Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 - Immaculate Conception
[Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38]Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.
That simple greeting, which we repeat untold numbers of times in our Catholic lives, sums up a tremendous mystery and a lot of theology! To put it very simply, the Christian community reflected on the role of Mary in God's plan of salvation and concluded that only someone who was free of original sin could have been the Mother of Christ. The Immaculate Conception then is a title that refers to Mary's conception in the womb of her own mother, St. Ann. Mary becomes, as it were, a "new Eve." This belief slowly assumed its importance until Pope Pius IX declared it to be a dogma of Catholic faith on December 8, 1854, The choice of the date was dictated by an older celebration of Mary's birthday on September 8th, which falls nine months after December 8th! Two of the most common declarations from God to human in the Bible are: "I will be with you!" and "Do not be afraid." The angel says both of those to Mary. It's a good thing, because the way ahead would be arduous! The occurence of this feast in the midst of Advent is a reminder that our glorious celebration comes at the price of considerable suffering and effort on the part of Mary and Joseph and others. Like Moses,Jeremiah and Isaiah, she protests her unworthiness and yet her acceptance of God's plan. By doing so, she becomes a model for the Church. However, she should not be a model on a pedestal but en encouraging companion. We can get very tongue-tied when it comes to saying, "Behold I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." AMEN
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