The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, exhort us to openness to the prompting of the Spirit to live in a relationship of trust in God through which we let it be done according to the Word.
The reading from the Book of Genesis praises the Mother of All.
* [3:15] They will strike…at their heel: the antecedent for “they” and “their” is the collective noun “offspring,” i.e., all the descendants of the woman. Christian tradition has seen in this passage, however, more than unending hostility between snakes and human beings. The snake was identified with the devil (Wis 2:24; Jn 8:44; Rev 12:9; 20:2), whose eventual defeat seemed implied in the verse. Because “the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil” (1 Jn 3:8), the passage was understood as the first promise of a redeemer for fallen humankind, the protoevangelium. Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. A.D. 130–200), in his Against Heresies 5.21.1, followed by several other Fathers of the Church, interpreted the verse as referring to Christ, and cited Gal 3:19 and 4:4 to support the reference. Another interpretive translation is ipsa, “she,” and is reflected in Jerome’s Vulgate. “She” was thought to refer to Mary, the mother of the messiah. In Christian art Mary is sometimes depicted with her foot on the head of the serpent. (Genesis, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
Psalm 98 praises the Judge of the World.
* [Psalm 98] A hymn, similar to Ps 96, extolling God for Israel’s victory (Ps 98:1–3). All nations (Ps 98:4–6) and even inanimate nature (Ps 98:7–8) are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world (Ps 98:9). (Psalms, PSALM 98, n.d.)
The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians declares the Spiritual Blessings in Christ.
* [1:3–14] While a Pauline letter usually continues after the greeting with a prayer of thanksgiving, as in Eph 1:15–23 below, Ephesians first inserts a blessing of God for the blessings Christians have experienced, as in 2 Cor 1:3–4 and 1 Pt 1:3–12. The blessing here, akin to a Jewish berakah, is rich in images almost certainly drawn from hymns and liturgy. Many ideas here are also found in Col 1:3–23. Certain phrases are frequently repeated, such as in Christ (Eph 1:3, 10, 12) or in him (Eph 1:4, 7, 9, 11, 13) or in the beloved (Eph 1:6) and (for) the praise of (his) glory (Eph 1:6, 12, 14). Some terms like chose (Eph 1:4) and destined (Eph 1:5) reflect Old Testament theology (Dt 7:7; 9:4–6; 23:5) or Pauline themes (redemption, Eph 1:7, 14; grace, Eph 1:6, 7) or specific emphases in Colossians (forgiveness, Col 1:14). A triadic structure is discernible in Eph 1:3–14: God the Father (Eph 1:3–6, 8, 11), Christ (Eph 1:3, 5, 7–10, 12), and the Spirit (Eph 1:13–14). The spiritual blessings Christians have received through Christ (Eph 1:3) are gratefully enumerated: the call to holiness (Eph 1:4; cf. Col 1:22); the gift of divine adoption establishing a unique spiritual relationship with God the Father through Christ (Eph 1:5; cf. Gal 4:5); liberation from sin through Christ’s sacrificial death (Eph 1:7); revelation of God’s plan of salvation in Christ (Eph 1:9; cf. Eph 3:3–4; Rom 16:25); the gift of election and faith in Christ bestowed upon Jewish Christians (see note on Eph 1:12, we who first hoped in Christ); and finally, the same gift granted to Gentiles (Eph 1:13, you also). In the Christ-centered faith and existence of the Christian communities the apostle sees the predetermined plan of God to bring all creation under the final rule of Christ (Eph 1:4–5, 9–10) being made known (Eph 1:9) and carried through, to God’s glory (Eph 1:6, 12, 14). (Ephesians, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, the Birth of Jesus is foretold.
* [1:26–38] The announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is parallel to the announcement to Zechariah of the birth of John. In both the angel Gabriel appears to the parent who is troubled by the vision (Lk 1:11–12, 26–29) and then told by the angel not to fear (Lk 1:13, 30). After the announcement is made (Lk 1:14–17, 31–33) the parent objects (Lk 1:18, 34) and a sign is given to confirm the announcement (Lk 1:20, 36). The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David (Lk 1:32–33) and Son of God (Lk 1:32, 35). (Luke, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
George Butterfield comments that the same grace that preserved Mary from original sin also saves us. St. Paul calls us blessed, chosen, destined for adoption, and all because of God’s love for us from before the foundation of the world. When the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary he refers to her as “full of grace.” Although Origen said that he had not found this word anywhere else in Scripture, it is used once more in Ephesians 1:6, today’s second reading. Mary is highly favored by God and will be the bearer of the Son of God. St. Paul says that we, too, are highly favored by God. God granted his grace to the virgin, and he grants it to us.
God is love. Flowing from his love is his grace and mercy. Mary received his grace from the moment of her conception. We receive that grace as adopted children of God. Today we celebrate the Blessed Virgin. Let us also celebrate that grace that was poured out upon us when our Father brought us into his kingdom. It is a kingdom of grace.
Be blessed today, brothers and sisters. Mary and her children are full of grace. (Butterfield, 2022)
Don Schwager quotes “God borrows Mary's flesh to lead humanity to glory,” by an anonymous early author from the Greek church.
