Beneficial Interiority!

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Is 61:9-11; Lk 2:41-51

Today we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Celebrated the next day after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, this feast comes with a different emphasis. While we celebrated the Sacred Heart of Jesus that overflowed with love for humanity, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Mary invites us to reflect on her love for God, Jesus, and others. 

The greatness of Mary’s cooperation in the salvation of humanity can be seen in the way she prioritized obedience to God’s will, solidarity with Jesus’ mission, and charity with the needy. Mary’s life is a testament to the fact that her heart was always in the right place. 

A reflection on the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary reveals her priorities. 

God First: If there is one word that captures the interiority of Mary, it is ‘discern.’ When God’s will was made clear to Mary, she said ‘yes.’ When she could not understand, ‘she discerned’ God’s will. It is clear that both ways, Mary kept God first in her life. No. 16 of Gaudium et Spes defines conscience as ‘Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths.’ Mary put God first in her life when she listened to the inner voice of God and acted on it.

Jesus First: If Mary’s disposition put God first, her life put Jesus first. Jesus’ question, ‘Do you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ (Lk 2:49) helps her understand the unique nature of her son’s mission. From that moment onward, Mary faithfully accompanies her son to the cross, suffering emotionally what Jesus endured physically. One can witness Mary’s spiritual motherhood when she steps in to lead the community of Jesus’ disciples in his absence. Mary stood by her son all his life, faithfully supporting his Kingdom mission.

Needy First: As the handmaid of the Lord and as the faithful disciple of Christ, Mary prioritized the needy when she extended herself in relation to others. This is what urged her to reach out to her elderly cousin Elizabeth without her requesting the help of her younger cousin. Likewise, if there is one place where we find Mary disagreeing with her son, it is the wedding at Cana, and the disagreement was thanks to her love for her needy hosts. Mary’s earnestness compels Jesus’ intervention, and Jesus performs his first miracle for the needy. 

Thus, in celebrating the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we are called to imitate her interiority that fulfills God’s will, faithfully walks with her son, and is sensitive to the plight of the needy.

Let us pray that we may imitate Mary’s example to serve God and others. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar