MONDAY, SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
Sol. of The Immaculate Conception of the B.V. Mary
Gn 3:9-15,20 Ps 98:1-4 Eph 1:3-6,11-12 Lk 1:26-38
IMITATING MARY’S RESPONSE OF FAITH
Today’s solemnity commemorates the dogma that Mary, the mother of God, was preserved from original sin from the moment of her conception. This extraordinary grace, bestowed upon her by God, made her uniquely qualified to become the mother of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. The formal definition of the Immaculate Conception as a dogma of faith was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in his encyclical Ineffabilis Deus on December 8, 1854.
This significant event marked a pivotal moment in the Church’s understanding of Mary’s role in the history of salvation. Mary’s resounding fiat – her “yes” – is the prayerful vessel through which ‘God amongst us’ steps into our world and becomes one of us. Thus, whatever be the circumstances of our lives we are assured by the words, “The Lord is with you, do not be afraid.” Mary’s obedience to God’s will serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prayerful surrender, trust, and faithfulness in our relationship with God, inviting us to reflect on our own willingness to do His will.
Mary’s role is first prophesied in the book of Genesis. It is the fall of Adam and Eve that resulted in original sin corrupting human nature. The Protoevangelium (Gen 3:15), foreshadows the coming of a Redeemer who would crush the head of the serpent. This Redeemer, Jesus Christ, would come through Mary, the New Eve, who would undo the damage caused by the original sin. This passage reveals that Jesus invites his mother to participate in the act of salvation. Jesus and his mother overcame sin, Satan, together by the power of God.
The passage also makes us aware of the human tendency to deny our sinfulness. Adam and Eve chose to do what was wrong, they chose themselves over God and by so doing they sinned. However, even when we sin, God is concerned about us, just as he came to check on Adam and Eve. He called out to them but they were afraid to be seen; they were ashamed because they knew they had done what was not right. Yet, when did come before God, rather than confessing and repenting, they tried to justify their action by blaming others. Adam blamed Eve who then blamed the serpent.
The same tendency is seen among us today. How easy it is to find fault with others! Rarely however do we turn inward first to examine our own conscience and confess our fault. The passage exhorts us to be humble, to come before the Lord with a humble and contrite heart. God already knows our inner thought; he knows our sinful deeds. However, he desires that we make the choice to reconcile with Him just as, in sinning, we made the choice to go against His will. Today, He is inviting us to examine our hearts and minds, and to strive for holiness. God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, enabling us to live a life that reflects His divine image (Eph 1:3-4). By turning away from sin and embracing His love, we can overcome the destructive power of self-centeredness and experience the transformative power of His grace.
The gospel passage narrates the encounter of the archangel Gabriel with Mary: “Hail full of grace; the Lord is with you. You have found favour with God.” Mary’s consent was necessary to bring Jesus into the world. She could have refused, but she didn’t. Instead, a response was Fiat: “I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” And the Word became flesh. Mary’s response of faith was only possible because of her profound relationship with God.
God invites us as well to be part of His plan for the salvation of the world. He does not impose on our freedom. We are called to imitate Mary’s response of faith. Faith is the basic requisite for the impossible to become possible in one’s life. Faith enables us to surrender everything to God for whom nothing is impossible. Let us run to Mary and like little children throw ourselves into her arms asking her to teach us to respond in faith at all times and in every situation.
Response: O sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders.
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