“Be it done unto me according to your Word”
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Feast centers on the fulfilment of God’s plans for the redemption of humankind. Mary, destined to be the Mother of Jesus the redeemer of humanity, was preserved from every stain of sin at her conception. The teaching about Mary’s Immaculate Conception is conceived upon the logic that she who would bring the Savior into the world should herself be free from sin, in order to be free and available to do God’s work.
The belief in the Immaculate Conception of Mary presents us with the power of God to fulfil His purpose in creation. However, as we read from the 1st Reading: (Genesis 3:9-15, 20), we understand that the fulfilment of God’s purpose requires human cooperation and the fact that this divine-human drama is not always an easy task. It involves the normal human process of doubt, faith, disobedience, fear, trust, etc. What we are assured of is that God always fulfills his purposes irrespective of human failures. The readings which the Church presents us with today takes us through Mary’s own encounter with the divine-human drama which speaks also to us in our own life.
“But she was greatly troubled at what was said”
We are made to be aware that Mary’s encounter with God’s word during the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus by the Angel underwent the normal human process. She was greatly troubled by the greeting and message of the Angel (Gospel: Luke 1:26-38). By that fact, Mary represents our human qualities of doubt and fear, especially for the unknown. It could be the case that we sometimes have the feeling that life is bigger than us. We are overwhelmed by doubts and fears of uncertainties. We doubt God’s promises for us. Mary is exemplary for us of the troubling feeling we have sometimes over God’s words and events around us.
But she also is a light for us in such situations. Mary’s questions were engaging rather than hopeless. She asked questions and wanted rather to understand. Hers was a faith seeking understanding in the words of Anselm of Canterbury. We question in order to be enriched. However, it is necessary that in our quests we preserve faith, hope and trust. Never loosing hope in the promises of God.
“For nothing will be impossible for God”
Furthermore, the Immaculate Conception of Mary provides us with the belief in God as a provident God who provides us with the necessary grace to accomplish His purpose in our lives. The Gospel tells us that nothing is impossible for God. God is able to do all things if we have faith. Let us remember what the Bible says about faith: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrew 11,1). Moreover, “The just lives by faith” (Rom 1,17).
The author of the Letter to the Ephesians, in the second reading today captures it precisely that we have been destined according to the purpose of God who accomplishes all things according to His counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12). God accomplished His plans of salvation through Mary according to His will, but Mary cooperated with God. Mary listened attentively to the Angel and pondered on God’s word.
Her response was that of complete surrender. “May it be done to me according to God’s word.” Mary’s fiat was definitive – what we may interpret as a mature faith. The process of faith-belief in God’s power to fulfil his promises requires our trust in Him as a provident God. It is part of our existential reality. May we be strengthened by Mary’s belief in God’s power to fulfil His purposes for her.
[Readings: Gn 3:9-15, 20; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Lk 1:26-38]
