December 8, 2025 - Immaculate Conception - Behold your mother

 On Calvary, on Good Friday, from the Cross, Jesus gave a commandment to his followers. With his final breaths, he said, “Behold your mother”. Behold your mother. Even in his agony, he was thinking of his mother Mary. And he commanded that we do the same. One of the dimensions of the Christian life, part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, is to behold Mary, to behold her. After all, Jesus told us to do so.

We behold Mary in a number of ways. We depict her in art. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and our mother in faith, has been depicted in art, in paintings, statues, stained glass windows, murals and mosaics, more than any person in human history. She was even painted on the walls of the catacombs. 

We behold our mother by considering her faith—meditating on her countless virtues. We meditate upon how she responded to God with humility and trust at her annunciation. We meditate upon how she went in haste out of charity to her cousin Elizabeth who had become pregnant in her old age. We meditate upon how Mary rejoiced at the birth of Christ in the poor stable of Bethlehem—how she faithfully brought Jesus to the temple and pondered the words of Simeon who foretold how her heart would be pierced by swords of sorrow. We meditate upon her strength, as she stood at the cross of Christ, her only son, consoling Him as only a mother’s presence can. 

Beholding our mother by meditating upon her faith and virtues is always fruit for us—how we, like her are called to respond to God, the mission and role God has for us in salvation in history. 

We also behold our mother by considering the special graces given to her by God. And today we celebrate one of those graces, one of those special favors and privileges that God chose to bestow on Mary. 

Today, beholding her, we look, not to the end of her earthly life, not to a moment when she was influential during the ministry of Jesus or even his childhood or infancy when she birthed him and nursed him. We look to a moment even before Mary was an infant herself, born of her parents Joachim and Anne. We behold our mother, today--looking to the very first moment of Mary’s existence as a human person, her conception in the womb of her mother. 

And beholding her at the first moment of her existence, we are taught that God did something he had never done before, and never will do again. He made her immaculate. 

By virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, God preserved Mary from the stain of original sin from the moment of her conception. That’s what it means to be immaculate—to have been made without stain.

Could God do this? Of course. He is God. Nothing is impossible for God. God is all-powerful. To say God couldn’t do that is to assert that he is not Almighty. But he is. He could make her immaculate if he so chose. And he did. And Christians have believed that He did since the beginning of the Church.

In the early church we see the great Fathers teaching about Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Hippolytus around 235 writes, ““She was the ark formed of incorruptible wood. For by this is signified that His tabernacle was exempt from putridity and corruption.” St. Ephraem around 370 writes, “[Jesus], Thou alone and thy Mother are in all things fair, there is no flaw in thee and no stain in thy Mother.”

The bishop and doctor of the Church, St. Ambrose, whose feast was yesterday, December 7, in 388 “Mary, a Virgin not only undefiled but a Virgin whom grace has made inviolate, free of every stain of sin.” 

Why did God make Mary this way? Because he wanted to—he saw it fitting—to make Mary immaculate—to prepare a worthy Mother for His Son. He made her Immaculate so that the Word might take his sinless flesh from the sinless flesh of an immaculate mother.

We honor and obey God by doing what we have been taught by Jesus Himself—we behold our mother. So make sure you do. Love her. Get to know her. Imitate her virtues. Turn to her in prayer. Behold her today and all days. Don’t let a day go by without beholding her in some way. For Jesus commanded it so. He gave her to us to be our mother also, a mother filled with special graces to help us be the people God made us to be—to use the graces he has bestowed on us in His service, for the building up of the church, for the mission of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Immaculate Conception 2024 - Preparation for a life of grace

 Now in our second week of the Holy Season of Advent, we celebrate this great solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We celebrate today, how from the very first moment of her existence, from the moment she was the tiniest of babies in the womb of her mother, God gave Mary a special gift: God protected Mary from the corrupting influences of evil—what we call the stain of sin. That’s what the word immaculate means—without sin. God made Mary immaculate—without stain. 

Why did God do this? Out of all the human beings in history, why did God give this special grace to Mary?

He did it to prepare her for the special role she would have in our salvation. God preserved Mary from the stain of sin to prepare her to be his earthly mother—when he would take on our human flesh in order to save us from our sins.

For remember, in God there is no evil. In God there is no selfishness, no spite, no hateful intentions, no pride, lust nor greed. There is only goodness and love. God is entirely holy. 

