Daily Catholic Lectio
Sat, 8 June 2024
Ninth Week in Ordinary Time – Saturday
Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Memorial
2 Timothy 4:1-8. Luke 2:41-51
Surrender – Praise – Silence
It is very appropriate that we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary immediately after the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mary gave birth to the Sacred Heart; later, she followed the Sacred Heart of Jesus as his first disciple. Mary’s heart loved Jesus and God the Father. The memorial invites us to unite our hearts to that of Mary.
In today’s gospel reading, Luke records, “His mother kept all these things in her heart.” The same expression was found earlier when the shepherds came to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce the heart of Mary. Saint Augustine, reflecting on Mary’s Immaculate Heart, writes, “Mary at the foot of the cross crucified herself to the cross. Her heart was pierced when Jesus’ heart was pierced. Mary is blessed not only because she bore Jesus in her body, but also because she bore Jesus in her heart.”
We have different emotions that emerge from the heart of Mary. The heart of Mary is perplexed upon hearing the greetings from the archangel; it is anxious and asks, ‘How can this be?’; it rejoices when she rushes to visitate her cousin Elizabeth; it is silent when there was no place for them in the inn; it is anxious when the townspeople said that Jesus was out of his mind; it was compassionate when the wine ran out in the wedding at Cana; finally, the heart of Mary sits in the upper room with the apostles in prayer.
Thus, Mary’s heart was beating for Jesus and his kingdom.
Let us reflect on the three dimensions of Mary’s Immaculate Heart:
(a) A heart that surrenders (fiat)
Mary, who asks the archangel, ‘How can this be?’ surrenders immediately when the archangel says, ‘Nothing is impossible for God.’ The questioning heart becomes the surrendering heart. Mary offers her body, mind, and heart to God.
(b) A heart that praises (magnificat)
Mary’s heart magnified the Lord and praised him. Mary’s Magnificat already proposes how the works of the Lord are done.
(c) A heart that is silent (silentio)
When things were not clear to her, Mary remained silent. She treasured everything in her heart. She treasured the Word of God in her womb, and later she treasured the words of the Word in her heart.
Surrender – Praise – Silence. Thus beats the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
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In the first reading, Paul writes, “For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” Paul fixed a vision and attained the goal. (Jubilee A. D. 2025, bite 119).
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
# Be M.er.cy.Fool
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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