Fiat

"But [Mary] was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be (Luke 1:29)."

and "... [Mary] kept all these things in her heart (Luke 2:51)."


What do we see Mary doing amid trying times? Pondering the events, holding them in her heart. At the annunciation, and during her anxiety as she searched for her missing son. She ponders, and holds it in her heart. What does it mean to do this?

To hold something in your heart means first of all to accept it. To accept it in humble accord with God's will, even when it is something troubling.

To hold it in your heart is furthermore to bear it in reverence and awe of the Divine wisdom that has allowed it. It is humble trust in God, and the peace that flows from that trust.

In this way, Mary offers us an example of perfect humility and trust, the way in which we are to react to our own challenges in life.

So with each unexpected turn in our lives, even the little things throughout the day, let us, by God's grace, hold them in our hearts with acceptance, reverence and loving awe.