When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
- Luke 2:16-21
There is a line in this Sunday’s Gospel that is one of the most beautiful in the Bible: “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” The beauty comes in the simplicity of the statement and the model it presents for each of us. I am sure after everything that happened, Mary needed some time to reflect. Even under the best of circumstances becoming a parent requires a period of adjustment; for Mary there must have been a lot of things to ponder and think about.
The New Year presents each of us a chance to reflect as well. Just as Mary took time to reflect on all that had happened to her, we each should reflect on what has happened with us over the past year. Perhaps you started a new job. Maybe you got married or divorced. Maybe you had a new baby or grandbaby or experienced the death of a loved one. Whatever happened, God wants you to follow Mary’s example and reflect on it in your heart.
However, that does not mean we should just be passively thinking about what happened. When you reflect on things, you should be looking at the questions and thoughts that arrive and be actively sorting through them. You should actively seek out the answer to your questions: both in further reflection and in prayer. Then you need to act! Make changes in your life to improve on anything that needs improving. Sometimes that involves ending a particularly negative relationship. Sometimes we need to work on eliminating a bad habit or starting a new good habit. Sometimes we need to adjust our priorities and refocus our attention. Whatever it is that needs to be done to make the New Year better, that is what we should be doing.
Too often, we sit back and wait for things to happen. We think that this is how God works. We pray for something, we reflect on something, and then just wait for it to happen. Instead, we need to take action in our own lives. God will surely be right there with us, helping us along the way. But He wants us to take the initiative and be willing to take the first step. Just as Mary said “Yes,” He is waiting for us to say “Yes.” So this New Year, take some time to reflect and then go out and change the world!