εὐαγγελίζω (euaggelizo)
“to announce the Good News of victory in battle”
“to announce the Good News of victory in battle”
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept (συνετήρει, synetērei) all these things,
reflecting (συμβάλλουσα, symballousa) on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them."
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept (συνετήρει, synetērei) all these things,
reflecting (συμβάλλουσα, symballousa) on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them."
θεωρέω (theoreo)
(“to perceive, discover, ponder a deeper meaning”)
(“to perceive, discover, ponder a deeper meaning”)
While today’s Solemnity has been named variously throughout Christian generations, one fact is clear: today is NOT a HolyDay because of the start of a new civic or calendar year. True, many parishes publish ‘New Year’s Day Mass schedules,’ but our gathering today is - as the Roman Missal indicates - «The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord [Christmas] Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.» Admittedly, the full title of today’s celebration is a mouthful. Yet whittling down the Solemnity’s name in the interest of utilitarianism, pragmatism, efficiency or worse still because people won’t understand, chips away at the Gift of these Days and Celebrations that orient and draw us to Divine Life. The Day’s proper designation, obviously, will not magically nor instantly form one into a perfect disciple of Jesus. It will, however, offer much to consider in the light of the Holy Spirit to grow as His disciple.
The Church situates today’s Solemnity within the “Octave of the Nativity of the Lord [Christmas].” These sacred Days of the Octave, the Scriptures and the prayer Texts have placed the event of the Lord’s Nativity before us. The Incarnation has occurred, a celebration we mark on 25 March (or slightly later if the date falls during Holy Week). The Annunciation of the Lord is the Incarnation of the Lord, the enfleshment of God in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Nativity of the Lord recognizes that in Jesus, God is made visible so that we may be caught up through Him in love of things Divine. (Preface I, Nativity of the Lord) “Though invisible in His own divine nature, He [Jesus] has appeared visibly in” our nature. (Preface II, Nativity of the Lord). So how do we, in our human existence, recognize the visible divinity of Jesus? After all, the Public Ministry of Jesus is replete with many episodes of people seeing Jesus’ deeds and hearing His words yet did not follow Him. Enter Mary, the Holy Mother of God, who offers a vital lesson.
The Church situates today’s Solemnity within the “Octave of the Nativity of the Lord [Christmas].” These sacred Days of the Octave, the Scriptures and the prayer Texts have placed the event of the Lord’s Nativity before us. The Incarnation has occurred, a celebration we mark on 25 March (or slightly later if the date falls during Holy Week). The Annunciation of the Lord is the Incarnation of the Lord, the enfleshment of God in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Nativity of the Lord recognizes that in Jesus, God is made visible so that we may be caught up through Him in love of things Divine. (Preface I, Nativity of the Lord) “Though invisible in His own divine nature, He [Jesus] has appeared visibly in” our nature. (Preface II, Nativity of the Lord). So how do we, in our human existence, recognize the visible divinity of Jesus? After all, the Public Ministry of Jesus is replete with many episodes of people seeing Jesus’ deeds and hearing His words yet did not follow Him. Enter Mary, the Holy Mother of God, who offers a vital lesson.
As the Holy Mother of God, Mary is the preeminent catechist, always pointing to Her Son, Jesus. She does this in the event proclaimed today from the Gospel according to Saint Luke by ‘keeping’ and “reflecting:” “And Mary kept (συνετήρει, synetērei) all these things, reflecting (συμβάλλουσα, symballousa) on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19.)
The Greek verb συντηρέω (syntēréō) is translated kept in the New American Bible Revised Edition. It can also convey a sense of “to protect [e.g. a treasure],” “to preserve or conserve,” or “to care for.” Hence, syntēréō expresses intentionality; Mary chooses to keep these events as precious treasures. She is not oblivious or disconnected from the events as they unfold before her and Joseph. The “things” in Bethlehem were not run-of-the-mill occurrences but rather events of an incomprehensible magnitude that necessitated living deeply in the moment.
As events, the happenings in Bethlehem are historic: they occur at a particular time and in a particular place. This is part of the reason why synetērei is translated in the English past tense, hence kept in today’s Text. But the tense in Greek is not past, but imperfect. To slip into a Greek grammar for a moment, the Greek imperfect acknowledges an action happening or occurring in the past. The reality of the action is etched in a past moment of time and in a particular place. Yet the significance of the action, the meaning of the action, the impact of the action perdures, continues or unfolds in the present. This is a matter of Greek grammar, not interpretation. The treasured events of Bethlehem, that occurred at a moment in human time and in a geographical place, have impact in the listener’s (or reader’s ) present - whenever that present might be, even centuries ‘after’ the original happening. Grammatically, the “things” of Bethlehem, are grounded in Bethlehem at a particular time in human antiquity - AND - events for today.
