At this time of year all of the Prep classes come and spend some time in front of the beautiful crib in the chapel. I enjoy spending this time with them, talking about the scene and the Gospel narratives concerning the birth of Jesus.
A central part of our mission, taken from the charism of St Jeanne, is ‘Live up to your name,’ meaning to learn about and to try to be like Mary, Notre Dame. In the crib scene we see Mary kneeling and praying, looking calm and looking peaceful. But what a series of shocks we had experienced before this moment.
Mary was visited out-of-the-blue by an angel, who told her that though she was not yet married, she was going to have a baby. What a shock! Then she was told that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit, and that her baby would be the Messiah.
Mary then had to ride on a donkey to Bethlehem, a considerable journey for anyone, let alone a woman about to give birth. What a shock, again! Then when she got to Bethlehem, no doubt hoping for rest and a comfortable bed, she found that she would have to spend the night in a stable, and that it was in the stable that her baby would be born. Another shock!
In everybody’s lives there are elements of the unexpected. Sometimes there are shocks in our own lives. It can be comforting to know that Mary lived through shock and the unexpected in her life. Maybe we are not as unlike Mary as we might sometimes feel that we are.
As I have been exploring with some of the Prep pupils, the magnitude of Mary’s shock was enormous. And yet Mary did not complain or argue. She did not resist. The only explanation for this is that she had total trust in God. Because she had total trust in God she allowed God’s will to be done.
Mary, Mother of Jesus, Notre Dame … pray for us that we may trust in God with all our being, as you did throughout your life.
