The Luminous Mysteries - The Way Through the Heart
The Annunciation
People had been waiting for this covenant with God for so long. There remained in human hearts a great longing for someone who would love, be faithful, not be discouraged, and never leave us, even if we failed. This is the wisdom of the human heart, poured out by the Holy Spirit, the human expectation of the love of the Heart of God. Prophets expected Him for hundreds of years, asking for the Messiah who would redeem the entire nation, lift up all the weak, heal the sick and find the lost, strengthen the faith of the people, bring order, defend... but the Savior appears first as a weak Child who needs to be cared for, whose needs must be guessed, to whom one must show heart.
This first covenant of hearts took place in a small provincial town, with Mary, unknown to the world. It is a gift of the Heart of God, needing a Mother, an earthly father who would protect, feed, teach, and introduce into the world. Only God could come up with such an original idea - people expected the heavens to miraculously drop a mighty hero from above...
The first invitation to receive the Savior is given to a married couple, chosen and prepared - the incarnate God needs parents. Is it not surprising - He who is to save does not appear as a great, strong, and invincible hero, but as a small and helpless Child who requires much heart. Mary's Heart accepts Him without seeing, without knowing, without setting any conditions, without demanding anything for herself. So many believers waited for the Messiah, picturing Him in detail as wonderful and strong, who would establish a righteous rule according to their dreams. The Virgin Mary is able to accept God, whom she is to care for in the silence of her Heart. Jesus can be conceived in Her Heart because She gives Him her whole self and agrees for her Heart to be available, open, ready for Him, wanting to accept God with a Mother's Heart. He has the right to be Her Child and to expect her attention, gentleness, work.
What kind of God do we expect? In what way does He want to come to us, who does He want to be for us right now?
The Visitation
The Most Holy Virgin became the Mother of the Son of God in a way completely incomprehensible to herself, her loved ones, and everyone around her. What and how is she to explain to Joseph, to whom she is already betrothed? What will the neighbors and family say? Who will understand Her Heart? She was invited to enter into a covenant with God that is one of a kind, unique, mysterious, and hidden. People often do not understand someone's vocation, finding it illogical and incomprehensible. Perhaps they feel they would have a better recipe for someone else's life.
The young Virgin, having accepted the promised Son with her whole Heart, without consulting anyone or seeking any advice, irrevocably decided to be the Mother of the Sweetest Heart of Jesus. God Himself created man and knows the needs that slumber in human hearts, He knows what everyone needs, especially a young mother in such an extraordinary situation. The angel already has a proposal prepared by the good Father - he gently points to a relative with a similar vocation - Elizabeth is also to become a mother in an unexpected and miraculous way, difficult for those around to understand. God's care thus helps both women, they can be support and help to each other, they are united both by God's choice and the future of both sons. God knows that the Heart of the Mother of God needs a close person, support, care, a good word, shared prayer. The Virgin goes where the angel's word leads her, she finds the open heart of St. Elizabeth, who accepts and understands the Heart of the Mother of God and greets the Sweetest Heart of Jesus.
Let us also open our hearts to the needs of hearts called to God's service, let us support in their hearts a vocation close to the Heart of Jesus. The Immaculate goes to support and receives support.
Even if we do not understand someone's vocation, even if we see that person's weaknesses, even if they scandalize those around them - all the more let us pray for them for strength, perseverance, a life in truth, love, and God's joy. Let us ask for the purification of feelings and thoughts, let us thank for God's grace for this person, let us ask that their shortcomings do not hold back human faith and patience. Let us pray for the gifts of the Divine Spirit for ourselves and all our acquaintances called to God's service.
The Nativity of Jesus
The Mother of God, having accepted Jesus, believed without seeing. Now she can see Him whom she accepted with all her Purest Heart. Does He look like the mighty Savior everyone expected? Does He fulfill people's expectations?
Mary will now learn to care for Him, feed Him, dress Him, worry, help, get to know Him more and more. The covenant of both Hearts, once undertaken sincerely, will grow and deepen. Now the Virgin sees the Son of God, who is to do great things - as small, helpless, who needs to be covered and protected. She knows they will wait many years before she can see the practical realization of the Angel's promises. For now, she is to deal not with grand plans, but with getting to know Jesus and what is good for Jesus. In the Annunciation, she gave her Heart to the Son of God; now she must prepare a good place for Him by her side, safe, comfortable, pleasing to His Sweetest Heart.
