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Penetrating the Mystery

by Pope Benedict XVI

By July 11, 2019November 23rd, 2023No Comments

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Dear brothers and sisters, let us today contemplate Mary, ever-virgin Mother of the Only-Begotten Son of the Father.

The Evangelist Luke [tells us that] Our Lady meditated silently on the extraordinary events in which God had involved her. Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart (Lk 2: 19).

The Greek verb used, sumbállousa, literally means “piecing together” and makes us think of a great mystery to be discovered little by little. Although the Child lying in a manger looks like all children in the world, at the same time he is totally different: he is the Son of God. He is God, true God and true man.

This mystery—the Incarnation of the Word and the divine Motherhood of Mary—is great and certainly far from easy to understand with the human mind alone.

Yet, by learning from Mary, we can understand with our hearts what our eyes and minds do not manage to perceive or contain on their own.

Indeed, this is such a great gift that only through faith are we granted to accept it, while not entirely understanding it.

And it is precisely on this journey of faith that Mary comes to meet us as our support and guide.

And in her heart Mary continued to treasure, to “piece together” the subsequent events of which she was to be a witness and protagonist, even to the death on the Cross and the Resurrection of her Son Jesus.

Dear brothers and sisters, it is only by pondering in the heart, in other words, by piecing together and finding unity in all we experience, that, following Mary, we can penetrate the mystery of a God who was made man out of love and who calls us to follow him on the path of love; a love to be expressed daily by generous service to the brethren.

May we advance in that knowledge of the heart, which is the wisdom of the saints. Let us pray that the Lord may make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious to us (cf. Nm 6: 24-7) and bless us.

We may be certain of it: if we never tire of seeking his Face, if we never give in to the temptation of discouragement and doubt, if also among the many difficulties we encounter we always remain anchored to him, we will experience the power of his love and his mercy.

May the fragile Child whom the Virgin shows to the world make us peacemakers, witnesses of him, the Prince of Peace. Amen!

From the Homily of Pope Benedict XVI, January 1, 2008, St. Peter’s Basilica

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