Numbers 6:22-27 / Galatians 4:4-7 / Luke 2:16-21
Today we stand at a significant moment in time.
On this first day of the new year, we welcome a new beginning with well-wishes and celebrations.
We have said goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023.
But we have not closed the door on 2022 just yet, as we will look back at 2022 with remembering and reminiscing.
Many things have happened in 2022. We have learned to live with Covid, we have gotten used to wearing masks and some even like to wear it, we don't make a fuss anymore with using hand sanitizers.
On a brighter note, we don't have to book a place to come for Mass, we can sit wherever we want, and we get to see each other more often. So, we should be happier.
Yes, 2022 was a year of change, and we too have changed. So, is it a change for the better, and are we happier?
And now we are looking at 2023, and we wonder what will 2023 be like? Will it be better than 2022 or will it be otherwise?
So, today is a significant moment in time, as we wonder at the future of mystery, while we ponder on the past of history.
Today as we celebrate the feast of Mary the Mother of God, the gospel speaks of her as treasuring and pondering in her heart all that has happened.
And many things have happened for her, from the angel Gabriel appearing to her at the Annunciation, to the Visitation, and now in joyful wonder at the mystery of the Incarnation, the Word made flesh, the Emmanuel, who is the little tender baby Jesus in her arms.
For Mary, there is much to ponder, much to wonder and much to treasure.
For Mary, every moment is a divine moment in the appointed time of God.
As the 2nd reading tells us: At the appointed time, God sent His Son, born of a woman.
Yes, every moment is a divine moment in the appointed time of God.
And in this significant moment in time, as we look forward to 2023, we still look back at 2022, and we ponder and we wonder.
We wonder at the future of mystery, and we ponder at the moments of our history.
Those moments could be a mixture of good and bad, some were happy, some were sad, some could be better, some we would rather not remember.
But good or bad, it is hard to say. Maybe this this story can help us to understand.
Once upon a time, there was a king. The king liked one of his servants very much because he was wise and always gave useful advice. Therefore, the king took him along wherever he went.
One day, the king was bitten by a dog. His finger was injured and the wound got worse and worse. He asked the servant if that was a bad sign. The servant said, "Good or bad, hard to say". In the end, the finger of the king was so bad that it had to be cut off. The king asked the servant again if that was a bad sign. Again, the servant gave the same answer, "Good or bad, hard to say". The king became very angry and sent the servant to prison.
One day, the king went hunting in the jungle.. He got excited when he was chasing a deer. Deeper and deeper he went into the jungle. In the end he found himself lost in the jungle. To make things worse, he got captured by natives living inside the jungle.
They wanted to sacrifice him to their god. But when they noticed that the king had one finger missing, they released him immediately as he was not a perfect man anymore and not suitable for sacrifice. The king managed to get back to his palace after all.
And he finally understood the servant's wise quote, "Good or bad, hard to say". If he hadn't lost one finger, he could have been killed by the natives.
He ordered to release the servant, and apologized to him. But to the king's
amazement, the servant was not angry at him at all. Instead, the servant said, “It wasn't a bad thing that you locked me up.” “Why?” the king asked. The servant replied, “Because if you didn't lock me up, you would have brought me along to the jungle. And since the natives found that you were not suitable, they would have used me for the sacrifice.
So, good or bad, hard to say …
So, with Mary, we ponder on our past moments so that we can see that those moments are moments of blessing in the appointed time of God.
And as we wonder about the future, let us also remember that all will happen in God's appointed time.
Whether good or bad, happy or sad, let us remember that Jesus will be with us in all those moments.
Jesus is our Saviour. His name means “God saves”.
May the Lord our God bless us and save us. May He let His face shine upon us and be gracious to us and grant us peace.
And may Mother Mary pray for us.