The Immaculate Conception - Ornaments of Grace

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Upon arriving, the angel said to her: “Rejoice, O highly favored daughter! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”

Even though this lovely feast finds its way into the Advent season, it celebrates Mary’s own sinless conception in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. It is celebrated nine months before what we call Mary’s birthday on September 8. The faithful observed this feast since the 7th century and Pope Clement XI declared it a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics in 1708. But the feast began being formally observed adding the words “Immaculate” when Pope Pius IX declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1854. Mary herself confirmed this truth when she appeared to Bernadette at Lourdes just four years later and said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it this way: To become the mother of Jesus, (Quote) “Mary was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” (End quote) So, Mary remained free of sin all her life, from the moment she was conceived until her death. The story of the Annunciation in Luke’s Gospel helps us understand how completely Mary loved the Word of God. She said in reply to Angel Gabriel, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.” And, it is this response that can guide all of us who were not conceived sinless. We have the freedom to choose to do whatever God asks of us, just as Mary did. While we may not always be sinless in this life, Jesus came through Mary to bring us God’s loving salvation. As we grow in God’s life, becoming purified through suffering, through joy, through our entire journey here, we can be immaculate someday too, rejoicing forever along with Mary in heaven.

So, let us hurry to offer ourselves completely to the Lord. Let us make room in our hearts, bodies, and spirits for the Lord who wants to dwell within us. Yes, we may suffer occasional backaches from carrying the Lord. We may feel a little sick when we are called to humanly unpleasant and tiring tasks for the sake of preparing the way. But we can say as Mary did, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.” Jesus can then be born again in our lives and touch the lives of those around us with his miraculous healing power of love. As we share in Mary’s gift of bringing Jesus into our world, so she will share the joy of her Immaculate Heart with us in heaven.

The Immaculate Conception is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

Can you name a specific time when you abandoned yourself to the will of God, saying “Let it be done to me as you say…”?