Last Thursday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, commemorating how Mary was conceived without sin. In our celebration of this Solemnity, we see how God invites us to greatness by asking us to simply give our assent to His plan.
The Gospel reading on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception was from Luke 1:26-38. There we hear that
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.*
Saint Augustine of Hippo has explained how Our Blessed Mother Mary is blessed moreso for her obedience to God than for her having borne Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He cited the Gospel verses in which Jesus stretched out His hands over His disciples and remarked that "Here are My mother and My brothers: for whoever who does the will of My Heavenly Father is My brother and sister and mother."** The saint explained that Mother Mary did the will of God the Father. She gave her consent to God's plan for her to give birth to God's Son, Jesus. The saint went on to explain that insofar as Mother Mary did God's will, and thus followed Jesus' teaching, she is more blessed in her being a disciple of Jesus than in having birthed Jesus.
Saint Augustine invited us to examine further the Scriptures with him to see how this is true. He referred to the instance in which a woman in a crowd called out to Jesus, "Blessed is the womb that carried You and the breasts at which You nursed."
Jesus replied, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it."***
Saint Augustine explained that Jesus responded as He did because He wanted people to look beyond the physical. Jesus deeply desires, much more than our physical needs to be satisfied, for our souls to thrive through our embracing the will of God.
The saint explained that Mother Mary heard the Word of God and kept it, and thus she was blessed. The saint made clear that she kept God's Truth in her mind, which was nobler than carrying His Son's body in her womb.
When God presented His plan to Mother Mary, she had the humility to describe herself as the handmaid of the Lord God. She saw herself as a servant of the Lord God who would willingly submit to God's will. She stood ready to do the will of God. She replied to the angel, "May it be done to me as you have said." She was waiting to do the will of God; when she was presented with the will of God, she was prepared to reply, "Yes."
Clearly Our Blessed Mother Mary provides an example for us to emulate. In pondering how Mary accepted Jesus into her life, we are led to consider how we respond to Jesus. How are we preparing ourselves for the arrival of Jesus this Advent, and throughout the year, when we encounter Jesus everyday in our neighbor?
Through prayer and fasting, we deny ourselves. In denying ourselves, by letting go of our preconceptions and judgemental ideas and biases, we can empty ourselves so God can fill us with what He wants so dearly to give to us. By letting go of what poisons us, what stifles us, what holds us back, we make room for what God desires to give us to nourish us, to help us grow, to draw us forward on our way back to Him.
Once we have made room in our hearts, we can let in others. By serving our neighbor, especially the person we see who is disempowered and marginalized, we can come to understand the struggles of those who endure much more challenging circumstances than we face. Thus we can feel more compassion toward our neighbor, and, in turn, feel and express and show more love.
As we love more deeply and more unconditionally, we grow closer to God as God continues to sanctify us. Opening our hearts to God, we welcome God as He seeks to present to us what He has in store for us. God has so many wonderful things in store for us, which we can enjoy if we only trust Him. God is so much more powerful, and so much wiser, than we are. If we trust God, He will draw us into becoming far more than we could ever be without assenting to His plan. To experience great wonder, God calls us to reply "Yes."
* Luke 1:26-38
** Matthew 12:49-50
*** Luke 11:27-28
The Gospel reading on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception was from Luke 1:26-38. There we hear that
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.*
Saint Augustine of Hippo has explained how Our Blessed Mother Mary is blessed moreso for her obedience to God than for her having borne Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He cited the Gospel verses in which Jesus stretched out His hands over His disciples and remarked that "Here are My mother and My brothers: for whoever who does the will of My Heavenly Father is My brother and sister and mother."** The saint explained that Mother Mary did the will of God the Father. She gave her consent to God's plan for her to give birth to God's Son, Jesus. The saint went on to explain that insofar as Mother Mary did God's will, and thus followed Jesus' teaching, she is more blessed in her being a disciple of Jesus than in having birthed Jesus.
Saint Augustine invited us to examine further the Scriptures with him to see how this is true. He referred to the instance in which a woman in a crowd called out to Jesus, "Blessed is the womb that carried You and the breasts at which You nursed."
Jesus replied, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it."***
Saint Augustine explained that Jesus responded as He did because He wanted people to look beyond the physical. Jesus deeply desires, much more than our physical needs to be satisfied, for our souls to thrive through our embracing the will of God.
The saint explained that Mother Mary heard the Word of God and kept it, and thus she was blessed. The saint made clear that she kept God's Truth in her mind, which was nobler than carrying His Son's body in her womb.
When God presented His plan to Mother Mary, she had the humility to describe herself as the handmaid of the Lord God. She saw herself as a servant of the Lord God who would willingly submit to God's will. She stood ready to do the will of God. She replied to the angel, "May it be done to me as you have said." She was waiting to do the will of God; when she was presented with the will of God, she was prepared to reply, "Yes."
Clearly Our Blessed Mother Mary provides an example for us to emulate. In pondering how Mary accepted Jesus into her life, we are led to consider how we respond to Jesus. How are we preparing ourselves for the arrival of Jesus this Advent, and throughout the year, when we encounter Jesus everyday in our neighbor?
Through prayer and fasting, we deny ourselves. In denying ourselves, by letting go of our preconceptions and judgemental ideas and biases, we can empty ourselves so God can fill us with what He wants so dearly to give to us. By letting go of what poisons us, what stifles us, what holds us back, we make room for what God desires to give us to nourish us, to help us grow, to draw us forward on our way back to Him.
Once we have made room in our hearts, we can let in others. By serving our neighbor, especially the person we see who is disempowered and marginalized, we can come to understand the struggles of those who endure much more challenging circumstances than we face. Thus we can feel more compassion toward our neighbor, and, in turn, feel and express and show more love.
As we love more deeply and more unconditionally, we grow closer to God as God continues to sanctify us. Opening our hearts to God, we welcome God as He seeks to present to us what He has in store for us. God has so many wonderful things in store for us, which we can enjoy if we only trust Him. God is so much more powerful, and so much wiser, than we are. If we trust God, He will draw us into becoming far more than we could ever be without assenting to His plan. To experience great wonder, God calls us to reply "Yes."
* Luke 1:26-38
** Matthew 12:49-50
*** Luke 11:27-28
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