Homily, Jan 1, 2026
When I think of Mary, the first image to pop into my head is still that of a lovely white young woman in white and blue clothing with hands together in prayer. That’s the image. It never occurred to me that because of where she lived she would have darker skin. I never thought of her going to the river with the other women in Nazareth to wash clothes or to the town well to get water, or preparing a meal, or playing with Jesus. I often pictured her sitting by a window praying, when the angel appeared to her. Who knows? Maybe she was out in the garden pulling weeds when she got the message.
There are other things I never thought of either. If she were unmarried and pregnant, the law would call for her to be stoned. Would Joseph under-stand? How could she tell her parents? Wouldn’t there be gossip around the village?
As the years went by she watched her son, whom I imagine was an unusual child, prayerful, attentive to what was going on around him, interested in scriptures and questioning. As he got older he had a mission that irritated the religious authorities. He kept company with the wrong people. He didn’t observe all the laws. He taught with authority and the people listened to him more than to them, all of which they found very troublesome. All this would worry his mother. When his cousin was beheaded, she certainly would have been alarmed. As he became more and more at odds with the Scribes and Pharisees, she watched, she listened and she prayed for his safety. He was on a dangerous path.
So how did she cope with all this? In my imagination she would turn to prayer. Maybe she did and maybe she didn’t. We just don’t know but we do know that it had to be a heavy burden as she watched her son become more and more at odds with the powers that be.
Like Mary, we too live in stressful circumstances, especially these days. Maybe we can learn from her how to handle the stress that we all feel as we watch, listen, discuss, and worry. It can easily take over our minds unless we are watchful.
In a discussion group we are reading a book entitled Life After Doom by Brian McLaren, written in 2024 before the latest round of worrisome events. In chapter 2, the author lists all the things we should be concerned about. In Chapter 3, he begins to share ideas on how to handle the bad news. He quotes Thomas Merton as advising: “Mind your mind.” In other words, monitor what you are thinking about. Prayer is one way to do that.
In talking about prayer, I realize that I’m preaching to the choir but even members of the choir can benefit from reminders or fresh ideas.
In our tradition, we have some ways of “Minding our minds.”
No. 1: Making time to pray each day. It is a way of getting in touch with the deepest part of ourselves and the loving God within if only for a few minutes. It is helpful to have a specific time and place for prayer.
No. 2: If you follow the Ingratiation tradition, there is the daily examination of conscience. Not pulling a conscience bead like we did in the novitiate but taking five or ten minutes a day just to look at how things are going. What was good about the day, what do I wish I had done differently, what occupied my thoughts most of the day, what made me peaceful and happy? It is meant to be a positive approach that helps us be the kind of person we want to be.
No. 3: If your inclinations are more allied with the Franciscans, you may find taking a walk or hiking a trail or even running may refresh you and give you time to think about something else than the state of the world. For some, just sitting and enjoying nature – flowing water, the stars at night, a sunrise, or a flower garden. And, of course, if you are a cat or dog lover, taking time to get a little lovin’ from your favorite animal could clear your mind and lift your thoughts to God.
No. 4: Meditation and/or contemplation on a regular basis. Some like to do it with other people, while some prefer to be alone. I know I have a monkey mind that goes all over when I sit down to meditate, but I was heartened when I heard a spiritual director say that everyone has the same problem and it is a miracle if we get in two or three minutes of actual connection with God.
I don’t mean to remove Mary from her place of honor but it helps to remember that Mary was just as human as we are. She struggled with difficult things and rejoiced in good things. “Mary held all these things in her heart” but she didn’t allow them to overwhelm her. She paid attention to the events going on around her. She loved her son deeply, worried about him and mourned his death just as any other mother would
For many, Mary is their go-to person when life gets rough. She is a model for all of us. May we, like Mary, maintain hope and peace of mind in the midst of chaos.
Eileen Custy