Homily for June 9, 2018.
“And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them, and his mother kept all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:51.
In celebrating the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus yesterday, our major prayer was that God may give us hearts like that of Jesus Christ; that God may take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh which are humble, gentle and pure. Today, we are celebrating the life of one woman in whom this prayer was granted, a woman whose heart was just like that of her son; Jesus Christ.
What are the characteristics of the heart of Mary?
1. Humility. Mary was never proud. Mary acknowledged she was just a handmaid of God and she never went about seeking praise and exultation from her fellow women like the Pharisees who loved to be greeted obsequiously in the marketplaces.
2. Silence. Mary pondered a lot of things in her heart. She practised the act of Contemplative Prayer which some saints have described as the most perfect form of prayer. In contemplation, we do not use words but simply centre ourselves in the presence of God pondering in our hearts what he says to us.
3. Righteousness. Mary had a PURE heart. It is as a result of Mary’s outstanding sinlessness that we refer to her heart as IMMACULATE. It was this purity of heart that made God so fall in love with her as to choose her to be his mother. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us a secret; “Blessed are the Pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5, 8. Only a heart so pure can contain God as Mary did.
Mary was a virgin who knew no man. This is a virtue that needs to be preached and sounded more than ever before in our world today that now sees immodesty and impurity as normal. She did not allow or entertain any form of immorality, bitterness, envy or pride. Even when she had the course to be angry as we see in today’s Gospel passage, she remained calm and gentle pondering what Jesus said in her heart.
We need to learn from Mary how to guard our hearts against the defilement of evil around us. Be careful about what you read, be careful about websites you open and the pictures you allow to fill your heart. Be careful about the kind of movies you watch and even the music you listen to. Just as you cannot dwell in a stinking environment, don’t expect God to dwell in a heart that is dirty and smelling!
Lastly pray the rosary today asking that through Mary’s intercession, your heart will be cleansed.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, cleanse my heart from all impurity and sinfulness. Amen.
*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Bible Study: Isaiah 61:9-11, Psalm: 1st Samuel 2:1-8, Luke 2:41-52).*
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