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“... So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary was treasuring up all these matters, pondering them in her heart.” (Lk 2:15-19)
In Bethlehem, ‘ this Child’ immediately became the talk of the town. The shepherds were telling everyone in their neighborhood the good news about Him, and everyone was marveling about it. But the Mother of God rested, as one does after giving birth. She rested, while treasuring up ‘all these matters’ and pondering them in her heart.
Let us also rest today and celebrate, dear friends, while taking care of the new-born Treasure in our hearts. It’s a tender, quiet kind of Christmas joy of the Church-Mother, of all of us, when a new-born Baby is resting in our ‘house.’ We might think of ourselves in these terms, blessed as we are “ through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:78-79).
Merry Christmas to all of you, whether you are alone or with others today; whether you are sitting in ‘ darkness and the shadow of death’ (as are our beloved brothers and sisters in Ukraine and other war-torn regions); whether you are dealing with family drama or other concerns; or you have loads of responsibilities in your household or church today, or none, – let’s take care of our own hearts and the hearts of others, minding the precious, newborn Baby in our midst.
