MARY SHOWED GREAT WISDOM

She listened, she questioned, she compared and she treasured them in her heart. This showed the great wisdom of Mary.

In the Annunciation, Mary listened and observed. She was taken aback when the angel before her did not conform to the image of angels she had learned from Scriptures. And the angel's greeting...Mary had mastered all forms of greetings in the Old Testament and none conformed to the angel's greeting. 

Mary knew that the Saviour would be born of a virgin, which almost all women in Jerusalem did not know. 

And her question was a demand for a clarification of a mystery no man could give an answer. Then Mary kept all these things in her heart. She did not even mention them to Joseph.

When Mary visited Elizabeth, the Holy Spirit spoke through her cousin and the babe in her womb leapt for joy. Mary observed and listened. She compared this new information with what she had heard from the angel. It strengthened the angel's message. Mary was going deeper into the mystery of the Incarnation as she treasured these things in her heart. 

When the shepherds came and narrated what they had seen and heard, Mary listened and compared this new information with the previous pronouncements of the angel. Then treasured them in her heart; she was learning more, she was going deeper into the mystery and her faith was growing stronger. 

Later on she would hear the Magi speak and offer mystical gifts. And Simeon and Anna, like Zechariah previously, would give prophetic utterances. And Mary, having mastered the prophecies of the Old Testament, would compare all these occurrences with one another. And she would find that they were all in harmony-- one occurrence giving her a deeper knowledge of the mystery. 

Does she discuss this with Joseph? No. Joseph, in his own way, was observing and listening--he, in his turn, treasuring these things in his heart...each of them, Joseph and Mary, living alone with God and together with one another. There was no discussion because talking too much is a sign of immodesty even if the discussion is seemingly about holy things. Holy things are not discussed; they are treasured silently in one's hart. It is the nature of contemplation. 

(08-09-02)