In the Gospel for today’s feast, we have the story of the Annunciation. Some people often mistake today’s feast with being about that story, that the immaculate conception is about Jesus being conceived in the womb of Mary. The Church does an interesting thing with dates though, it logically sets them. So the Annunciation that we just heard about is when and where Jesus was conceived, as the Holy Spirit overshadowed His mother. We celebrate that moment, that conception, on March 25th every year. That’s precisely nine months before Christmas. Makes sense, right? What feast do we celebrate nine months from now, then? On September 8th, we celebrate the “Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
Mary was given a singular grace, preserved from sin in a different way than the rest of us. I find the following story helpful in understanding it:
A man was walking through the jungle and fell into a hidden pit of quicksand. The sand was quickly swallowing him up, and he cried for help. Jesus came along, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out of the sand. Jesus saved the man from the quicksand covered in sweat, dirt, and grime.
Mary was walking in the same jungle. As she was about to fall into this hidden pit, like every traveler before her, her son reached out His arm and placed it on her heart, and stopped her from falling into it. He then led her around to the other side without ever getting dirty and grimy. Jesus also saved her. He just did it when she was conceived, preventing her from ever falling into the quicksand, into original sin.
But why does all this matter? Why is it so important that we gather today to worship God and give thanks for and to His mother? In getting to know Mary, we begin to see the breadth and depth of God’s love for us. In having a relationship not just with Jesus, but with His entire body, the Church, and Mary, the saints, and the angels, we find a family that reveals a depth of love beyond anything we can ever dare to dream of. Mary is the penultimate example of what it means to give a full “yes” to God, of what it means to live our life out without sin, and what happens when God is able to work with and through us to bring His love into this world. Pope Francis once said it this way: She is a masterpiece who reflects “the beauty of God who is all love, grace, and self-giving.”
This teaching shows forth the wonders of the salvation which God offers us. A plan so beautiful and intricate, yet so simple and profound. Mary reminds us of what it should look like when we truly “belong to Christ.” And she’s not just there as some symbol, but has been given to us as a spiritual Mother who can help us in this spiritual war we call life. She brings us hope, comfort, and strength if we let her. Over 2000 years ago, a young girl in the middle of nowhere was conceived. She would go on to give such a total yes to God that the barrier between God and man would be shattered, and God Himself would be born into this world. Let us seek to emulate our blessed mother, to lean on her, to ask she who was created for this purpose to help us to grow into vessels worthy to receive Jesus in a more full and complete way. Because God created you to be the perfect version of you, and when you live it out, when you become a true disciple of Christ… He is born again in your hearts, and the influence of His presence radiates out into the world around you. This is what Advent is all about.
Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of heart,
Make our hearts like unto the Heart of Jesus.
A reflection on the readings for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception: December 8th, 2021