Mary has to be one of my all-time favourite people. She is always portrayed as meek and mild and obedient, but she also had to be a woman who knew her own mind and had a backbone of steel! This was a woman whose courage and bravery would put most of us to shame! But for a person who is so very central to the gospel story, to the Christmas story, to making all of this possible, she is also very silent. This Sunday’s gospel reading (Luke 1.39-55) is the Magnificat, her famous song of praise. It is one of only four occasions when we hear her voice.
Jesus’ coming among us that first Christmas might not have been as quiet as we think, though certainly it was not given national public fanfare that one might expect. Instead there were almighty choirs of angels in the sky above the shepherds (frightening the life out of them, I should think!), and the gossip must have been buzzing around Bethlehem fairly quickly. The old village gossip network could probably give Twitter/X a run for its money.
As always, the buzz probably died down relatively quickly, and life settled back to normal. But somehow, something had changed, and memories of those strange events were probably stirred again when new and unexpected things happened. Our anticipation of Christmas and the buzz of shopping and festivity may die down quickly. Trees are often out even before New Year, never mind waiting for Epiphany on 6th January, and the arrival of the Three Wise Men. Once we have just about digested our gargantuan Christmas feasts, and all the presents are unwrapped, slowly life returns to “normal”.
Or does it?
As we come to the festive carol services and hear the Christmas story told from all kinds of angles in the wonderful carols, I wonder if perhaps the knowledge of how much God loves us sinks in a little more. God loves you – yes, you! Exactly as you are. No change or improvement or New Year’s resolutions necessary. You are enough. You are loved. In a world of constantly striving for approval and ratings and achievement, that surely brings an incredible reassurance and peace.
As we come out of the Christmas cocoon and back into the world of work and “what next?”, may we treasure that knowledge of how much God loves each and every one of us, and may we, like Blessed Mary, “ponder these things in our hearts”. No matter what the world flings at you once the tinsel has been put away, may this knowledge of God’s love for you bring you peace and true security in your heart, and give you courage and trust in God to face the coming year with hope.
Wishing you and your families a peaceful, joyful, and blessed Christmas,
Revd. Talisker
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash