The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you! (Luke 1:28)
From a 2014 homily by Pope Francis on the feast of the Immaculate Conception:
Mary was preserved from original sin, from that fracture in communion with God, with others and with creation, which deeply wounds every human being. But this fracture was healed in advance in the Mother of the One who came to free us from the slavery of sin. The Immaculata was written in God’s design; she is the fruit of God’s love that saves the world …
The mystery of this girl from Nazareth, who is in the heart of God, is not estranged from us. She is not there and we over here. No, we are connected. Indeed, God rests his loving gaze on every man and every woman! By name and surname. His gaze of love is on every one of us. The Apostle Paul states that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4). We too, from all time, were chosen by God to live a holy life, free of sin. It is a plan of love that God renews every time we come to him, especially through the sacraments.
Pope Francis went on to tell us that in Mary we can see our primary vocation: not to do all manner of things but simply to be loved by God and transformed by his love:
Look to [Mary], our Mother, and allow her to look upon us, for she is our mother and she loves us so much; let us allow ourselves to be watched over by her so that we may learn how to be more humble, and also more courageous in following the Word of God; to welcome the tender embrace of her Son, Jesus, an embrace that gives us life, hope, and peace.
“You are all-beautiful, O Mary! Hear our prayer, graciously hear our plea: May the beauty of God’s merciful love in Jesus abide in our hearts, and may this divine beauty save us and the entire world” (Prayer of Pope Francis).
Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Psalm 98:1-4
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Daily Marriage Tip for December 8, 2014:
A nice tradition today, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is to give a gift to a pregnant woman you know. Also pray today for mothers with difficult or unexpected pregnancies.