Sunday, December 23, 2018 – Mary Lived in the Present Moment

When I read Sunday’s gospel, an image formed in my mind immediately. It was an image of Mary, as a very young, teenage girl. From her outward appearance, she may have seemed quite ordinary. Simple, young, still a bit naive about the ways of the world. She was probably a bit tired and dusty after her long journey through the country on foot. Was she hungry? Or thirsty? Was Mary traveling with a joyful heart? Or was she perhaps a bit worried about how her cousin Elizabeth would accept her condition?

It would have been natural for Mary to worry how Elizabeth would react to her own pregnancy as an unwed mother. But, Mary doesn’t seem to be afraid or concerned about what Elizabeth would think of her at all.

How often do we worry ourselves sick about things that are beyond our control? Do you ever lie awake at night and worry about the bills, your children, your grades in school, or are you worried that you might lose your job? Maybe you have suffered a significant loss in your life, like the death of a loved one or perhaps a recent divorce and are worried about the future? Or maybe you unexpectedly found out that a new baby is on the way – and you start worrying if you will be a good parent, or if you will be able to provide for them. The fear of the unknown, the fear of the future, can weigh heavily on our minds and cause many sleepless nights whenever a major change is occurring.

We would do well to remember that young people live in the present moment. Mary also lived in the present moment. She didn’t worry too much about the future. She just accepted that if it was God’s will, everything would be ok. (I think most of our fears and worries come from trusting in ourselves more than we trust in God.)

It was a beautiful thing though, at the end of today’s gospel when Elizabeth said,

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Mary believed God and trusted Him completely with her life and the life of her unborn child. Why is it so difficult for us to trust God with our own life sometimes? We often rely too much on our own strength, rather than His.

The gospel today is filled with so much joy, though. I can just picture Elizabeth’s smile and the happiness on her face when she said:

“How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.”

It’s almost time to celebrate Christmas, which is supposed to be a time of joy, peace and happiness. Perhaps it is also time to let go of whatever worries, fears, and stress that we may be experiencing, and try to learn to live in the present moment in the coming days.

Life isn’t perfect. People aren’t perfect. No one really knows what the future may bring. But today can be beautiful, if we slow down and just enjoy the love, companionship, and friendship of our family and friends. Maybe we could try to live in the present moment when we are with them, just like Mary did with Elizabeth.

Our hearts will then be filled to the brim, with the things that really matter. And, we will have made room for baby Jesus in our hearts once again.

About the Author

Hello! My name is Laura Kazlas. As a child, I was raised in an atheist family, but came to believe in God when I was 12 years old. I was baptized because of the words that I read in the bible. I later became a Catholic because of the Mass. The first time my husband brought me to Mass, I thought it was the most holy, beautiful sense of worshiping God that I had ever experienced. I still do! My husband John and I have been married for 37 years. We have a son, a daughter, and two granddaughters. We are in the process of adopting a three year old little girl. We live in Salem, Oregon in the United States. I currently serve as the program coordinator for Catholic ministry at a local maximum security men's prison. I‘m also a supervisor for Mount Angel Seminary’s field education program, in Oregon.

Author Archive Page

9 Comments

  1. May the Christ child be with us all this Christmas and his light shine on everyone we share his love with.

  2. Live in the present moment: so important for achieving a sense of peace and yet so hard to do for us fretting humans. My favourite bible quote is “Be still and know that I am God”, a good one to bring to mind when anxious or worrying about something……thank you, Laura, for those thoughts.

  3. Beautifully written and so true! I was just up last night thinking about the future and had to keep reminding myself to trust God and allow The Holy Spirit to lead. Thank you for your timely reflection.
    Merry Christmas!

  4. Wonderful reflection Laura. As always the CM brings new light and understanding to the Gospels through the lens of deeply faithful people. Thank all of you for your time and talent in helping us understand the depth of our faith. Merry Christmas and may God Bless all of you.

  5. Thank you Laura for reminding us that we worry needlessly. God knows what’s in our hearts. He knows what we need. Please pray for me and my family as I celebrate Christmas with my sister and her family here in Vancouver. It’s raining, unlike Calgary where we experience snow. Rain or snow I am blessed to be surrounded by the warmth and love of my family. I wish you and your family the same. God bless.

  6. thanks Laura for that wonderful reflection.I never thinked from that direction lived in the present moment. God can make things new in life. thank you for the gospel. remember me in your prayer

  7. Thank you, Laura. Living in the moment takes a lot of faith. Mine is still growing (thanks in part to a Catholic Moment). I pray that my faith continues to grow until I am able to fully surrender myself to God. I pray for the same for my family. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

  8. Thank you, Laura for such an insightful reflections. I was vibrating with joy, peace, and happiness as I read your reflection. What a great way to prepare your readers for the coming of our Lord, Baby Jesus Christ. I thank God for given you the grace of evangelization. You never know how many lives you have changed by this cite that you started. May your Christmas be filled with all the blessings of the season.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published.