Quote of the day, 2 January: Silvio José Báez, O.C.D.

“Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”

Luke 2:19

What were the things that the Virgin treasured and pondered? Everything that was happening in her life and all around her. Joy and hope, light and darkness. On the one hand: Jesus’ birth, Joseph’s love, the shepherds’ visit. But on the other hand: the sadness of rejection, the disappointment of seeing Jesus born in a stable, homelessness, “because there was no place for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7), their uncertain future (Cf. Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis, 1 January 2018).

Mary welcomed the good but she didn’t ignore that which was dark and painful. She kept everything in her heart, where her life became a prayer, a dialogue with God.

This was the secret of the Mother of God: she didn’t experience anything in solitude, she experienced everything before God. This is the secret to avoid being victims of fear and bitterness. This is the way to live fully, without being indifferent and ignoring reality, without being filled with bitterness, struggling to forget.

It’s about making everything in life become silence and prayer in the heart. And God who cares for us will bless us and console us; he always will help us. From a peaceful and prayerful heart springs forth a new and joyful life.

Bishop @silviojbaez “This was the secret of the Mother of God: she didn’t experience anything in solitude, she experienced everything before God.” #MotherofGod

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May the most holy Mother of God help us on this first day of the year to begin again from the heart, leaving behind the bonds that enslave us and the fears that darken our lives. May she teach us the art of care, which begins in the heart, with the silence of prayer. If our heart is like that of the Virgin, poor in and of itself and rich in God, we’ll know how to welcome Jesus every day and we’ll be able to care for ourselves and others.

Silvio José Báez, O.C.D.

Auxiliary Bishop of Managua
Homily, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
1 January 2021

Translation from the Spanish text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.