Word to the Wise
Monday, December 8, 2008 - The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
[Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38]"Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2008 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY [Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38] "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." This is the official patronal feast day of the Catholic Church in the U.S.A. and has been since 1846! I rather doubt, however, that the particular theological truth enshrined in the celebration is very central to the lives of a great many faithful. It is commonly confused with the conception of Jesus and with the perpetual virginity of Mary (both of which are celebrated under the feast of the Annunciation), neither of which is involved in this truth but which do form part of the larger theological picture that Catholic faith has formed of the Mother of Jesus. There was rather vigorous debate for centuries in the church about the "Immaculate Conception" which included, in the 13th century, such prominent theologians as Thomas Aquinas (not in favor) and Bonaventure (in favor). The matter wasn't resolved officially as a dogma (even if there was a feast day dating back to the 7th century) till 1854 by Pius IX. The whole process resembled in some ways the manner in which the "infancy narratives" of the gospels of Matthew and Luke (on which we meditate especially during the Advent/Christmas season) came into being. It was a kind of "reverse" process. The passion narratives came first, then more reflection about the "pre-passion" life of Jesus, and finally reflection about his origins and birth. This is why scripture scholars show us that these "infancy narratives" are basically "mini-gospels" because they were written after there had already been considerable reflection on the adult life of Jesus. The understanding of Mary's status sort of grew out of that and derived from a realization that Jesus' status as Son of God required that his human mother also be an extraordinary being from the moment of her own conception as a human person. However, we start from the adult Mary at the foot of the cross and work our way back! The rest, as the saying goes, is history and Catholic devotion to Mary has given rise to an enormous range of piety. I recommend to anyone the charming book by Diane Schoemperlen, OUR LADY OF THE LOST AND FOUND, as a way of discovering how even a religious skeptic can find her-or himself caught up in the mystery of Mary. In our current season, nearly 9 months pregnant, she can inspire or capture the sympathy of all pregnant women waiting anxiously for their child to be born. No doubt the trip to Bethlehem helped things along! In any case, this feast reminds us that even the most exalted humans in God's plan have to put up with considerable challenges. We're all in this together! AMEN
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