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Thursday, December 08, 2005 Meditation Ephesians 1:3-6,11-12 The Immaculate Conception? What do you think of when you hear the words “Immaculate Conception?” You may already know what the church teaches: Mary is called immaculate because she was conceived without original sin. But what does that actually mean? A good way to think about Mary is to think of a beautiful cathedral. A cathedral is a place that is especially dedicated to worship. It’s filled with God’s presence and reminds us of heavenly things. As soon as we enter it, we feel like getting on our knees and giving praise to the Lord. This is really why we honor Mary today. She is like that cathedral, but much more so. She was so full of God and his grace that she was able to bear his divine Son in her womb. When she told her cousin Elizabeth, “My soul magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46), she was saying that she was like a “magnifying glass.” Why? Because when we look at her total surrender to God’s will, we see a perfect model for living the Christian life. But that’s not all. Because of Mary’s “yes” to God, we have received all the “spiritual blessings” that come from Christ. We should never take for granted the incredible fact that we have Jesus living within us. Even though we don’t carry him as Mary did, we do have his Spirit—-who is God himself—within us. If we are in Christ, we are truly alive: We have become “members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19), right alongside Mary. And so we can proclaim as Mary did, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior,” for he has truly done wondrous things for us! Do you want to know the best way to honor Mary? Become a model for your brothers and sisters, just as she is a model for all of us. Walk in holiness as Mary did, and let your light shine to those around you. Show the world that it is a privilege to be part of the body of Christ—to be united with Mary, all the great saints, and even Jesus himself! Remember: No one is saved by their own activities, but through the grace and power of God made manifest in his people, his church, his body here on earth. “Lord, purify my heart! I want nothing to stand between you and me. Help me to be like Mary, yielded completely to your will.” Genesis 3:9-15,20; Psalm 98:1-4; Luke 1:26-38
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