That the Nativity of the Lord has taken place AND directs life in our today does entail another graced activity: reflecting. This is a translation of the Greek, symballousa, a compound formed by the preposition sun/sum (syn/sym) translated with and the verb bállō translated to throw. Linguistically, sumbállō is translated to throw together or to throw together with. This is the basis for the English word symbol, a very important word in human affairs, especially in theological studies and Christian living. Far from a popular English connotation that a symbol is a mere representation, the Greek is more forceful. The Greek sumbállō recognizes that reality or life involves many aspects, elements, pieces or dimensions to name only a few. Sumbállō is the act of putting all dimensions of reality together as one. It is an action that requires work as well as time and silence which is a reason why it entered Christian theological vocabulary referring to a prayerful activity of reflecting, pondering or contemplating.
On this Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord highlighting the holy motherhood of Mary, she teaches powerfully with the silence of her life that all the events of God’s great and mighty deeds must be committed to the disciple’s memory and heart. All that has been revealed to us culminating in Jesus Christ must be held by the intentional disciple as treasured, precious gifts. Room must be made in life to accommodate all that the Lord in His love and mercy has done for all humanity in the past, now in the present and will continue to do in the future. Yet all the great and mighty deeds of God are not held in order to become a walking encyclopedia of theology. All that has been made known to us must be pondered, reflected upon and contemplated in the depths of profound, graced-silence. There in the silence of mind, heart and body, the Holy Spirit ‘puts the pieces together’ to equip each disciple for the mission of everyone’s salvation in Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary and placed in Bethlehem’s feeding trough to be Food for all.
The Greek verb συντηρέω (syntēréō) is translated kept in the New American Bible Revised Edition. It can also convey a sense of “to protect [e.g. a treasure],” “to preserve or conserve,” or “to care for.” Hence, syntēréō expresses intentionality; Mary chooses to keep these events as precious treasures. She is not oblivious or disconnected from the events as they unfold before her and Joseph. The “things” in Bethlehem were not run-of-the-mill occurrences but rather events of an incomprehensible magnitude that necessitated living deeply in the moment.
As events, the happenings in Bethlehem are historic: they occur at a particular time and in a particular place. This is part of the reason why synetērei is translated in the English past tense, hence kept in today’s Text. But the tense in Greek is not past, but imperfect. To slip into a Greek grammar for a moment, the Greek imperfect acknowledges an action happening or occurring in the past. The reality of the action is etched in a past moment of time and in a particular place. Yet the significance of the action, the meaning of the action, the impact of the action perdures, continues or unfolds in the present. This is a matter of Greek grammar, not interpretation. The treasured events of Bethlehem, that occurred at a moment in human time and in a geographical place, have impact in the listener’s (or reader’s ) present - whenever that present might be, even centuries ‘after’ the original happening. Grammatically, the “things” of Bethlehem, are grounded in Bethlehem at a particular time in human antiquity - AND - events for today.
That the Nativity of the Lord has taken place AND directs life in our today does entail another graced activity: reflecting. This is a translation of the Greek, symballousa, a compound formed by the preposition sun/sum (syn/sym) translated with and the verb bállō translated to throw. Linguistically, sumbállō is translated to throw together or to throw together with. This is the basis for the English word symbol, a very important word in human affairs, especially in theological studies and Christian living. Far from a popular English connotation that a symbol is a mere representation, the Greek is more forceful. The Greek sumbállō recognizes that reality or life involves many aspects, elements, pieces or dimensions to name only a few. Sumbállō is the act of putting all dimensions of reality together as one. It is an action that requires work as well as time and silence which is a reason why it entered Christian theological vocabulary referring to a prayerful activity of reflecting, pondering or contemplating.
On this Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord highlighting the holy motherhood of Mary, she teaches powerfully with the silence of her life that all the events of God’s great and mighty deeds must be committed to the disciple’s memory and heart. All that has been revealed to us culminating in Jesus Christ must be held by the intentional disciple as treasured, precious gifts. Room must be made in life to accommodate all that the Lord in His love and mercy has done for all humanity in the past, now in the present and will continue to do in the future. Yet all the great and mighty deeds of God are not held in order to become a walking encyclopedia of theology. All that has been made known to us must be pondered, reflected upon and contemplated in the depths of profound, graced-silence. There in the silence of mind, heart and body, the Holy Spirit ‘puts the pieces together’ to equip each disciple for the mission of everyone’s salvation in Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary and placed in Bethlehem’s feeding trough to be Food for all.
