Genesis 3:19-15 & 20, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12, Psalm 98:1-4, Luke 1:26-38

FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Genesis 3:19-15 & 20, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12, Psalm 98:1-4, Luke 1:26-38
 

Genesis 3:19-15 & 20

 My Beloved, God asks a series of questions in these verses - God called the man, "Where are you? God knew man had sinned and as soon as Adam heard the voice of God overcome with fear he hid. Sin and disobedience had immediately cast a wedge in his relationship with the God who had walked with him each evening in the Garden. "I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid." 

Sin strips us of our dignity as children of God and our shame makes us hide from the truth which  actually compounds and exacerbates our guilt. God desiring Adam to confess to the truth of the wrong he had done asks him, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree I ordered you not to eat?” Instead of owning up like a man to what he had done, he chose instead to blame the woman. The same woman for whom he had once praised God for giving her to him as his companion.  He whined that she gave him the fruit and he ate it.

Turning to the woman, aware of what her action would now cost Him, one can almost hear the anguished groan in God's voice as He said to her, "What have you done?" and the woman, finally knowing the magnitude of the sin tries weakly to defend herself by blaming the serpent.  Both the man and the  woman in this human drama have betrayed God and each  other.  Neither their love for God nor for each other could withstand the lure of sin.

God had it in His power to just wipe the slate clean and start over. He chose not to because He loved us and because He knew there was a way to mend what man had broken and in verse 15 we see a hint of God's awesome plan, "I will make you enemies, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.”

Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

My Beloved, every spiritual grace and blessing that the God of infinite riches has to give is granted to us in You.  God always knew what it would cost Him to create us when He chose to give us the gift of free will.  Love is worth nothing unless the lover chooses to love the beloved freely and without coercion.  This is the way God our Father loves us.  He knew that our love would not stand the test.  He know the price He would have to pay to heal and restore what we had damaged irreparably. But who can fathom this love that our Father has for us sinful, weak, creatures who from eternity destined us in love to be His adopted daughters and sons through His beloved Son, choosing freely to give up His Son  to death so we could obtain life through Him.

Satan never stood a chance against God's plan to save us.  He tried and lost big time for in You the Father won the greatest victory there ever was or will be when Mary said Yes and God became  Man restoring to us all we had lost and gave us even more than we ever deserved - a visible witness and demonstration of His awesome love.

Thank You Father, thank You Son, thank You Holy Spirit and Mama Mary thank you very much for saying yes.

Psalm 98:1-4

Although my Beloved we cannot comprehend why God saved us in the way that He did we will raise our voice in joyful praise in recognition of all that He has done for us.  Why He loves us and is faithful to us who betrayed Him, disobeyed Him and denied Him is unfathomable, but there is no doubt that He loves us in ways we cannot even begin to understand. He is faithful and loving because He is true to Himself and to His Nature which is love.

Let the whole world erupt in joyous praise to God for all He has done for us.

Alleluia!

Luke 1:26-38

Eve and Mary, night and day, darkness and light, sadness and joy, weakness and strength, disobedience and obedience, pride and humility, death through Eve, life through Mary.  The contrasts between the old Eve and the new Eve are legion.

The children of Eve are born with the taint of original sin inherited from her and Adam.  The children of the new Eve are born of water, the Holy Spirit and fire through Baptism and reclaimed for God on a wooden beam, a crown of thorns, a scourge, 5 nails and a lance.

The new Eve believe God's promises though she did not fully understand. It was enough that God asked, she gave Him the only response that she always ever gave Him, "Yes."  With her "Yes" was restored all that we had lost through the "No" of our first parents.

Thank You Ma!