Romano Guardini, (1885-1968) whom I’d never heard of, had such a thought provoking message about Mary that I dog-eared it and have returned to it again and again. The Advent readings in Watch For The Light were so rich and deep, I mourned finishing. Several authors impacted me deeply. Much clarity came, surprisingly, in understanding our current cultural moment. I felt at times I’d discovered a unique lens of God.

Those men and women of old who’ve been with Jesus long . . . who’ve studied, meditated, and expounded for us their findings are a gift for the modern reader. I’m learning much also about the roots of modern thought which lend to the divisive atmosphere we live in and our lack of understanding the times . . . that may be another post.

Jesus publicly told a parable about seeds and weeds. When alone with His disciples, He explained the parable: The seed of fruit-bearing plants is the word of God. The seed of weeds is the planting of Satan. (Matthew 13:1-23)

Jesus also said “I am the truth.” (John 14:6) Jesus called the devil “the father of lies”. (John 8:44) So, what we see is that seeds are truth or seeds are lies.

And the soil is the heart.

This means that every heart has seeds for trees or seeds for weeds. If you think of the impact of words and consider the reality that our lives are moved and lived by them … homes might also be soil. And schools. And churches. And businesses. And conversations over coffee. What potential comes from what we take into our eyes and ears? What will it produce?

In the parable, Jesus talks about the seeing and the hearing and the understanding (understanding would be the heart receiving). You either see, hear, and understand His word. Or … you don’t. But also, seeing spiritually is a process. When once Jesus opens our eyes, they need adjusting. We need to grow in our knowledge and understanding.

Mr Guardini’s words about Jesus’ mother resonated with me. He writes of the incident of twelve-year-old Jesus lingering with the Rabbis. When his worried mother found him after days of searching, Jesus was surprised she didn’t know he’d be there in His Father’s house. (Which no doubt surprised her!) Guardini writes:

“”And [Jesus’] mother kept all these things in her heart.” Not understanding, she buries the words like precious seed within her. The incident is typical: the mother’s vision is unequal to that of her son, but her heart, like chosen ground, is deep enough to sustain the highest tree.”

Mary’s heart is deep enough to sustain the highest tree. As she journeyed in the story God was writing, she received, held, cherished, surrendered, endured, and brought forth gold through the sharp edge of her obedience.

I’d written to my son when he got married of the heart cord, and the necessary cutting. The old prophet, Simeon told Mary that her son would cause the rise and fall of many and that a sword would pierce her heart. (Luke 2:34-35) Simeon’s words read like fire even today. My heart also feels the sword of Mary, carrier of the Word.

Every heart must endure the sharp edge in order to follow God. When we choose to suffer rather than seek our own way . . . when we choose to surrender and obey . . . we feel the piercing.

Typically, in the Christmas story, we see Mary’s journey but we don’t feel it. We don’t feel the pain of the misunderstanding of Joseph before his visit from the angel. Nor do we feel the sorrow of leaving her home to birth a babe among animals, then fleeing as an exile to Egypt. At the age of twelve, her firstborn son demonstrated that His family loyalty was to the Father of another Land.



The cutting had begun.

Mary pondered all the things spoken and felt and experienced in her heart. Like us, she had mundane days of meal prep, bathing babes, and refereeing squabbles mixed in with the restless nights, the unanswered questions and long waiting.

“From the first hour to the last, Jesus’ life is enfolded in the nearness of his mother.” (and) “More was demanded of Mary than Abraham.” writes Guradini.

God asked both Abraham and Mary to surrender their most precious blessing: a son. Abraham was stayed from wielding the sword, for his was not THE SON, but Mary . . . was pierced in the tree of her heart.

Abraham is our earthly father . . . and Mary is the heavenly mother of all who will respond to God as she did.

Luke 1:38 “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

May our hearts too, be deep enough to sustain the highest Tree.

I’ll be going live tomorrow talking a bit more about weeds in the heart and how to uproot them. The online summit: Best You 2022 is FREE. My message is titled, “Faith Over Inferiority”. You can grab a ticket HERE. If you miss it live, you can watch it anytime after.