And God wants us to be holy as well. This is why he took our flesh—to save us from the sin that corrupts and debilitates us and causes us to be separated from Him and hinders his life of goodness and love in us. Sin weakens our wills, darkens our intellect, and diminishes the unity of body and soul. Sin is never good for us. Sin sets our minds and our hearts and our bodies and our willpower at odds with God who is the highest good. 

And so God, saving Mary from the stain of sin, is like a beautiful glimpse of what He desires to do in the life of every person. Through Jesus, God wants to save us from the terrible effects of sin—sin that causes us to fall so short of what God designed us to be—beacons of his goodness, love, and glory.

So God made Mary immaculate from the moment of her conception to prepare her to be the mother of the savior. 

This is a wonderful feast to celebrate during Advent, which itself is a season of preparation. Mary’s Immaculate Conception reminds us that God is at work in our lives to prepare us to more deeply receive Jesus, to celebrate his birth, for a life of grace, and to prepare us from his second coming 

The question is, will we make use of the graces God gives us or not? That’s up to us. Will we make good use of this sacred time? Or will we squander it on selfish pursuits?

Pope John Paul II, nearly 30 years ago now, spoke about how Mary’s immaculate conception helps us during Advent to prepare for Christmas. He said,  “This important Marian feast occurs during Advent, a season of watchful and prayerful preparation for Christmas. She, who knew better than anyone how to wait attentively for the Lord, guides us and shows us how to make more vital and active our journey to the Holy Night of Bethlehem. With her, we spend these weeks in prayer and, guided by her bright star, hasten to make the spiritual journey that will lead us to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation with greater intensity.”

To prepare well for Christmas by imitating the Blessed Virgin Mary, we can focus on three key aspects of her life: her purity, her faith, and her availability to God's will.

Firstly, Mary’s Immaculate Conception reminds us of the importance of purity—not just physical purity, but purity of heart. This Advent, we can strive for greater purity by seeking God’s forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Removing the stains of sin from our own souls allows us to be more open to God’s grace. Like Mary, we are called to be temples of the Holy Spirit, radiating God's love and goodness to those around us. So, set aside time for a thorough examination of conscience and make a good confession before Christmas.

Secondly, Mary’s life was marked by her unwavering faith in God’s promises. She trusted that God’s plan for her was good, even when it seemed beyond her understanding. We, too, are invited to deepen our trust in God’s providence, especially in the midst of uncertainty. During Advent, as we await the coming of the Lord, let us renew our confidence that God is working in our lives, even in hidden ways. Spend time each day in Scripture, particularly the Gospels, meditating on God’s promises and allowing His Word to strengthen your faith.

Thirdly, Mary’s fiat—her “yes” to God—which we heard in today’s Gospel, is the model of Christian discipleship. She was completely open to God’s will, setting aside her own plans to serve His purpose. During Advent, we can imitate Mary’s availability by listening more attentively to God in prayer and being willing to say “yes” to the opportunities He places before us to love and serve others.  Begin each day with a prayer of surrender, asking God to show you how you can serve Him and others that day. Look for concrete ways to be generous, especially toward those in need.

In this season of preparation, let us ask Mary, the Immaculate Conception, to guide us. Through her intercession, may we open our hearts to God’s grace, grow in holiness, and be ready to welcome Jesus with joy at Christmas and at His second coming. By imitating her purity, faith, and availability, we can make our lives a dwelling place for Christ, just as Mary did. Amen.

December 8 2023 - Immaculate Conception - Behold your mother!

 On the Cross, on Calvary, on Good Friday, Jesus gave a commandment to his followers. With his final breaths, he said, “Behold your mother”. Behold your mother. Even in his agony, he was thinking of his mother Mary. And he commanded that we do the same. One of the dimensions of the Christian life, part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, is to behold Mary, to behold her. After all, Jesus told us to do so.

We behold Mary in a number of ways. We depict her in art. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and our mother in faith, has been depicted in art, in paintings, statues, stained glass windows, murals and mosaics, more than any person in human history. Just in this church alone, you can spend a good chunk time, counting the many depictions of the blessed mother. She’s even on a number of our candlesticks. 

We behold our mother, also by considering her faith—her countless virtues. We meditate upon how she responded to God with such humility and trust at her annunciation. We meditate upon how she went in haste out of charity to her cousin Elizabeth who had become pregnant in her old age. We meditate upon how Mary rejoiced at the birth of Christ in the poor stable of Bethlehem—how she faithfully brought Jesus to the temple and pondered the words of Simeon who foretold how her heart would be pierced by swords of sorrow. We meditate upon her strength, as she stood at the cross of Christ, her only son, consoling Him as only a mother’s presence can. 

