Reflection on the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity), Wednesday 8th December, 2021
Texts: Gen. 3:9-15.20; Ps. 98:1-4; Eph. 1:3-6.11-12; Luke 1:26b-38
Today we celebrate the Immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is celebrated during Advent season. It is an Advent celebration because it is part of preparation towards the coming of Christ. The Immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is in view of Christ's coming. She was conceived Immaculately by the virtue of the merits of her Son, Jesus Christ. This is made clear in the dogma that defines it: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin" (CCC no. 491).
St. Paul, in today's second reading, sheds more light on the mystery of Immaculate Conception. He says, "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." Just as God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless before Him, so also He chose Mary to be holy and blameless before Him from the moment of conception. The only difference between Mary and we is that we participated in the grace of holiness after the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ but Mary participated in the grace beforehand and at the moment of conception, while we participated in it after our birth according to the flesh. God gave Mary this special privilege according to His will and to the praise of His grace. In the words of St. Paul in today's second reading: "He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." In relation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it can be put thus: He destined _her_ in love to be his _mother_ through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Blessed Virgin Mary God shows that the grace He has given us in Christ is not limited by time and space; the grace of Christ was made abundance in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary before His manifestation in the flesh . It is an event that has been planned before the foundation of the world.
God gave the Blessed Virgin Mary the privilege of Immaculate Conception by merits of Jesus Christ to reveal His purpose in Him (Jesus Christ). His purpose is that we should be holy and blameless to the praise of His glory. St. Paul says, "In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory." Blessed Virgin Mary, being the first to participate in the grace, participated in it uniquely.
Today's first reading also reveals the mystery of Immaculate Conception. It is said, "The Lord God said to the serpent, '.... I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.'” The enmity between the Serpent and the woman means the woman would have nothing to do with sin; she would hate sin and reject it. While the first Eve chose to disobey God and accommodate sin, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the second Eve, chose to obey God and rejected sin. This beforehand foretold the Immaculate conception of the new Eve, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Just as the first woman was named Eve because she was to be the mother of all the living, so also the Blessed Virgin Mary became the mother of all the living in the order of grace. She was preserved from original sin in view of her role in the order of grace.
Today's gospel reading further sheds more light by revealing to us how the Immaculate conception took place. This is evident in the greeting of angel Gabriel: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." God effected the Immaculate conception by infusing His grace. In regards to this, Thomas Pazhayampallil says, "The only way God pardons sin is by infusing grace, by deifying us, by divinizing us. ... Grace is the Holy Spirit. Mary was preserved from sin. It means that she was always full of grace, or "highly favoured one", or "totally graced one" (Word of Eternal Life, Vol. 2, p. 363). "By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long" (CCC no. 493).
One thing that is so key in the celebration of the Immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is that we are all called to the life of holiness; we are to live life free of sin. Our destiny in Christ is to be holy and blameless to the praise of the glory of God. It is when we are holy and blameless that God is praised in us. The celebration reminds us that God has given us in Christ all we need to be holy and blameless before Him. Let us not waste the grace we have in Christ by our sinful deeds. Let us avail ourselves the grace by living life free of sin. Let us also make use of the sacrament of reconciliation to wash ourselves always.
O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son, grant, we pray, that, as you preserved her from every stain by virtue of the Death of your Son, which you foresaw, so, through her intercession, we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to your presence. Amen. (Collect).
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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