Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

As Christians, we are asked to not only do God’s Will, but also to reflect upon all God has done for us. We need to do the later in order to keep our lives in perspective. We need to remember that God is the source of all our goods and goodness. He is the one who gives us our time, talents, and treasures. Without Him we would be nothing, but with Him we are everything we need to be. When we do a good deed or have one done for us, we should take the time to ponder the source of these words and works. By doing this, we bring God to the forefront of our minds, give constant thanks for His graces, and make Him an intricate part of our lives. When we fail to do this, we can become lost and lose sight of the reason behind our acts of love and mercy. Sometimes we can do the right thing, but for the wrong reasons or with the wrong attitudes. God does not want us to do the right things halfheartedly or out of sense of obligation. He wants us to do them because we love Him and His children. Without reflection upon our words and works, we cannot learn from our mistakes and successes and grow in our faith.

Do we reflect on the time, talents, and treasures God has given us? Have we pondered the good things in our lives and sought to understand God’s role in each of them? Are we doing the right things for the wrong reasons or are our hearts in the right place, too?

O Lord, let us keep all you have done for us in our hearts and reflect upon them.

Amen.