In honour of this year's feast day of the Immaculate Heart of Mary here are some meditations on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary:
The Annunciation
What does the Annunciation teach us about Mary's heart?
It teaches us that her heart was lowly, because she was disturbed by the lofty greeting of the angel. It teaches us that her heart was used to listening because she didn't interrupt the angel's long message. It teaches us that Mary's heart was full of faith because she did not doubt that God cold make her a mother. Her only question related to what God required of her to make it happen. This indicates that her heart was willing to follow God's will even if it meant setting aside her virginity. Her answer tells us that she considered herself completely at God's disposal, showing a depth of trust, and her heart's desire that God's plan be fulfilled in her fully according to His wishes and without any desire that she be consulted about the details.
The Visitation
What does the Visitation teach us about Mary's heart?
It teaches us that God only had to make her aware of a situation for her to act upon it. She must have pondered why God told her that her cousin was pregnant, beyond giving her an example of His power to do the seemingly impossible. God left her free to act, and her generous heart decided to do whatever it took to go and assist her cousin. Mary didn't go to Elizabeth with a high and mighty heart, but with a servant's heart willing to all she could to help her cousin in the most awkward months of her pregnancy. When Mary finally arrived she didn't grumble and complain about the journey, but she expressed her praise and thanks to God for His mercy.
The Birth of Jesus
What does the Birth of Jesus teach us about Mary's heart?
In this mystery we have no words of Mary, only her actions. In the face of the rejection and abject poverty which caused her to give birth in a rough stable, Mary does not complain, nor does she make a scene. Her heart accepts whatever God gives her. How happy her heart must have been to see the face of Jesus for the first time! When she gets unexpected guests in the form of smelly shepherds she does not turn them away, but invites them to gaze with her upon the promise of the Father, now made visible. From this we learn how welcoming and hospitable her heart is. Her heart listens carefully to the story they tell and she carefully ponders over it seeking to comprehend all the messages from God it contains.
The Presentation in the Temple
What does the Presentation in the Temple teach us about Mary's heart?
Travelling with a new born baby is inconvenient at the best of times, but Mary goes to the Temple to offer her thanks to God as well as her heart in obedience to His law. At the same time that she offers her Son to God through the Jewish ritual of redeeming first born sons from sacrifice, Mary dedicates her whole heart and her whole life to the mission of Jesus. To indicate that her offering is acceptable to God, He sends her Simeon as a messenger, who confirms that the road ahead is full of unimaginable suffering. Yet from her compassionate heart comes no complaint because to not be united with the sufferings of her Son is unthinkable.
The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
What does the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple teach us about Mary's heart?
To search for a lost child for even an hour is a most horrible experience. To go through that worry for three days would put any mother's sanity to the test. Here the patient heart of Mary is seen, going from person to person, asking the same questions over and over again, describing the appearance of her Son. We see her heart trusting in God's plan despite the darkness of not knowing why and the searing pain of loss. When she sees Him at last in the Temple, she has control of her heart, she doesn't make a scene, but she does ask 'Why?'. Her heart accepts the answer Jesus gives, even though she does not understand it. But she takes this too as a message from God and ponders it in her heart, trusting that with time and prayer some understanding will come. Despite the sorrows she went through and her inability to understand the reason for it, Mary's heart forgives and doesn't contain any bitterness.
The Annunciation
What does the Annunciation teach us about Mary's heart?
It teaches us that her heart was lowly, because she was disturbed by the lofty greeting of the angel. It teaches us that her heart was used to listening because she didn't interrupt the angel's long message. It teaches us that Mary's heart was full of faith because she did not doubt that God cold make her a mother. Her only question related to what God required of her to make it happen. This indicates that her heart was willing to follow God's will even if it meant setting aside her virginity. Her answer tells us that she considered herself completely at God's disposal, showing a depth of trust, and her heart's desire that God's plan be fulfilled in her fully according to His wishes and without any desire that she be consulted about the details.
The Visitation
What does the Visitation teach us about Mary's heart?
It teaches us that God only had to make her aware of a situation for her to act upon it. She must have pondered why God told her that her cousin was pregnant, beyond giving her an example of His power to do the seemingly impossible. God left her free to act, and her generous heart decided to do whatever it took to go and assist her cousin. Mary didn't go to Elizabeth with a high and mighty heart, but with a servant's heart willing to all she could to help her cousin in the most awkward months of her pregnancy. When Mary finally arrived she didn't grumble and complain about the journey, but she expressed her praise and thanks to God for His mercy.
The Birth of Jesus
What does the Birth of Jesus teach us about Mary's heart?
In this mystery we have no words of Mary, only her actions. In the face of the rejection and abject poverty which caused her to give birth in a rough stable, Mary does not complain, nor does she make a scene. Her heart accepts whatever God gives her. How happy her heart must have been to see the face of Jesus for the first time! When she gets unexpected guests in the form of smelly shepherds she does not turn them away, but invites them to gaze with her upon the promise of the Father, now made visible. From this we learn how welcoming and hospitable her heart is. Her heart listens carefully to the story they tell and she carefully ponders over it seeking to comprehend all the messages from God it contains.
The Presentation in the Temple
What does the Presentation in the Temple teach us about Mary's heart?
Travelling with a new born baby is inconvenient at the best of times, but Mary goes to the Temple to offer her thanks to God as well as her heart in obedience to His law. At the same time that she offers her Son to God through the Jewish ritual of redeeming first born sons from sacrifice, Mary dedicates her whole heart and her whole life to the mission of Jesus. To indicate that her offering is acceptable to God, He sends her Simeon as a messenger, who confirms that the road ahead is full of unimaginable suffering. Yet from her compassionate heart comes no complaint because to not be united with the sufferings of her Son is unthinkable.
The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
What does the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple teach us about Mary's heart?
To search for a lost child for even an hour is a most horrible experience. To go through that worry for three days would put any mother's sanity to the test. Here the patient heart of Mary is seen, going from person to person, asking the same questions over and over again, describing the appearance of her Son. We see her heart trusting in God's plan despite the darkness of not knowing why and the searing pain of loss. When she sees Him at last in the Temple, she has control of her heart, she doesn't make a scene, but she does ask 'Why?'. Her heart accepts the answer Jesus gives, even though she does not understand it. But she takes this too as a message from God and ponders it in her heart, trusting that with time and prayer some understanding will come. Despite the sorrows she went through and her inability to understand the reason for it, Mary's heart forgives and doesn't contain any bitterness.