year, let us take a moment to pause and follow Mary’s example.
Instead of rushing ahead with plans or resolutions, let us reflect on where God is leading us and trust that His plans for us are good.
And when we find ourselves struggling to trust — and struggle we will at times (!), let us remember Mary’s pondering heart, and let her example draw us closer to the One who is always faithful.
Fr. Dan has a PhD in Cancer Biology from Sloan Kettering Center, New York and spent 20 years of his life in the US studying. Afterwards, however, he was called to a late vocation to the priesthood.
Mary did not need to understand all that God asked of her. She pondered deeply and with responsive heart, followed God’s will unwaveringly, in active surrender.
Mary has been fittingly called “the first disciple of her Son Jesus Christ.”
Thank you, Fr. Macalinao, for encouraging or reminding us to turn to Mary as our role model of Faith!