THAT’S what I think is the
significance of the celebration
of the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin
Mary on December 8. It is to remind us that God had intended us to be
innocent, like him and like our first parents at the beginning,
completely full of goodness. We lost that innocence, but we are given
a way of how to recover it, and even to enrich it.
It’s also to remind us of how we will be in the definitive
state of our life in heaven, already incapable of sinning, when we
will be completely identified with Christ, having passed and won our
earthly test. It also signifies of how the Church started here on
earth, with Mary as the Church’s most ideal faithful member, and
therefore the best model for all of us to emulate.
Thus, in the Eucharistic preface of this solemnity, we
pray: “You preserved the Most Blessed Virgin Mary from all stain of
original sin, so that in her…you might prepare a worthy Mother for
your Son, and signify the beginning of the Church, his beautiful Bride
without spot or wrinkle.”
With Mary as our Mother, we are given a sure guide of how
the ideal of innocence can be kept and enriched in spite of, and even
because of the many trials all of us have to face in our earthly life.
Of course, it is only Christ, the only Redeemer, the only
“way, truth and life” for us, who gives us everything to be what we
ought to be. But it is Mary, the perfection of humanity, who will show
and help us to be a most faithful disciple of Christ, not only a
disciple in name, but a disciple who fully shares in the life and
mission of Christ.
Mary’s innocence did not prevent her from being tested and
tempted. In fact, of all men who have to undergo the earthly trials,
it must have been Mary who was tested the most, because she is the one
closest to Christ who assumed all our sinfulness.
What Christ confronted and suffered, Mary must also have
confronted and suffered in the most intimate way. The severest
temptations of Christ were also given to Mary. It’s her who shared the
most in the redemptive suffering of Christ, winning for her the title
of Co-redemptrix, a pattern for us who are supposed to be also our own
co-redeemer with Christ.
But Mary knew how to parry all these temptations and bear
all the sufferings. And the secret was her utmost humility that
allowed her to be totally united with God, and therefore sharing all
his wisdom, his power, his prudence, etc. It’s her humility that
enabled her to enjoy the fullness of faith, hope and charity to the
extent that our earthly condition would allow.
She was not scandalized by the sins of men, including the
worst evil of killing God, the God-man, Jesus Christ. She simply
grieved and reacted with utmost mercy and compassion, the very same
mercy and compassion shown and experienced by Christ on the cross.
That is why I find it most meaningful to note that Pope
Francis chose to open the Jubilee Year of Mercy on the Solemnity of
the Immaculate Conception of Mary. There could be no better way to
highlight the fact that Mary’s innocence, which she managed to keep
and enrich in spite of the severe tests, is due to the divine mercy
that she managed to reflect in her own heart.
It’s a mercy that comes as a result of her humility that
in turn gave her that total faith, hope and charity in Christ. It’s a
mercy that has kept her innocence from her very conception all the way
to her death and assumption to heaven.
And that innocence that she managed to keep and enrich is
the one implied by Christ when he said: “Be as shrewd as serpents and
as innocent as doves.” (Mt 10,16). It’s not a naïve innocence, rather
ignorant and detached from the raw reality of our earthly life. It’s
one that has been tested by fire, very knowledgeable about our mundane
world without losing the spiritual and supernatural dimensions of our
life.
We have to see to it that in developing our devotion to
our Lady, we don’t fall into the trap of coming up simply with a
sentimental and sugary type of devotion. Like Mary, we should try to
be most humble, so we can live the fullness of faith, hope, charity
and mercy, and keep our innocence intact in spite of the severe
trials.
of the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin
Mary on December 8. It is to remind us that God had intended us to be
innocent, like him and like our first parents at the beginning,
completely full of goodness. We lost that innocence, but we are given
a way of how to recover it, and even to enrich it.
It’s also to remind us of how we will be in the definitive
state of our life in heaven, already incapable of sinning, when we
will be completely identified with Christ, having passed and won our
earthly test. It also signifies of how the Church started here on
earth, with Mary as the Church’s most ideal faithful member, and
therefore the best model for all of us to emulate.
Thus, in the Eucharistic preface of this solemnity, we
pray: “You preserved the Most Blessed Virgin Mary from all stain of
original sin, so that in her…you might prepare a worthy Mother for
your Son, and signify the beginning of the Church, his beautiful Bride
without spot or wrinkle.”
With Mary as our Mother, we are given a sure guide of how
the ideal of innocence can be kept and enriched in spite of, and even
because of the many trials all of us have to face in our earthly life.
Of course, it is only Christ, the only Redeemer, the only
“way, truth and life” for us, who gives us everything to be what we
ought to be. But it is Mary, the perfection of humanity, who will show
and help us to be a most faithful disciple of Christ, not only a
disciple in name, but a disciple who fully shares in the life and
mission of Christ.
Mary’s innocence did not prevent her from being tested and
tempted. In fact, of all men who have to undergo the earthly trials,
it must have been Mary who was tested the most, because she is the one
closest to Christ who assumed all our sinfulness.
What Christ confronted and suffered, Mary must also have
confronted and suffered in the most intimate way. The severest
temptations of Christ were also given to Mary. It’s her who shared the
most in the redemptive suffering of Christ, winning for her the title
of Co-redemptrix, a pattern for us who are supposed to be also our own
co-redeemer with Christ.
But Mary knew how to parry all these temptations and bear
all the sufferings. And the secret was her utmost humility that
allowed her to be totally united with God, and therefore sharing all
his wisdom, his power, his prudence, etc. It’s her humility that
enabled her to enjoy the fullness of faith, hope and charity to the
extent that our earthly condition would allow.
She was not scandalized by the sins of men, including the
worst evil of killing God, the God-man, Jesus Christ. She simply
grieved and reacted with utmost mercy and compassion, the very same
mercy and compassion shown and experienced by Christ on the cross.
That is why I find it most meaningful to note that Pope
Francis chose to open the Jubilee Year of Mercy on the Solemnity of
the Immaculate Conception of Mary. There could be no better way to
highlight the fact that Mary’s innocence, which she managed to keep
and enrich in spite of the severe tests, is due to the divine mercy
that she managed to reflect in her own heart.
It’s a mercy that comes as a result of her humility that
in turn gave her that total faith, hope and charity in Christ. It’s a
mercy that has kept her innocence from her very conception all the way
to her death and assumption to heaven.
And that innocence that she managed to keep and enrich is
the one implied by Christ when he said: “Be as shrewd as serpents and
as innocent as doves.” (Mt 10,16). It’s not a naïve innocence, rather
ignorant and detached from the raw reality of our earthly life. It’s
one that has been tested by fire, very knowledgeable about our mundane
world without losing the spiritual and supernatural dimensions of our
life.
We have to see to it that in developing our devotion to
our Lady, we don’t fall into the trap of coming up simply with a
sentimental and sugary type of devotion. Like Mary, we should try to
be most humble, so we can live the fullness of faith, hope, charity
and mercy, and keep our innocence intact in spite of the severe
trials.
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