One of the things that I saw frequently when I was assigned at the cathedral was a funny little mosaic in one of the side chapels. It was in the back of the All Souls’ chapel and there were two hourglasses with wings, fluttering near the ceiling. The point of these symbols was simple: time flies. This concept, that time moves quickly, seemed ridiculous to me when I was younger but is absolutely true the older I get. Where does the time go? How is it that 2011 is already coming to an end and 2012 is here?! The wisdom of that mosaic in the Cathedral is brought to bear tonight as we observe the passing of one year and the beginning of another. There is something introspective about time of the year when people reflect on the past 12 months. This is when gyms get crowded with people full of good intentions and new resolutions. Even those who have experienced misfortune and loss rejoice at the possibility that the new year will be better than the last.
The reality is, the faster time flies, the more we realize what a blessing it truly is! It is completely a gift from God. And depending on how we used the time given to us over the past year, we might find ourselves either filled with regret or proud of the progress of the past 12 months.
But the occasion of a New Year is not what brings us into this Church tonight. Tonight we celebrate the person of Mary, her openness to the will of God and fact that she became the mother of God. The privilege of carrying the savior of the world, who was both God and man, is without equal. The honor is so great in fact, that there are elements of it that are a mystery to us some 2000 years later. There will never be another person like the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was blessed by God and protected from the effects of original sin. During this Christmas season, as we reflect on these wonderful mysteries of Christ's birth and family life, we can’t help but come back to the person of Mary, who played a crucial part in the world's salvation by saying yes to the angel Gabriel, at the annunciation.
St. Luke tells us that Mary made the most of the time God gave her because she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." Just as Mary's womb was open to receiving God's living Word at the moment of Christ's Incarnation, so her heart was constantly open to receiving God's ongoing words and messages as he continued to speak through the events of her life. She didn't always understand what was happening or how it would play out, but she trusted in God's plan for her and for the whole world. That is what made her truly blessed and truly worthy of our praise. Her habit of reflecting in her heart on God's action in her life was both a sign and a source of wisdom. You and I are called to imitate that same openness and trust that Mary had in our own lives of faith.
As we gather here tonight, on the eve of another year, we should be grateful for the Church's reminder to us: Mary is our heavenly mother who is here to help us as we make our way through a world that is often painful, scary, and confusing. She knows what it was like to have questions for God, she knows what it is like to live through difficulty and fear, and she certainly understands the pain of loss and grief. We can and should go to her for help, to ask her for her intercession before God, and her protection during the many trials that we will experience in the year to come. We should also imitate her spirit of reflection, making time for prayer, especially quiet prayer and pondering the events of life in the silence of our hearts, allowing God to illuminate them with his grace.
A true and healthy devotion to Mary always leads us back to her Son, Jesus Christ. As we enter this year of 2012, let us deepen our devotion to the Mother of God so that, in 365 days we will be even closer to Christ and better stewards of the time that we are given.
