Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

In Saint Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus, he tells us three times of Mary’s contemplation:

• … she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. (1:29)
• Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. (2:19)
• …his mother kept all these things in her heart. (2:51).

We could add a fourth:

• During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah.

I have heard that the phrase “in haste” might be translated as “thoughtfully.” Perhaps Saint Luke intended both meanings.

As the first and ideal Christian Mary teaches us how to live our lives. It should be rich with the awareness of God’s presence.

Fundamental to our scientific understanding of the world is the doctrine of deus absconditus. God is unknowable, hidden and distant. God doesn’t actually matter very much in our life. Your car will probably start without a prayer. An airplane takes off and lands safely and no one thinks to pray about it. People buy electronic gadgets, houses and cars, weapons and drugs and abortion without reference to God. None of it seems to matter to God who remains in silence. Where is he?

But the Christian practices the awareness of God. Not only do we ask for favors and thank for blessings, we see beauty and wonder and goodness and they remind us of God’s presence. We believe that God cares; we “feel” God’s eye upon us.

How does one feel God’s presence? It takes practice. Precisely, it takes the practice of devotion or piety, what the scriptures sometimes call “the fear of the Lord:”

Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. (Psalm 34:12)

This Awareness Of The Presence Of God doesn’t come simply because you wish it would, nor does trying do much good. Rather, it comes with daily prayer, penance, avoiding sinful distractions and compromising commitments, and so forth. It is a desire like that of Moses, to see God face to face, which is impossible and somewhat foolish but real nonetheless. More than real it is earnest and intense and even painful, and yet satisfying and sweet and very desirable. The desire itself is desirable, and our greatest disappointment is that we do not desire God more than we do.

As we cultivate this desire, letting it remain unsatisfied but satisfying, we follow in the footsteps of Mary. Our hearts are purified with desire, as is the Immaculate Heart of Mary.