And we also behold our mother by considering the special graces given to her by God. And today we consider one of those graces, one of those special favors and privileges that God chose to bestow on Mary. Because when Jesus tells us to behold your mother, Catholics take that command seriously.

And today, beholding her, we look, not to the end of her earthly life, not to a moment during the ministry of Jesus or even his childhood or infancy when she birthed him and nursed him. We look to a moment even before Mary was an infant herself, born of her parents Joachim and Anne. We behold our mother--looking to the very first moment of Mary’s existence as a human person, her conception in the womb of her mother. 

And beholding her at the first moment of her existence, we find God doing something he had never  done before, and never will do again. He made her immaculate. 

Now each of us, every human person is beautifully and wonderfully made by God. But God did something very special for her. By virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, God preserved Mary from the stain of original sin. That’s what it means to be immaculate—to have been made without stain. 

Could God do this? Of course. He is God. Nothing is impossible for God. God is all-powerful. To say God couldn’t do that is to claim assert that he is not almighty. But he is. He could make her immaculate if he so chose. And he did. And Christians have believed that He did since the beginning of the Church.

And God made Mary this way, because he wanted to—he saw it fitting—to make Mary immaculate—to prepare a worthy Mother for her Son. So that the Word might take his sinless flesh from the sinless flesh of his immaculate mother.

So we praise God today for his marvelous work by beholding our mother. Love her. Get to know her. Imitate her virtues. Turn to her in prayer. Behold her today and all days. Don’t let a day go by without beholding her in some way. For Jesus commanded it so. He gave her to us to be our mother also, a mother filled with special graces to help us be the people God made us to be—to use the graces he has bestowed on us in God’s service, for the building up of the church, for the mission of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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As we await with longing the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, dear brethren, let us with renewed devotion beseech his mercy, that, as he came into the world to bring the good news to the poor and heal the contrite of heart, so in our own time, also, he may bring salvation to all in need.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of the Church, Our Holy Father, all bishops, clergy and religious may be sustained in their labors, and that the entire people of God may be disposed to the great graces of Our Lady’s intercession.

For these United States of America on this our patronal feast, that our nation may be united by God’s Spirit, guarded from terror, observant of God’s Holy Laws, and vigilant against threats to our freedom, peace, and well-being. May the Wisdom of God guide our government leaders and legislators, our families, businesses, civil institutions, and all our domestic affairs. 

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust and pernicious laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  Let us pray to the Lord. Lord Hear our Prayer.

That Immaculate Mary, help of Christians, may obtain strength for the weary, rest for the overburdened, healing for the sick, love for the lonely, hope for the despairing, freedom for the addicted, wisdom for the foolish, and faith for the faithless.

For the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for Julie Strunk, for whom this mass is offered.

For all those prayers written in our prayer intention book and those prayers we now voice in the silence of our hearts…[pause for few moments].  

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

December 8 2022 - Immaculate Conception of Mary - Praise God for his mighty work!

Today I’m going to teach you a little bit of Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament. I’m not in expert in Hebrew, but I know a little.

The Hebrew word is geburah (gheb-OO-raw). The hebrew word Geburah is found all throughout the old testament. It’s the word used for the mighty works of God. God has done mighty things, amazing things, things that are beyond human power. God created the universe out of nothing—the stars and the planets are the mighty works of God. And the great celestial beings—the angels—they are the mighty works of God. And even humans—creatures of free will and intellect and also made up of the same material stuff as the stars and planets—mighty works. God’s efforts to save humanity from sin—delivering the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, God sending prophets to deliver mighty messages of repentance—these are mighty works of God--Geburah.

Psalm 150, the last of the Psalms says—Praise God for his mighty works—Praise God for his geburah. Praise God on instruments, praise God with singing, praise God with tambourines and dancing and cymbals and stringed instruments like lutes and guitars and violins and piped instruments like flutes and organs, praise God with blasts of the horn for his mighty works, his geburah. God’s word instructs us to praise God, to sing God’s praises, to announce and declare to all the nations how great God is for his geburah. And as Christians—we recognize that the Church fulfills the Psalm in what God has done through his Son—for our salvation—his mighty work of saving our souls.

Now I’m going to teach you another Hebrew word, very similar to the first word. The first word was geburah—God’s mighty works, right? The second word is gebirah (gheb-EE-raw), gebirah.

