Forty days after His miraculous birth, Jesus was brought to the Temple by Mary and Joseph to be formally consecrated to the Lord.
As I think about this event in the life of Christ, my heart and mind are drawn to Mary. What was she thinking and feeling when she walked into the Temple—a mere forty days postpartum? Was she exhausted? In pain, her body still healing from giving birth?
Was she still reeling from the miraculous events in Bethlehem? Pondering the visits by the shepherd and the choirs of angels that announced her Son’s birth?
I imagine Mary and Joseph walking into the Temple, proud yet exhausted. Excited for this moment in their Son’s life, but also, maybe ready to be home.
I imagine that Mary and Joseph, like most new parents, were settling into their new normal. A routine that revolved around nursing and diapers and sleeping when Jesus slept. Perhaps, in the quiet of their home, the miraculous was fading into the ordinary, the gentle rhythm of life with a newborn taking hold of the household.
And then, suddenly, during a ritual with prescribed actions and words, something unexpected happened. The predictable and ordinary were overtaken by the extraordinary.
Someone intrudes on their family moment.
Simeon’s pronouncements, his recognition of the Messiah, must have hit Mary like a thunderbolt. His words a reminder that this Child belonged to more than just her- He was destined for the rise and fall of many so that the hearts of many would be revealed.
The Gospels mention only a few moments of Jesus’ childhood, but in each of them, we see Mary sharing her Son with others at what usually would have been intimate family moments. She welcomed the shepherds at His birth. She opened her arms and allowed Simeon and Anna to hold her Baby. And later, she will realize He has left her side on a family pilgrimage. She finds Him teaching in the Temple, only to be reminded that He has work to do.
Time and again, I am grateful that the Mother of Christ opens her arms to me, as she did in each of those moments, making space for me close to her Son. She does not get frustrated at sharing Him; she welcomes any and all into her family.
Colleen Pressprich is a wife and mom with a passion for helping other families grow their domestic church. Author of Marian Consecration for Young Children and The Women Doctors of the Church. You can read more of her writing at ElevatorToHeaven.com.
