•The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! (Nehemiah 6:26)
•May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. (Psalm 67:2)
•God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” (Galatians 4:6)
•And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)

 

•What does Luke mean with “reflecting… in her heart”? Have you ever held an experience or feeling close to your heart that was beyond words?
•Can you find a feeling that you cherish and hold it close to your heart?
•When “God’s face shines upon us,” is it an expression of feeling God’s love within? What is that feeling?
•Can you hold a peace in your heart that is an emptiness of desire and worldly irritation?

The emptiness and interior solitude and peace without which we cannot be filled with God were given by him to Mary in order that she might receive him into the world by offering him the hospitality of a being that was perfectly pure, perfectly silent, perfectly at rest, perfectly at peace, and centered in utter humility . If we ever manage to empty ourselves of the noise of the world and of our own passions, it is because she has been sent close to us by God and given us to share in her sanctity and hiddeness.<sup>1



1</sup>Merton, Thomas, New Seeds of Contemplation, New Directions: New York, 1972, p. 168-9.