Sermonette: Dec. 21, 2020

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go,

then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

Luke 2:15-20

While this translation of Scripture uses the word ‘reflecting’ describing what Mary was doing in the manger scene, we often find the term ‘pondering’ used as well. What does it mean to ponder? More importantly, what does it mean to ponder in your heart?

We can envision Mary holding the precious gift of a newborn infant in her arms, the quiet night, Joseph drifting off nearby as she nursed her sweet baby boy back to sleep, in the simple surroundings where the smell of animals and the breeze from the cold night air is felt. All is calm, the shepherds have said some amazing things about her son and they dovetail with what the angel Gabriel had told her nine months earlier. Most mothers, and many fathers, can relate to that quiet time, time to think about the child they are holding, imagining their future, what they will be like, the wonder and worry of being a new parent. However, Mary also needed to ponder that her newborn son is the Son of God, the Messiah, the one who the prophets of old said would come to save humanity.

The shepherds too had things to ponder. Why did the Savior come to be born in the small town of Bethlehem, lying in a manger instead of in a bed worthy of a king? Why did the angels

announce his birth to them instead of to the rulers of the world? Joseph too no doubt had things to ponder. Why did God choose him to be Jesus’ foster father and the protector of Mary? How

was he ever going to be up to the task? How could these pronouncements about this little boy possibly be true and yet they had to be because they came from God?

In our own day and age, pondering is not something we are encouraged to do in a world where we can obtain answers to almost any question simply by saying “Siri” or “Google” or “Alexa” Why does.....? We respond to questions and want answers immediately. We do not allow ourselves to ponder and have that brief silence to think about why am I being asked this question? Or why do I have this question? Does answering this question really satisfy what others want to know? Do I have this question because there is a bigger issue which I am wrestling with? How does God want me to respond? We might recall that in the Bible there is another instance one chapter earlier in Luke where Mary is described as also pondering. That occasion was when Mary pondered what was meant of the Archangel Gabriel’s greeting at the Annunciation. In that instance and for us, pondering provides the opportunity to consider and think and to let God guide those He loves to the truth.

During my five-day silent retreat prior to being ordained as a deacon two months ago, I had the gift of time to allow myself to ponder. I remember observing a piece of Christian art hanging in my room and being struck by its beauty at the surface. Throughout the days, I kept noticing new things that I had never noticed before. This encouraged me to probe even deeper. I came to the realization that had I not observed more closely I would have missed out on the true beauty of the artwork. This experience prompted me to ask the question of myself, “What else am I only looking at the surface of and missing out on observing its true beauty?” In addition to looking much closer at Christian art, I looked closer at simple things like a branch on a tree. I saw fascinating things that I would have missed had I only looked at the surface. It reminded me of a quote from St. John Via ney that I believe describes pondering well, “The eyes of the world see no further than this life, but the eyes of the Christian see deep into eternity.”

This is the perfect season to take time to ponder the gift of Jesus to the world, why He came as a baby, and how He is calling us to be His witness. Have a very Blessed Christmas!