Purposely Waiting: Mary

The stomach flu hit, and it hit me good.  It wasn't even the stomach that hit so hard as the flu.  It explains my unschool related quietness around this here bloggity but I return with more Advent ponderings. 

If there is one thing about Advent that comes back into my prayer and heart over and over again it would have to be Mary.  I know I am not unique in this.  How can you not think of the Mother when you contemplate the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes laying in a manager.  Luke 1 and 2 is filtered with references to Our Lady.  And there is so much goodness we can gain from meditating on Mary while purposefully waiting this Advent season.

Our Lady wasn't unlike any pregnant woman, waiting for her baby to be born.  I am sure she imagined all that he would be and prepared her heart and home to welcome baby Jesus.  Christ was conceived and carried in her very body.  We too must invite Jesus into our hearts and carry him there for when Jesus is part of our life we conceive new life.  We are lucky as Catholics that in a very real way we welcome the Body of Christ into our bodies-what a gift we have!  Please, next time you receive the Eucharist reflect on the parallels between yourself and Mary.  Ask her to show you what it means to wait, what it means to purposefully wait for the Infant Jesus.