Read Reflect Respond

Sundays | Feast Days |  Videos | Latest 

8th December 

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity)

READ: (Gen 3: 9-15, 20; Eph 1: 3-6, 11-12; Lk 1: 26-38)

REFLECT: Be pure like Mother Mary, Respond to God’s call like her and make others too part of God’s salvation...

Dear friends, today we celebrate the solemnity of Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The solemnity reminds of us the purity and holiness of Mary ever Virgin since the time of her conception. The Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a privilege given by God to Mary, in view of bringing forth Jesus Christ, our Saviour to the world.

The observance of this feast began with a Papal encyclical by Pope Pius IX, when he formally defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in INEFFABILIS DEUS, on December 8, 1854. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception asserts that, “from the first moment of her conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary was, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, kept free from all stain of original sin.”

Few years later, in 1858, the Blessed Mother gave her name to St. Bernadette at Lourdes stating, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Although Mother Mary was born like us human beings but free from sin for the sake of Jesus Christ, Mother Mary holds a higher position in the church. Because, Blessed Mary Ever Virgin has become a model for the entire human race by her holiness and purity. Her holiness and purity is manifested in her readiness and willingness to accept God’s plan for her.

So in view of the  feast day, I would like to share with you three points of reflection that we can obtain for ourselves to be united with God like Mary our Mother.

1. Be pure Like Blessed Mary  

We may ask ourselves a question “Is it possible to be pure and holy like Mother Mary in our lives. I personally feel that we all can be pure and holy like Mother Mary, because, Mother Mary was safe-guarded from impurity and sinfulness by the singular grace of God and not by herself or by her merit. Mother Mary allowed herself to be held by God, moved by God and directed by God. So what becomes the hallmark to hold Jesus in ourselves is purity and holiness of mind, heart, body and soul. The purity and holiness of Mary was necessary to carry Jesus in her womb and bring forth Jesus to the world.

That’s what we hear in today’s gospel from Luke, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” This profound statement by the angel of God addressed to Mary signifies and confirms that Mother Mary was full of grace; the divine favor of God accompanied her always. Today, none of us can be pure and holy by ourselves or by our own efforts rather we need the grace of God to pure and be saved. That’s what we hear from Lk 18:27 “for human beings it is impossible but for God everything is possible.” Yes, God makes it a possibility for all of us to be pure and be saved, provided we allow the Lord to take control of us.

The only way to make ourselves pure and holy is to allow ourselves to held by God and moved by his will. In today’s scenario we allow ourselves to be held by the fascination and allurements of the world, powers and crazy ideas of the world. We have become fashionable and passionate about worldly comforts and concerns. The feast day invites us to be held by God and be moved by God’s will.

2. Respond to God like Mother Mary:

In the initial stages of her call, Mother Mary was frightened, puzzled and confused by the message of God through an angel Gabriel. Mother Mary was already engaged to Joseph by that time. “A call to conceive and bear the son of God, by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit” was something beyond her imagination and it was a public disgrace and shame. Even in the midst of fear and confusion, disgrace and dishonor, God gives the grace to Mother Mary to say, “I am the servant of God, let it be done to me according to your word.”

Yes, responding to God like Mother Mary would mean taking a deep breath and say “I surrender all,” a total self-surrender. In order to surrender oneself, one must know and accept who one is and what is the role on earth. The self-surrender requires certain dispositions to listen to God’s voice and devise accordingly with prudence the voice of God from the voice of the evil one. We can be sure that Mother Mary was well-disposed to receive God’s message and discern the voice of God, because Mother Mary was completely enveloped by God’s grace and blessings. It is the grace and power of God that made Mother Mary to say “yes to God.”

Today we need to say “yes” to God and say “no” to evil for a life to be holy and pure. That’s what pope Francis would say, “Seize the day” by saying ‘no’ to evil and ‘yes’ to God” and to once and for all stop thinking of ourselves, dragging ourselves into hypocrisy and to face our own reality as we are. This is the path for becoming holy and immaculate. The uncontaminated beauty of our mother is incomparable, but at the same time it attracts us. Let us entrust ourselves to her and say ‘no’ to sin and ‘yes’ to grace once and for all.” Yes, saying “yes” is difficult at times but if we know the purpose of our “yes” to God and to others, we shall be happy always. So let us respond to God like Mother Mary giving importance to God than self, co-operating ourselves for the salvation history than our self-centred history.

3. Make others too part of God’s Salvation:

Salvation is indeed an initiative from God, but nevertheless, by our good example and good deeds, we can assist one another to experience the salvation of God under his guidance and grace. It is God who thought of our salvation and that’s why God sent his only Son Jesus to be borne on earth in a human womb. So each one of us with the grace and power of God can help one another to move towards the path of salvation that God inaugurated in Jesus Christ. Each one of us as Christians are duty bound to help others to partake in the salvation history that God has promised. Although salvation is a free offer and a gratuitous gift from God, our sins become a hindrance to obtain God’s salvation that he offers.

The first reading from the book of Genesis presents to us how our first parents lost the life of grace because of disobedience. The second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Ephesians speaks of the richness of spiritual blessing that all of us have obtained from the Father, in and through Jesus Christ, since the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. It is the obedience of Jesus and his firm conviction to fulfill God’s will.  The first parents have failed to live the life of grace but Jesus by his coming on earth adopted us as God’s children through the grace of God. The disobedience of first parents caused us to taste death but the obedience of Jesus and Mother Mary’s “yes” to God’s command, we have obtained life and grace from above.

St. Irenaeus, a bishop and theologian from the second century, gives an apt explanation: “Just as Eve having become disobedient, was made the cause of death for herself and for the whole human race; so also Mary being obedient, was made the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race. Moreover, Pope Francis would say, “Mary’s Immaculate Conception offers a glimpse to the promised life for all Christians who open their hearts to God and his grace.” Yes, just as Mother Mary’s life was a model for all of us to enter the salvation that God offered each one of us, we need in our own ways of goodness and right ways and morals of living bring one another to Christ. Just as Mother Mary opened her heart to receive God’s grace, so also we need to open our hearts to receive the grace of God to be part of God’s salvation he offers.

So let’s make our every effort by good word and deed that makes others too part of God’s salvation. So it calls for a serious introspection of one’s life. That’s why Pope Francis warns us not to take advantage of the Lord’s patience by continually postponing a serious evaluation of one’s own life and thus, be unable to obtain God’s grace. We may be able to deceive people, but not God. He knows our hearts better than we ourselves do. Let us take advantage of the present moment.” Yes, the present moment is an opportune time for all of us to turn from impure ways and means, deeds and thoughts to turn to God with a pure heart and become part of God’s salvation that God offers to each one of us.  

RESPOND:

Do we make efforts to be pure like Mother Mary with the grace of God?

Do we respond to God like Mother Mary with a total self-surrender?

What ways and means do we make in order that others may partake in the salvation that God offers?

Let us make every attempt to be pure like Mother Mary by the grace of God, respond to God with a total self-surrender and make others too part of God’s salvation by our good words and deeds. Amen.

“The glorious Virgin had a share of all human wretchedness except those which come directly from sin. She made use of them very usefully for the practice and growth of the holy virtues of courage, temperance, justice, prudence, poverty, humility, suffering and compassion.” (St. Francis De Sales, TLG, Bk VII, Chapter- 14, p. 246)

Wish you all a Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

God bless us all…Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh  George MSFS