I am very struck by two sentences in particular from St Luke about the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple at Jerusalem. The first is: “The child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him”. The other one is when Simeon had told Our Lady and St Joseph that the infant Jesus was destined to be a sign that is rejected, and said to Our Blessed Lady: “A sword will pierce your own soul too.’

I think of Our Lady, sometimes bewildered, sometimes puzzled. often not understanding what was going on and what the deeper meaning of it all was. We are told that she pondered things in her heart. I think too of Our Lady and that sword which will pierce her soul. How strong that phrase is. It sums up all the suffering that she had to undergo, that purification of faith which is the prerequisite of growth in charity.

There will be times when, like Our Lady, we are puzzled and bewildered. Sometimes there will be periods when we must walk through life groping, like blind people. When we are experiencing that kind of situation we must stick at it, be faithful, keep going, knowing that God allows this for one reason alone: that we learn to trust Him.

Basil Hume: To Be A Pilgrim