FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
Genesis 3:9-15, 20, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12, Psalm 98:1-4, Luke 1:26-38
Genesis 3:9-15, 20
My Beloved, God is always in search of man. Mindful of the divine destination God has for him with the Triune God in eternity, He would not permit the destruction of man even after the awful sin of disobedience which would cost us the inheritance God always intended man to have.
The Father so loved His poor, sinful creatures even when they betrayed His love, His anguish is almost palpable as He comes looking for Adam with whom He walked every evening in Paradise. On that fateful day after he had sinned and God could not find him, He called, "Where are you?" and man betrayed his awareness of his sin by confessing to fear where once there was only love and filial obedience. Man looked at himself and discovered to his shame that he was naked having lost the garb of his innocence. He had stripped himself of God's love and he found himself unable to come into the Presence of Love and God knew that His creatures had sinned against His love. He said to Adam, "Who told You that you were naked?" and Adam glibly blamed God for the woman he had been given and whom he had praised as bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh just a short while before. He said, "The woman whom You gave me bid me eat the fruit and I ate." What a coward! He would not stand by her like a man as her protector but threw the same woman he had earlier delighted in, under the bus.
Looking at the woman in sorrow God said to her, "What have you done?"
But God our Father would untie the knot of our first parent's disobedience. He would fashion a new Eve and the God of Love would draw all mankind once more to Himself through His Son the new Adam to whom she would give a Body to be slain, sacrificed and offered in expiation for our sins.
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
My Beloved, here St. Paul speaks with clarity divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit as he reveals to us what God our Father has accomplished for us through His Beloved Son. In Verses 3-6 we see that God has indeed made us His adopted children and heirs to the Kingdom through His generous love and will. He has blessed and equipped us with every grace and blessing in the heavenly places so that we wait in joyful hope for the coming of His Son, our Messiah who will come again in glory to take us with Him to heaven and there to remain the God's glorious Presence eternally.
Psalm 98:1-4
My Beloved, we have every reason to rejoice, be glad, exult and sing joyful praises to our God. You have redeemed us. You have snatched us from the very jaws of death, You have sanctified us, You give us Your own Holy Spirit to help us. Your Father as accepted us as His adopted children and co-heirs with You to the Kingdom through our baptism. we have a glorious destiny with You. Our Father spared no effort, even sending You into the world to lay down Your life to save us. Thank You Abouna, thank You Beloved, thank You Holy Spirit. Thank You Mama for Your 'fiat' that made it possible for God's plan to come into effect and made it possible for Him to save us.
ALLELUIA!!! HAPPY FEAST MAMA!!!
Luke 1:26-38
My Beloved, in the simplest most direct way we read in this passage how God pierced through the curtain of time and history and made manifest to a young girl through an angel what You desired of her.
Mary saw herself as no more than another young Jewish girl living her simple life under Roman occupation, going about the daily business of living, betrothed to a young man and making plans for the future as all young people do. Yet, her heart belonged undividedly to God. She longed ardently for the Messiah to come and save her people. She prayed for His coming and believed He would come. She bloomed unaware under the ever watchful, protective gaze of the Father. She was His most fragrant and immaculate blossom adorned lavishly with every grace, blessing and virtue that the Holy Spirit delighted in showering on her. She lived and walked each day unbeknownst to herself in the Light of Heaven. She was God's secret garden which He embellished with love and grace making her the fairest and most beautiful of all His creation. .
When the Angel greeted her with the words, "Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you," he was only acknowledging what was true.
As this most wonderful, divine drama unfolded before her and she was told of her principle role in it, she whose whole life until this moment had always been a wholehearted 'yes' and 'amen' to God, said what she always said to him, " I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said." In that instant Heaven came down to earth and nestled in the heart and womb of God's priceless, immaculate pearl, the Holy Spirit came upon His most chaste spouse and the power of the Most High God overshadowed her and You my Beloved Jesus, became a little Babe in that beautiful, secret Garden that God had prepared for You.
