An
ancient tradition holds that Mary was presented in the Temple of Jerusalem as a
little girl. And so today the Church celebrates Mary as Ark of the Covenant and
House of Gold, the dwelling place of God Most High who chose her chaste body as
his nesting place.
At
this morning's Mass we heard the Gospel reading in which a woman from the crowd listening to Jesus is so taken
with him that she cries out, "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the
breasts at which you nursed." Jesus responds, “Rather, blessed are
those who hear the word of God and keep it.” Jesus tells us that we
are like his mother when we hold on to the words he speaks to us and ponder
them in our hearts. Then like Mary we become Christ-bearers.
The Child Mary Asleep, Francisco de Zurbaran, 1630-1635, oil on
canvas, Galerie Canesso, Lugano.