Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

2 Tim. 4:1-8, Lk 2:41-51. We celebrate the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary the day after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, because of her closeness to the heart of her Son. The traditional image of the heart of Jesus is of a pierced heart, a heart that has suffered because of love. The heart of Mary is also a pierced heart. When Jesus was presented in the Temple, Simeon said to Mary, “a sword will pierce your own soul also.” Mary, like her Son, knew the pain that love brings, as is clear from today’s Gospel. When the child Jesus went missing, Mary and Joseph went looking for Him.

The Gospel captures the pain of loss, which is every parent’s pain and the pain of everyone who has every loved someone deeply. Jesus’ words to Mary when she eventually found Him: “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” showed that even at a young age Jesus was given over to a greater purpose than Mary and Joseph’s purpose for Him. Mary had to learn to let Jesus go even as a child. More painfully she had to learn to let Him go as an adult as he hung from the cross. Yet Mary could do that because her own heart was given over to God; that is what we mean by referring to her Immaculate Heart. If our own heart is given over to God and God’s purpose for our lives, we must also come to know when and how to let go of those we love.

May the Lord grant us His steadfast love and strengthen us in our journey in life! Amen!! Have a glorious weekend!!!