Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary

YES

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. – Luke 1:38

Growing up I thought the Immaculate Conception was about Mary being pregnant though she was a virgin. Many Christians still think that. But, it’s actually about Mary being conceived in her mother’s womb without sin. She was born free from the original sin! It was her destiny to be that sinless woman who would be the mother of the Messiah.

       In today’s Gospel, that moment came when her free will played a major role. Angel Gabriel announced what would happen. Was Mary greatly confused? You bet. But she agreed.

       At the back of my mind I asked, “What if she said no?” I don’t know the answer but I’m just so happy she said yes.

       My role here on earth cannot be compared to Mama Mary’s, but like her, I can say yes. I have the power to say yes to smile more. Yes to listen to others. Yes to forgive. Yes to remain quiet when I’m about to burst in anger. Yes to counting my blessings. Yes to serving the Lord. Carlo Lorenzo (carloflorenzo@yahoo.com)

Reflection: What will you choose to say yes to today?

Heavenly Father, I offer You the “yeses” I will make today to glorify You. May I reflect You, my God of love and mercy.

It is good for us to ponder on this text and ask ourselves what it is saying to us. The first thing we should note is that it says quite clearly that the toil of man and the pain of childbirth are, to a certain extent, a result of sin. We have only ourselves to blame for this as we have all participated in the sin of Adam and Eve — rebellion against the will of God. There is also the hint of redemption, in that God hints at the future coming of a messiah figure who will defeat the powers of sin.

9 After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the Lord God then called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” 12 The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” 13 The Lord God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” 14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” 20 The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R) 2 The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. 3 He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R) All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (R)

The glory of Jesus as the eternal Son of the Father is something that He shares with all people through the gift of the Incarnation in the first instance and that of redemption in the second. We need to carefully reflect and meditate upon the Word of God if we want to understand the fullness of truths like these. Unfortunately, many Christians never go much deeper than a superficial reading and understanding of the Scriptures. Let us make sure this will not be our fate.

3 Brothers and sisters: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, 4 as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love 5 he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, 6 for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. 11 In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, 12 so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.

The Annunciation is a watershed in the life of Mary and of humanity. The work of salvation begins to take flesh as the “yes” of Mary sets   humanity on a path that will undo the disobedience of the First Eve, and, through the obedience of Christ, the First Adam. It may be a challenge to understand the work of salvation in these terms but, with a bit of work we will all find it helpful. We are called to follow the footsteps of Christ with our own “yesses,” and, in so doing, we will participate in the undoing of the primordial sin of our ancestors.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.

26 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” 35 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. 36 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;37 for nothing will be impossible for God.” 38 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.

think: We are called to follow the footsteps of Christ with our own “yesses.”

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Proverbs 21-23

DEEPLY DISTURBED

Sociologists speak of “liminal experiences.” Simply put, these are life-changing events or circumstances that either make or break a person. They are transitional events that usher one into a new order of things, a new mindset, a fresh way of looking at old realities, or an altogether different tenor of life. What was once considered “order” is turned into seeming “chaos,” and a new order of things ensues.

       From any point of view, such transitions are scary. In fact, transitions of any kind, are uncomfortable, at the very least.

       Today, we see Mary piercing through the discomfort and the disturbance, and eventually showing us what Margaret Silf refers to as the “other side of chaos.” In one fell swoop, Mary faced the chaos headlong, and all the potential further disturbances it could bring by simply obeying and stating, “Be it done to me according to Your word.”

       In my experience as a counselor these past years, I have learned that healing is hastened by recognition and acceptance, not by dodging — and refusing — to name the ghost that haunts a person, or even refusing to accept that one has an issue to resolve. Countless times, I have personally witnessed how a potentially disturbing phase (breaking down) actually led a person to the “other side of chaos” — a breakthrough!

       I would like to think of Mary’s obedience as initially precisely that — discomforting and disturbing. But out of obedience to a God of promises and fulfillment, she faced her fears headlong and believed. Needless to say, her life was never the same again after that. She ushered in the breaking dawn and brought about the “other side of chaos” which is our salvation. Scripture and Tradition both tell us what sort of “chaos” that had been. Sorrow pierced her heart, not once, not twice, but seven times!

       Mary Immaculate, help us see beyond our own messes, and declare along with you, “I don’t know,” “I don’t understand,” but “I believe,” and “I trust.” Let it be. Let it be. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTION: What would you do when faced with a life-changing circumstance like Mary’s? How can you be more obedient like Mary?

Lord, help me to be like Mary, Your Mother and my Mother, too. May it be done to me according to Your Word.