In God’s Providence, at this point in our Advent journey we celebrate two great feasts of our Blessed Mother, The Immaculate Conception, and, in four days, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Holy Virgin is raised up for us as Model, Mother, and Guide on our way. The beauty and depth of these feasts illuminate our Advent hope!
Today we celebrate that Mary was immaculately conceived—from the moment her human life began she was without sin, without original sin, and she never sinned. Think about what this means in positive terms! She is free! She is free from sin. She is free from that seemingly endless spiral of pride and fear, disordered desires and bad decisions that have plagued humanity, all of us, and our world now. Through the grace of Christ, she was restored to what humanity was supposed to be before the fall of Adam. She is FULL OF GRACE. Free to choose well. Free to choose the Good; free to love truly; free to say yes to God purely, to be able to give herself to Him totally as He gives Himself to us when the Word was made flesh inside her.
Advent, particularly, is a time we are called to enter into the deep longings of our hearts. We long for freedom. We long to love and to be loved totally and freely—but our wills are so damaged it is so hard for us even to see how to do that! The Immaculate Conception of Mary signifies a new beginning. So, as we celebrate this feast now, we call Our Lady THE DAWN OF THE NEW CREATION. With Christ’s birth the new creation arrives. With His death and resurrection its power is released. What it all means—what this feast today means—is truly a new chance for us, a new beginning for each of us!
Our Lady was immaculately conceived. We were not, yet our baptism is a new beginning for each of us, a promise that we can grow in loving more and more as Christ loves. Living in Christian community, particularly in Christian family is such an important part of God’s plan for where and how the healing of our wounded hearts and wills is to happen, albeit with all the messiness of everyday life!
Father, lead us, lead our families, lead the human family into unity, peace, and holiness in the Body of Christ.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
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