Genesis 3:9-15, 20 Psalm 98:1-4 Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 Luke 1:26-38 Hail, favoured one! The Lord is with you! ...for nothing is impossible to God. (Lk 1:28, 37) The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Do you want to live a grace-filled life? The angel Gabriel salutes Mary as full of grace. To become the mother of the Saviour, Mary was enriched by God with gifts to enable her to assume this awesome role. There is a venerable tradition among many Christians, dating back to the early church, for honouring Mary as the spotless virgin who bore the Son of God in her womb. A number of early church fathers link Marys obedience to this singular grace of God. Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race... The knot of Eves disobedience was united by Marys obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith (Ireneaus, 2nd century). From a 2014 homily by Pope Francis on the feast of the Immaculate Conception: Mary was preserved from original sin, from that fracture in communion with God, with others and with creation, which deeply wounds every human being. But this fracture was healed in advance in the Mother of the One who came to free us from the slavery of sin. The Immaculata was written in God’s design; she is the fruit of God’s love that saves the world … The mystery of this girl from Nazareth, who is in the heart of God, is not estranged from us. She is not there and we over here. No, we are connected. Indeed, God rests his loving gaze on every man and every woman! By name and surname. His gaze of love is on every one of us. The Apostle Paul states that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph 1:4). We too, from all time, were chosen by God to live a holy life, free of sin. It is a plan of love that God renews every time we come to him, especially through the sacraments. Pope Francis went on to tell us that in Mary we can see our primary vocation: not to do all manner of things but simply to be loved by God and transformed by his love: Look to [Mary], our Mother, and allow her to look upon us, for she is our mother and she loves us so much; let us allow ourselves to be watched over by her so that we may learn how to be more humble, and also more courageous in following the Word of God; to welcome the tender embrace of her Son, Jesus, an embrace that gives us life, hope, and peace. Faith is the Key that Unlocks the Power of Gods Kingdom in Our Lives What is the key that can unlock the power and grace of God’s kingdom in our personal lives? Faith and obedience for sure! When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they immediately experienced the consequence of their action - separation from the God who loved them. God in his mercy promised them a Redeemer who would pay the price for their sin and the sin of the world. We see the marvellous unfolding of Gods plan of redemption in the events leading up to the Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah. Marys prompt response of yes to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers. Mary believed Gods promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do Gods will, even if it seemed difficult or costly. God Gives Us the Grace to Say Yes to His Will and to His Transforming Work in Our Lives God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heartfelt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the grace, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in Gods promises and do you yield to his grace? “Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified yes to your will and to your plan for my life. Amen. You are all-beautiful, O Mary! Hear our prayer, graciously hear our plea: May the beauty of God’s merciful love in Jesus abide in our hearts,and may this divine beauty save us and the entire world” (Prayer of Pope Francis).
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 08:19:39 +0000