The shepherds saw it first. They didn’t expect it. Their night was routine. Sheep, stars, and silence. Then heaven opened. Angels sang. Glory poured into their fields.

They hurried to Bethlehem. Luke writes, “So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16). They saw Him—the child, the Savior. A baby, yet the answer to every question.

Mary saw it too, but not all at once. Luke says she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). She pondered, piece by piece.

I see now what I couldn’t before. Life, like Mary’s, often unfolds slowly. Answers don’t come quickly. We think we know the path. We plan the journey. Then life shifts. Events surprise us. Circumstances humble us.

Mary had plans too. A simple life with Joseph. Then Gabriel came. “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). Her world turned upside down. God’s plan replaced hers.

How did she respond? With trust. “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). She surrendered, not in fear but in faith. She didn’t see the full picture. Yet she trusted the Painter.

We struggle with that, don’t we? We want control. We want answers now. But like Mary, we must learn to ponder. To trust. To walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

The shepherds remind us of urgency. Mary teaches us patience. Both show us surrender. When life overwhelms, we must do the same. Surrender is not defeat. It’s a step toward God.

Some moments defy understanding. A sudden loss. A broken relationship. A failed dream. We ask, “Why, God?” Mary must have asked too. Why a manger? Why no room? Why the cross?

But Mary pondered. She trusted. Her yes gave us Jesus. Through her, God entered our chaos. He turned our darkness into light.

Paul reminds us, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). Mary’s faith ushered in that fullness. Her surrender brought salvation to us all.

So, what do you see now? That control is an illusion? That faith is a gift? That God’s plans are better than ours?

Ponder like Mary. Surrender like Mary. Trust like Mary. Let your heart echo her Magnificat: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).

Life won’t always make sense. But God sees what we can’t. He works in the silence. He moves in the waiting. He brings peace through surrender.

As we welcome 2025, take Mary’s example. Reflect on what God has done. Trust Him for what He will do. Say yes to His plan. And when the path feels unclear, remember: Mary’s journey to Bethlehem brought Jesus to us.

I see now what I couldn’t before. God’s plans are perfect. His timing is sure. Like Mary, I choose to trust. I choose to surrender. Let it be done to me, Lord, according to Your word.Happy New Year!

Fr. Kenneth Nkadi, OP