To Pray and to Ponder in Motherhood

"…but Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

Luke 2:19

This verse resonates with me so much, especially at this point in my life as a Catholic and a mother of two.

There’s something really beautiful about connecting motherhood to Mary’s strength and reflective nature. She gives us such a powerful example of how we, as mothers, are called to live out our faith while raising our children.

So, I wanted to break this verse down a little.

In Luke 2:19, the shepherds visit the Messiah and tell Mary and Joseph everything the angels had said about Him.

And what does Our Lady do?

She doesn’t panic. She doesn’t react impulsively. Instead, she listens quietly and deeply reflects on the meaning of it all.

And this wasn’t just one moment in Mary’s life. She remained faithful throughout her whole life, despite knowing the pain that her Son would have to endure.

But let’s break it down even further.

The verb “to ponder” means to reflect deeply, to meditate, or to think carefully about something. So Our Lady was doing exactly that, reflecting deeply. And the words “in her heart” suggest something more than simply thinking something over. It points to an inner, spiritual kind of reflection.

So, why is this important?

Because Mary is, and always has been, a model for all women and mothers.

She is a faithful listener. In this moment, she doesn’t react impulsively. Instead, she quietly contemplates God’s will.

And we’re called to do this as mothers too.

Of course, we all know there are plenty of challenging moments in our day-to-day lives that threaten that peaceful nature that we probably all wake up intending to channel!

I know I’ve reacted impulsively far too many times to count.

But we are, after all, human. And I think that makes it all the more necessary to ask Our Lady for her intercession daily. Perhaps even multiple times a day!

Asking Our Lady to pray for us is really no different from asking a good friend to pray for us when we need it most.

And these are trying times. Not only as mothers, but also as Catholics living in the 21st century, in a predominantly secular society where God is so often mocked and ridiculed.

So who better to intercede for us than the Mother of God herself, Our Blessed Mother Mary?

She is our heavenly mother.

She pondered, prayed and treasured both the joy and the mystery of God’s work in her life and in the life of Jesus.

So, in our own vocations as women and mothers, perhaps we can try to do the same.

To pause before we react.

To pray when motherhood feels overwhelming.

To treasure the beautiful moments amongst the chaos.

And to ponder, in our own hearts, what God might be doing through it all.

with love,
nat xx
Catholic mum, author & storyteller