RBWords

     God chooses!  Scripture makes that plain.  "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God....The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you...."  Yes, those words are from the story of the "annunciation" but they gave rise to Christian reflection about Mary's place in God's plan.  This meant that her entire life came under reflection, from the very moment she was conceived in her mother's womb.  This reflection compared her with the first woman, Eve, who was created without sin in the Garden of Eden.  However, unlike Eve, Mary would be protected by God's Spirit from the kind of fall that led to the loss of that original freedom and the "inheritance" of that "fall" by all humans.  Catholic tradition holds that this protection extended throughout Mary's life because of God's choice of her to become the mother of the Messiah.

     St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians paints in broad strokes and envisions all of creation and humanity as part of God's plan.  There is considerable "mystery" in this because in some cases, the particular participation of one person may stand out for his or her crucial role, whereas the great mass of humanity and creation comes and goes in its ups and downs.  The belief in the "immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary" did not take shape overnight!  It was discussed and yes, debated, for centuries till 1854 when Pope Pius IX defined it in the way the church accepts it as truth.  As with anyone we know, there will be some things about them that we are aware of but which do not enter into our relationship with them.  Mary is accessible to us in many ways, some exalted, some humble!  As her canticle in the Gospel of Luke proclaims, "My soul glorifies the Lord!"  That can be her challenge to us as we celebrate this special truth about her place in God's creative work.   AMEN