Dear friends,
Christmas season is a very busy time of the year. There are a lot of Christmas parties, travel, and reunions. Amidst this busyness, what suffers the most is our moment of reflection on why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.
Luke 2:19 gives us a model that amidst the mystery of the birth of Jesus, the unavailability of a room, the visit of the shepherds late at night with accompanying stories of a host of angels, one can still have a moment of reflection. The verse says, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
What can we learn from Mary?
First, we must intentionally have time for reflection. The verse starts with the word “but” which means a contrast of the previous statements. This means that Mary was not swallowed up with the bustling activities. She found the time to meditate about the birth of the Savior of the world. The verse tells us that Mary “pondered” in her heart on what happened. Most probably, Mary remembered the visit of angel Gabriel, the joy of Elizabeth, the faithfulness of Joseph, and her sacrifices. She was also looking forward to how to take care of Jesus, and on how Jesus would become the Savior of the world.
Second, we must intentionally select memories that will go into our hearts. The verse tells us that Mary “treasured” all these things in her heart. When you decide to treasure a memory, then it will stay there. Let us choose to treasure positive memories that could continue to inspire and encourage us. Mary, most probably, drew from the memory of the birth of Jesus when she, later on, became a single parent, and up to the time when Jesus was crucified. Mary was strengthened by her memory.
So in this Christmas season, let us find the time to meditate, treasure and recollect memories that could help us move forward into another year in our lives. May we never forget to ponder why we celebrate Christmas in the first place — the birth of our Savior.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Sincerely,
Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on