Father was talking about what Mary, Mother of God, was doing when the Gabriel came to her. He noted that throughout history there has most commonly been depictions of Mary kneeling and reading her Torah. Which got Chris and I thinking, would she really of had her own copy? But that's besides the point! In reality Mary could of been doing numerous things, and it was most likely something "menial" like sweeping the floor or helping with a meal.
This stirred up a debate between Chris and I. There was some discussion about whether or not this "down played" Mary, hence what got my little wheels a turning!!!
It got me thinking about what I would be doing if one of God's messengers appeared to me to tell me I was going to help change history and the lives of all of His people, from now till the end of time. Unfortunately, the best I could come up with was watching TV, checking my emails or running around trying to finish one of the many tasks on my never ending TO DO List, I mean we all of one of those don't we (even if you're not planning a wedding)?
Which again got me thinking! Oh, the wheels are a turning! Those of you who know me know that I spent some time living in Canada, staying at an apostolate there. To me one of the most beautiful things about Madonna House was their simplicity. There are no TV's (well one but it didn't get watched except when JPII died), no Wi-Fi, and the only thing on your TO DO list was to be in the moment with the people around you, whether that be your daily work, prayer or mass. There wasn't worry about what was for dinner because everything we ate was either grown on the farm or donated by the generosity of someone else. The biggest lesson I learned there however is that your work IS a prayer. I learned to pray even sweeping the floor, something as simple a prayer as Lord, please bless all of those who walk across this floor. I have found though that once I returned to "the real world" that I forgot to pray UNCEASINGLY, as I had once done, as Mary did.
Stick with me here, it will become full circle here in a moment ( I hope).
If the Mother of God can do something as humble and as simple as sweeping the floor and the Angel of God appears to her, why can't we strive to be simple too? You hear about families who don't have television and we all wonder, what do they do with their time or for fun, it must get so boring! What I ponder now is, how rich their lives must be!
I am giving myself a Christmas gift, a challenge. Find the simplicity in life, the richness of it all and to pray without ceasing. And if for some reasoning beyond recollection a messenger of God appears to me, I will be able to say with certainty that I was not watching TV and wasting my time but hopefully doing something enriching for myself and others.
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