Recently I had the special privilege of celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Confession, with eight and nine-year-old children. It was their first time. The pastor spoke to the children about confession and sin, and used an experience from his own life.
As a young child, about the age of the children making their first Confession, he was playing pin the tail on the donkey. His older brother blindfolded him. He could still see but didn’t tell anyone. He was turned around a couple of times, moved in the direction of the donkey, pinned the tail on the donkey and won the prize.
Later on, as he sat down, he felt ashamed. He cheated. He lied. He sinned. He told his parents who thanked him for telling them but they also sent him to this room because of what he did.
I tell this story, because from the age of eight and nine years old we know the difference between right and wrong.
In the reading from the Book of Genesis, we heard the story of what happened when God called out to Adam who was in the garden and had disobeyed God. At first Adam did not answer God. Later he did saying he was afraid … afraid of what God would do.
Many of us today struggle with our sins, keenly aware that it is a struggle to hold it together for half an hour, let alone a whole lifetime, like Mary. Rather than the fear of God, it often is shame that we experience … the shame of letting God down, letting another person down or letting ourselves down. We have the gift of Reconciliation or Confession but the experience of sin and shame still seems to be a daily struggle.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, that we are celebrating today, has a special message for all who struggle with sin and shame. The sinless one, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is also available to help us in our struggle!
Today we honor Mary proclaiming with the ancients and the official church, a belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived free from original sin and preserved from sin throughout her life.
Some would refute this article of faith and maintain with St. Paul in Romans 5:12 that all humans were born in sin, original sin. But God trumps St. Paul and would not allow a dwelling place for his son in the body of a woman who was born with sin or would ever experience sin. Most rational believers accept this but what believers find it harder to accept is the call to be sinless like Mary when sin and shame can be a constant struggle.
The sinless Mary has a special gift for us, an offer to help us with our struggle. First of all, she asks us not to focus on her call which was unique to her, but instead focus on the unique call that each one of us has received. In effect the sinless Mary is telling us to be ourselves and allow her to be herself for us. Together we are a team and sometimes a stronger member on the team can help those that are not as strong.
As a member of our team, the sinless Mary can be compared to a benchwarmer, a team member who does not play regularly but who is always in the game even when just sitting on the bench. The bench warmer is alert, attentive, knows what is going on and if called on can step in and help out. That’s who Mary is for us. She is the bench warmer ever at the edge of her seat and ready to step in and help us out.
When Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton was on his death bed, an elderly priest from his community spoke to Patrick words that would change his life. “Mary is alive. She will be a fifty per center or a hundred per center but it depends on your faith.”
The sinless Mary is alive. When sin seems to weaken us, ask Mary to stand in your place for awhile and pray that God would strengthen you.
For additional reading: Today’s Readings.
Watch today's Mass filmed live at the Father Peyton Center, on this the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.