Handmaid of the Lord

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin, exhort us to live in trust in God as exemplified by the faith of Mary.

St Mary's Bascilica

The reading from the Second Letter of Timothy is a Solemn Charge to proclaim the message.

* [4:1–5] The gravity of the obligation incumbent on Timothy to preach the word can be gauged from the solemn adjuration: in the presence of God, and of Christ coming as universal judge, and by his appearance and his kingly power (2 Tm 4:1). Patience, courage, constancy, and endurance are required despite the opposition, hostility, indifference, and defection of many to whom the truth has been preached (2 Tm 4:2–5).

* [4:3] Insatiable curiosity: literally, “with itching ears.”

* [4:6] The apostle recognizes his death through martyrdom to be imminent. He regards it as an act of worship in which his blood will be poured out in sacrifice; cf. Ex 29:38–40; Phil 2:17.

* [4:7] At the close of his life Paul could testify to the accomplishment of what Christ himself foretold concerning him at the time of his conversion, “I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16).

* [4:8] When the world is judged at the parousia, all who have eagerly looked for the Lord’s appearing and have sought to live according to his teachings will be rewarded. The crown is a reference to the laurel wreath placed on the heads of victorious athletes and conquerors in war; cf. 2 Tm 2:5; 1 Cor 9:25. (2 Timothy, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

The reading from the Prophet Isaiah proclaims God’s Word of Promise.

* [61:10–11] The new life of the restored Zion is expressed in nuptial (cf. also 62:5) and agricultural (cf. v. 3; 60:21) imagery. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 61 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 71 is a prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help.

* [Psalm 71] A lament of an old person (Ps 71:9, 18) whose afflictions are interpreted by enemies as a divine judgment (Ps 71:11). The first part of the Psalm pleads for help (Ps 71:1–4) on the basis of a hope learned from a lifetime’s experience of God; the second part describes the menace (Ps 71:9–13) yet remains buoyant (Ps 71:14–16); the third develops the theme of hope and praise. (Psalms, PSALM 71 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Mary finds the Boy Jesus in the Temple.

* [2:41–52] This story’s concern with an incident from Jesus’ youth is unique in the canonical gospel tradition. It presents Jesus in the role of the faithful Jewish boy, raised in the traditions of Israel, and fulfilling all that the law requires. With this episode, the infancy narrative ends just as it began, in the setting of the Jerusalem temple.

* [2:49] I must be in my Father’s house: this phrase can also be translated, “I must be about my Father’s work.” In either translation, Jesus refers to God as his Father. His divine sonship, and his obedience to his heavenly Father’s will, take precedence over his ties to his family. (Luke, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Nancy Shirley comments that Mary was incredible in her acceptance of divine conception with all the possible implications for a young girl/woman at that time.  Her ability to not only accept but to truly embrace the situation is exemplary and Mary’s canticle leaves no doubt as to her faithfulness even if all the implications were not totally understood: 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. As the alleluia verse states: Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God and pondered it in her heart. Even the gospel helps us to see that while Mary did not completely understand, she kept all these things in her heart.  The Virgin Mary provides the example for me to trust and believe even when I don’t entirely understand, having faith that God’s plan is the best plan for me.  I recall hitting my knees many years ago praying to Mary when I was concerned about my son’s safety and begging for her protection of my son even though she knew the grief of losing her son. She continues to be my “go-to” and safety net, finding great comfort in the arms of my Mother. This song says it all: Hail Mary, Gentle Woman (Shirley, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 2:41-51 comments that Luke’s account of the finding of Jesus in the Temple tells us a lot about Mary’s immaculate heart.

Here’s another way you can relate to Mary: her search for the missing Jesus can mirror your own search for him. Every time you pray, receive Christ in the Eucharist, or try to discern his will, you are undertaking that search. And experience tells you that you don’t always end up finding him right away!

Holiness doesn’t mean finding Jesus immediately; it means persisting in the search. And for us who are not immaculately conceived, holiness does not mean moral perfection. It means being quick to confess when we fall to sin and humbly accepting God’s mercy and the grace to change.

So be like Mary and keep seeking Jesus, no matter now messy life gets!

“Holy Mary, be with me through the ups and downs of life.” (Meditation on Luke 2:41-51, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the setting in 2 Timothy of Paul in prison sensing his life being poured out as libation. Docetism and Gnosticism were present at this time in the community. As a Jewish boy of 12, Jesus' introduction to adulthood involved speaking with the elders in the Temple. Friar Jude connects Jesus' disappearance to the Temple for three days as a foreshadowing to Mary of His three days in the tomb at Easter.

 

James Finley offers recommendations for how to pray the Jesus Prayer while “putting all other thoughts aside”.

St. Symeon tells the practitioner to “try to put all other thoughts aside.” This is important because when we sit and pray in this way, it isn’t as if all other thoughts politely step back so we can do this. They don’t. What happens is that our thoughts are circling around the edges, and they keep making inroads into our practice. We’re sitting there praying, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” and we think, “Oh geez, I forgot to call Aunt Mildred!” We are praying, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” and the thought pops in, “I wonder what’s for lunch?!” We do our best.  

Every time the slippage into thoughts other than the Jesus Prayer occurs, it’s a graced opportunity to circle back around to God being in love with us in our inability to do this. The stillness of this prayer is not a stillness that we perfect in our ability to sit still. The stillness is an inner stillness in which God is unexplainably transforming us into the love of God in our nothingness without God. We’re stilled by it, and there’s a kind of quiet amazement, in awe of the grace that’s unfolding within us in the midst of all the unresolved things in our heart. [2] (Finley, n.d.)

We identify with the anxiety of Mary in her search for Jesus in Jerusalem and we seek the consolation of the Holy Spirit as we strive to live in relationship with Christ.

References

Finley, J. (n.d.). The Jesus Prayer: Weekly Summary. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved June 8, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-jesus-prayer-weekly-summary/ 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 61 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 8, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/61 

Luke, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 8, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/2?41 

Meditation on Luke 2:41-51. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 8, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/06/08/992164/ 

Psalms, PSALM 71 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 8, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/71?8 

Shirley, N. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved June 8, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/060824.html 

2 Timothy, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 8, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2timothy/4?1