Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In today’s Gospel, we hear the story of the finding of Christ in the Temple after three days. Mary encountered grief at losing him, joy at finding him, puzzlement at his words – she “kept all these things in her heart,” as the Scriptures say, and contemplated it all.
The heart is a privileged place of encounter with the Lord. Mary’s Immaculate Heart brings all her experiences, her joys and her sufferings, before the Lord in prayer, and we are invited to imitate her. The Lord wants to hear all of our interior movements, all of our emotions, all of our desires in prayer, as one heart opening up to another. And of course, this opening begins with God: Christ’s Sacred Heart speaks directly to each of our hearts first. We can speak with the Lord because the Lord has bridged the gap and spoken to us. Today, let’s pray for hearts like Mary’s, hearts that are open to receive God’s Word, and hearts that open themselves to God in return.