"Revealing to you the pre-eternal counsel, Gabriel came and stood before you, maid, and in greeting said, 'Rejoice, earth that has not been sown; rejoice, burning bush that remains unconsumed; Rejoice, unsearchable depth; Rejoice, bridge that leads to heaven; Rejoice, ladder raised on high that Jacob saw; Rejoice, divine jar of manna; Rejoice, deliverance from the curse; Rejoice, restoration of Adam, the Lord is with you!'
"'You appeared to me in the form of a man,' said the undefiled maid to the chief of the heavenly hosts. 'How then do you speak to me of things that pass human power? For you have said that God shall be with me and shall take up his dwelling in my womb. How shall I become the spacious habitation and the holy place of him that rides upon the cherubim? (Psalm 18:10) Do not amuse me with deceit; for I have not known pleasure, I have not entered into wedlock. How then shall I bear a child?'
"Then the bodiless angel replied, 'When God so wills, the order of nature is overcome, and what is beyond humankind comes to pass. Believe that my sayings are true, all-holy and immaculate lady.' And she cried aloud, 'Let it be to me according to your word, and I shall bear him that is without flesh, who shall borrow flesh from me, that through this mingling he may lead humankind up to his ancient glory, for he alone has power so to do!'"(excerpt from STICHERA OF THE ANNUNCIATION) (Schwager, n.d.)
Philip Endean SJ, Professor of Spirituality at Centre Sèvres, Paris, delves into the mystery at the heart of the feast of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception that honours the doctrine that Mary was conceived without original sin.
Be all that as it may, Pius’s decision has been received and accepted, at least within Roman Catholicism. It seems somehow right that the early part of Advent should include a feast honouring Mary—even if journalists and some churchgoers become confused and think we are celebrating Jesus’s conception. The doctrine of original sin has become difficult, not just because of the contradictions between its main thrust and Mary’s freedom from it (to say nothing of Jesus’s), but also because of evolutionary theories, and a heightened sense of individual moral responsibility. Moreover, ecumenical and feminist concerns have tempered ultramontane Marian enthusiasms. Nevertheless, mainstream Catholics seem broadly comfortable with celebrating Mary’s creation. We look at the beautiful pictures; we hear the gospel of Mary’s receiving the angel’s message; and we quietly ignore the nagging questions arising about genetics. We light the candles anyway, and set the theology aside. (Endean, 2013)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:26-38 notes that the only other time we see the word “grace” in the Bible is in today’s second reading, when St. Paul talks about God’s “grace that he granted us in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). This gift of adoption as his children comes to us after Jesus’ death and resurrection, while God gave this grace to Mary at the moment of her conception. As Pope Francis explained, “If [Mary] is entirely inhabited by God, there is no room within her for sin. . . . She is . . . created immaculate so as to fully welcome, with her ‘yes,’ God who came into the world” (Angelus, December 8, 2017).
On this feast of the Immaculate Conception, consider Mary, who received this free gift of grace from God. Think about how that grace prepared her to say yes to his invitation to be the mother of Jesus and how it affected everything she thought or did. And then thank the Lord that he has given you a share in that very same grace!
“Jesus, fill me with your grace so that sin will have no room in me.” (Meditation on Luke 1:26-38, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler discusses three levels of separation caused by sin in the passage from Genesis. Mary is an example of the special plan of God for each of us into which we have been called from the foundation of the world. The Greek translation of the passage from Luke refers to Mary’s fullness of grace in the future tense, something true now that has always been true. Friar Jude alludes to the role of Mary as the new “Ark of the Covenant.”
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reminds us that believing “in” Jesus really means participating in the faith of Jesus.
“Faith” is not an affirmation of a creed, an intellectual acceptance of God, or believing certain doctrines to be true or orthodox (although those things might well be good). Yet many Christians have whittled faith down to that. Such faith does not usually change our heart or our lifestyle. I’m convinced that much modern atheism is a result of such a heady and ineffective definition of faith. We defined faith intellectually, so people came up with intellectual arguments against it and then said, “I don’t believe in God.”
Both Jesus’ and Paul’s notion of faith is much better translated as foundational confidence or trust that God cares about what is happening right now. This is clearly the quality that Jesus fully represents and then praises in other people.
God refuses to be known intellectually. God can only be loved and known in the act of love; God can only be experienced in communion. This is why Jesus “commands” us to move toward love and fully abide there. Love is like a living organism, an active force-field upon which we can rely, from which we can draw, and we can allow to pass through us. (Rohr, 2022)
We are gifted with intellectual abilities that favour establishing certainty and may impede our experience of the fullness of life in trust of God’s plan.
References
Butterfield, G. (2022, December 8). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/120822.html
Endean, P. (2013, December 6). Theology and Candles: Original Sin and Immaculate Conception. Thinking Faith. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20131206_3.htm
Ephesians, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/1?3
Genesis, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/3?19
Luke, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?26
Meditation on Luke 1:26-38. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/08/550543/
Psalms, PSALM 98. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/98?1
Rohr, R. (2022, December 8). Faith as Participation — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/faith-as-participation-2022-12-08/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). For with God Nothing Will Be Impossible. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec8a
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