Daily Seasonal Reflections
Monday of the Second Week of Advent
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Fr. Trey Nelson
 
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."  Then the angel departed from her. (From Luke 1:26-38)
 
 
I guess it was a couple months ago when we received notification that the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception would be transferred to today.  The Gospel passage for Mass, quoted above maintains the tone of Advent.  One of the things that makes preaching on a feast such as this is the challenge of taking the theology of the day and reflecting on it with people in such a way as to make it relatable.  For example, one of our Masses today is with our school children, Kindergarten through eighth-grade.  How does one even begin to take the beauty of this day and convey it to little children in a way that isn’t “over their heads,” as you could say.   So, let’s begin with a very simple description of the mystery that we celebrate.
 
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read, “As Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God preserved immune from all stain of original sin. The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God "the All-Holy" (Panagia), and celebrate her as ‘free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature’. By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long.” (C.C.C. 490-493.)  It was Father Ron Rolheiser who, during one of our priests’ retreats many years ago, took our understanding of Mary and the virtues she modeled for us to a new level.   Along with our understanding of her as God’s perfect vessel for His Son, we see in Mary a courage like no other.   He told us, among other things, that for women in Mary’s time, standing was a sign of courage.  I think of how Mary was someone who stood courageously in the midst of her vocation and the challenges that would come with it: receiving the angel’s message of her role; then at the nativity—knowing that, “this child would be the rise and fall of many”—and ultimately, at the foot of the cross, as we read in John 19, “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdala.” (John 19:25.)  Along with them, was the disciple, John.  In my lifetime, it was our mother who modeled the example of standing more than anyone I knew. I could list several challenging experiences that she, our father, and we faced.  What I will simply say, though, is in every instant, while she experienced fear, anxiety, and profound sadness at times, she always emerged from it—stronger than before.
 
So, on this feast, as we give thanks to God for Mary’s great “yes” to her vocation as Mother of Our Savior, let us also give thanks for all of her “yesses” throughout her life, and those of the many courageous women we have known.  May we, like Mary and all of them, stand tall, knowing that God will always provide what we need to endure and rise again.