REFLECTIONS #1057: “Mary, our Loving Mother” – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of B.V.M.
Gospel
Lk 1:26-38
Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.
All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflections:
A Happy and Blessed Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary! Today we celebrate the conception of Mary in the womb of Saint Anne. Nine months later, on September 8, the Church will celebrate the birth of Mary.
Why is this feast so important? This is one of the four dogmas of our church about Mary. Dogma means, it cannot be replaced or cannot be erased forever. This is absolute truth and nothing can change it. Even before the suffering, death, and resurrection of his Son Jesus, God had granted Mary the state of sinless. She was born without original sin and never sinned her whole life. Because His Son Jesus is the Holy of holies, He deserves to have a mother of who is also holy and sinless, the fountain of grace, the purest of all and without blemish.
Simply put, the best mother God could have and He could create because He is All-Powerful. That perfect mother is Mary. Mary is saved from any weaknesses and ordinary faults we have as sinners. So we can say that Mary is closer to Jesus than she is to us. She is our bridge to Jesus and the best mediator between us and her Son Jesus - more than all angels and saints.
But like us humans, Mary also experienced emotions. She was confused at first but did not doubt the vocation revealed to her by the Angel Gabriel - her motherhood to God. After that she trusted God’s plan for her. Although it seemed impossible, she believed everything was possible. Mary gave herself completely to the Lord. She knew God’s plan and gave herself for it.
How many of us desire to imitate Mary in our daily lives? She was the first disciple of God. She is the best way to follow Christ. Her trust, courage, and devotion to the Lord is incomparable. Even until the cross and death of our Lord. Yes, like Mary, we can give ourselves to the Lord every day. Every day, even though we are sinners, we could receive the grace we need from God to live a holy life. That we may avoid sin and carry out His plan for us that is the best of all.
Let us ask the Lord, why were we born? What is our purpose here on earth? From this, we can also discover our vocation in life - our mission from God. May we, like Mary, discover our vocation and do everything to fulfill it. Let us give our whole being to God. Because no one who trusts in Him is disappointed. No one who gives to God is wasted.
Everything makes sense and is turned to an even more beautiful and bigger cause. He brings everything back even more. Most of all, He can take us to heaven, to the eternal life for those who choose to bear the Cross, hear the Word of God and do it. May we ask for the help of Mary, our mother. She will guide us to Jesus and we will not go astray or go anywhere. As our loving mother, who watches over us on earth, she will tenderly embrace us in our sorrows and lead us to her Son Jesus until we reunite with them in heaven. Amen. +
May we reflect on this. Amen. +
God bless you!
Reflections by Frances Mary Margaret D.J.
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