Readings
I - Lam. 2: 2, 10-14, 18-19
II - Lk. 2: 41-51
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY (Memorial)
The feast of the immaculate heart of Mary follows the feast of the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus is the perfect reflection of God’s love and Mother Mary, the perfect reflection of the Heart of her son Jesus. Her heart was always aglow with the fire of love for God and for the humankind. When Simeon said, “And a sword will pierce your very soul” (Lk. 2: 35) and when the boy Jesus at the temple said, “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”, Mary neither made any resistance nor did she show any reaction but kept all these things in her heart and pondering, unreservedly yielding to the will of the Father in Heaven. Her focus was on God and her concern was in accomplishing God’s will. Her love for fellow human beings is admirable and appreciable. At the wedding feast of Cana, Mary sensed about the shortage of wine and unassumingly sorted and solved the problem through her son Jesus (Jn. 2: 1-12). Mary was present in the upper room with the fearful and hopeless disciples after the death of Jesus, with her powerful and supporting presence (Acts. 1:14). Mary is the perfect model for love of God and love of neighbour that kept her immaculate in her concern for God and his people.
May the celebration of the feast help us to examine where and what have we fixed our hearts upon. If on God and his people, like mother Mary, then we are on the right track witnessing the love of God, if not, pray that our blessed mother help us in keeping our heart aglow with love for God and His people. Let our mind and heart resonate with the prayer: Let our mind and heart resonate with the prayer: “Immaculate heart of Mary, Make us pure in love for God and his people”.
