Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

8 December 2020 Tueday

” To become the mother of the Savior. Mary was “enriched by God with gifts appropriate to the role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace.”…Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary “full of grace” through God was redeemed from the moment of her conception.” …Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The Most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God and by the virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of sin.” Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraphs 490- 491.

So we remember and celebrate this holy day as we venerate and love Mary, Mother of God and the Church. This celebration is so powerful as we meditate upon Mary’s example and call to the faithful.

Mary shows us the grace and power of knowing, hearing and saying Yes! to the Word of God. “Be it done unto me according to your word.” Fearless, Faith-filled, humble her yes opened the way to the Savior, her Son.

As her yes resounds to and through us today Mary also shows us the focus of an humble follower of her Son. “My soul doth magnifies the Lord”. This short statement of focus gives us an essential key in the walk of faith, and discerning God’s will in our lives. What? Who? is being magnified by the words, the choices being made.

Mary, a disciple of Truth. Jesus would proclaim: ” I am the Way, the Truth the Life.” Mary exemplifies that this growing in the Truth who is Christ is a journey. From the Annunciation, the Finding in the Temple, The Miracle at Cana of Galilee, and painfully at the Passion of her Son and joyfully, at His resurrection Mary walked the path of growing with her Son in the Truth that brought her ever greater freedom. Even the journey of the Church with the teaching of the Immaculate Conception affirms we are still growing in Truth. We don’t know it all. Only God does.

Let us each take time to be with our Blessed Mother today, and every day. May she, who is full of grace help us grow ever closer to her Son, our Savior. Jesus.