What does it mean to give someone a home? It is the ability to create a good everyday life, a multitude of ordinary everyday activities. Accepting the Heart of Jesus, full of majesty, therefore means accepting ordinariness, living within the conditions of a specific, very epoch, current time, imposed environment; it means seeking God not in dreams, not in distant countries or in the future, but here and now, in one's own life as it is. Jesus appeared first in Mary's Heart, only then in Bethlehem. The Immaculate Heart of Mary continues to focus her attention on Jesus, does not waste time on dissatisfaction or considering other possibilities - she accepts everything that happens, thanking for the presence of Jesus. The patient Heart of the Virgin Mary accepts with all confidence God's choice - she herself would certainly have chosen a different birthplace for her Son. However, a modest, secluded, quiet place, far from the curious, in discretion, she accepts as God's will and rejoices in the Son. St. Joseph accepts the birth of the Son, protects the Spouse and the Child, supports the community of their Hearts. Appointed and prepared for the person closest to them, he cares for them, participates in the covenant, himself giving himself to the needs of Mary and the Son of God.
Do we also allow the Sweetest Heart of Jesus to be born in ourselves, and where He wants to be close to us? Do we agree that we must protect our vocation and take care of it?
Let us also find ourselves in our epoch, in our country, and our place of life. This is the time God chose for us, destined us to live here and now, accept Jesus in our heart, and take care of Him. Here, where we are, Jesus is to be born - for us and for others, in these conditions, right now. Do we agree to accept the small Divine Child into our lives?
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
The purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the presentation of the Son is a great event for the Holy Family. It is an old, obvious religious custom, important not only for mothers and children; fathers were also present. St. Joseph and the Mother of God experience the presentation of the Son, to whom they are already very attached, they spend most of their free time with Him, work for Him, take care of Him every day, feed Him and hug Him, they are to continue to raise Him and teach Him ordinary life. At the same time, both know that this is the Son of the Father in heaven and it is His will that will guide Their beloved Child. The Son of God is after all the Savior, so awaited by people, He came into the world for their salvation. He is Their Son, but also not only Theirs, for them, but not at all only for them. This is the Heart in which the Father is well pleased and which desires a covenant with people.
Who in the pride of the pious knows what they are experiencing, who guesses, who understands anything at all? God's Providence provided for St. Joseph and Mary a meeting with Simeon and Anna, who confirm with their joy and presence Their vocation and the mission of the Son of God. This is a joyful moment that is supposed to last for a long time - so many long years of the young Jesus growing up will come, living in new places; quite a few unknown customs, constantly foreign people with whom one will have to live in harmony, while maintaining the secrets of life and vocation. Both offered themselves to all this without knowing any details, accepting the vocation to be the earthly parents of the Son of God.
Even now the Most Holy Virgin and St. Joseph are in a crowd of people. The comfort and warning of Simeon and Anna are given as a gift for the given moment, yet no one else knows or understands these announcements and events. Let us think - just like that, we wouldn't know what is happening; just like that, we are probably unaware of the vocation, holiness, prayer of people who happen to be around us in church, in the neighborhood, in the family. With respect and patience let us accept the people we meet - we do not know how God leads them, what place they have near Christ, what gifts the Holy Spirit pours into their hearts. Let us look at them as called, like us, to closeness to the Heart of God.
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
This is a joyful mystery - the Son has been found, He is already safe, nothing happened, everything is fine... Yet it begins with uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. Just a moment ago the dearest Son was beside them, or so it seemed, and now after all He is gone, at least not close by. But the illusion or hope still flickers that He is somewhere nearby and in a moment everything will be fine. The feelings of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph will not be understood by someone who repeats: how could this have been allowed?, one should have been careful... How could this have happened?
A sudden change, a sudden loss will always be a shock. We get used to what we consider permanent, obvious, even natural. It seems to us that nothing will change, it will always be the way we would want. A quick loss of health, work, a good neighborhood can surprise us very much if everything seemed stable and unchanging to us. However, the opposite can happen - when we imperceptibly lose someone, and when we notice it, it is already too late. How easy it is to imperceptibly lose contact with someone we are used to! How easy it is to lose sight of Jesus!
For Joseph and Mary, this is a moment of trial for Their relationship as well. Surprise, anxiety, fears, imagination suggests dangers... How quickly one can move to blaming each other! Could the Mother of God not reproach her husband and guardian for not watching the Son carefully enough, after all, hers, God's? How many unnecessary words could be spoken that stay in memory and hurt. However, the love and care of the Immaculate for the Son does not divide, does not quarrel Her with anyone. Even such great fear for the Son does not introduce anger, shifting blame, an outburst. Let us consider this mystery well and take it to heart - the Immaculate Heart sincerely speaks the words: Your father and I have sought You sorrowing... The covenant of hearts overcomes the temptations of division and dispute.
They know how to humbly seek Jesus, and they found Him. However, nothing will ever be the same again. Words are spoken that will remain deep in the hearts learning to know Jesus. He is about His Father's business; for Him, the Father's business will be the most important. Jesus is strictly, with His whole Heart, devoted to His Parents, yet the most important covenant connects Him with the Father in heaven.
Do we agree to be in second place in the hearts close to us? Do we agree that the first place in every heart should be occupied by the Father's business?