Gospel
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.
Reflection
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a day that highlights the extraordinary grace given to Mary from the very beginning of her existence. When I put this into perspective while reading the Gospel I understood how fitting this passage really was. Mary was born without sin, “from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin” (CCC no. 491). This was declared to have been divinely revealed by Pope Pius IX who proclaimed this dogma infallibly in 1854. Today, we honor our Blessed Mother under the title of The Immaculate Conception, recognizing that from the moment she was conceived, her soul was filled with grace and preserved from original sin. Reading the Gospel brings this truth to life. The instant the angel Gabriel appears before Mary he exclaims “Hail, Mary full of grace! The Lord is with you”. Although Mary was initially troubled by the angel’s words, we understand their significance… she was filled with grace from the very beginning and protected from the stain of original sin in order to bear the Son of God. Reflecting on these words I think I will always be struck by Mary’s humility and her unwavering faith. However, I realized her yes to God was not just in this moment but throughout her entire life… a continuous yes to God, a continuous act of faith and trust in His plan. When I reflect on this I think of her perfect faith and trust in God even with the suffering she endured and how grateful I am that she is our Mother.
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