And the Gebirah—is the word for a woman—a special woman in God’s kingdom. The Gebirah is the King’s mother. The king’s mother. And the King’s mother in the kingdom of David was the most powerful, influential woman in the kingdom. She was the king’s first advisor. To her the common folk brought their requests for the king’s help. She was loved by the people of Israel. It was from her that the king received his jewish lineage; his connection back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Interestingly, in Hebrew, in the Hebrew bible, when Hebrew is written down, it didn’t contain vowels. So the word gebirah and geburah, when written down in Hebrew, are identical.

So Psalm 150 could say “praise God for his mighty works”, or “praise God for the King’s mother.”

As Christians, Jesus is our King. And who is the King’s mother? Mary. That’s right, Mary.

Today, the Church praises God for his mighty work, Mary, the King’s mother. And we praise God for the way that he made Mary—we praise God for the way he made Mary.

Today the Church around the world gathers to celebrate the way God made Mary. He made her, from the moment of her conception—the moment she was a tiny tiny tiny human being in the womb of her mother—she was immaculate. The was without the stain of sin. Her body and soul were immaculate. The purest, the fairest, the most beautiful soul God ever made.

God could do that, right? After all, he’s God: he made the universe, he could make soul any way he wanted. And it would certainly be fitting, for him to make the mother of the king of kings as perfect as he possibly could. And the church celebrates today that God could do it; it was fitting for him to do it- and he did do it.

And so God’s mighty work geburah is the gebirah the king’s mother. And today we sing, maybe he can even dance some time today, feast, eat good food, to celebrate, to praise God for his mighty work, the immaculate virgin mary, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

February 11 2022 - Our Lady of Lourdes - Why Lourdes?

 164 years ago today, the Virgin Mary began appearing to a poor peasant girl in a small village called Lourdes in France. The Virgin identified herself as the Immaculate Conception — an article of faith that had been proclaimed by the pope only four years earlier.

There was no way this 14-year-old peasant girl living in that isolated village could have known about that teaching. That was the first proof for the authenticity of the apparitions. Then came the miraculous cures from a mysterious fountain that had never been seen before.

Lourdes today is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world. Thousands upon thousands come year-round to pray and wash in the healing waters. Hundreds more come for weeks at a time as volunteers, to help the sick who come in search of healing.

Crutches line the walls of the grotto, left behind by those who have been cured of physical ailments. Hundreds more have been cured psychologically and spiritually.

Why did God will that Lourdes become this internationally recognized place of miraculous healing? Perhaps to put a divine stamp of approval on the Church’s declaration of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Perhaps, also to show all of us the benefit of turning to Our Lady for healing. 

164 years ago, the world was already beginning to change due to technological advancements, advancements which come at mind-blowing rapidity today. Lourdes certainly reminds the changing world that God is greater than all the technological wonders, that He is the Lord of Creation. And that he does intervene in human history. He is still with us. He does not abandon the sick or forget the downtrodden. And to obtain the grace he desires for us, we must, in the words of Our Lady in the Gospel today, “do whatever he tells you.” For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Our Lady may help cleanse the Church of all evil and to bring sinners and unbelievers to God. 

That all government leaders may be awakened to the supreme dignity of each human life, and that all people of our nation may work together for an end to the culture of death. 

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  

On this world day of prayer for the sick, we pray that those suffering from illness or chronic disease may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Our Lady, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven. 

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

December 8 2020 - Immaculate Conception - God could do it, He saw its fittingness, He did do it

About seven hundred years ago, there was a little Franciscan Friar by the name of John Duns Scotus, teaching Theology at the University of Paris, probably the most important school in the world in the 1300s.  One day, one of his students asked him to explain the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and he said simply, in Latin of course,” potuit, decuit, ergo fecit”.Four simple words.  God could do it, it was fitting and decent that he would do it; therefore, he did it.

Could God preserve Mary from all stain of original sin from the moment of her conception?  Absolutely.  The Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel today said it perfectly: “nothing is impossible for God”.  

Was it fitting? When we consider the fittingness of something we do not deny that God could have done things otherwise. It is fitting that “he who was like us in all things but sin” would draw his humanity from one who is sinless. 

Did he do it?  Yes!  Not only is it the consistent teaching of the Church for nearly two thousand years, but we have biblical evidence for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. When Gabriel met Mary, he greets her with a very specific word, a very unique word. “Hail, full of grace!” is a somewhat inadequate translation of the Greek word kecharitomene, a word not found anywhere else in scripture. The Greek word is literally translated “she who has been made and continues to be full of grace”. 

It would have been strange for Gabriel to greet a woman who had Original Sin that she was made and continues to be full of grace.  Rather, Gabriel rightly describes Our Lady’s spiritual ontology here. She was made full of God’s grace at the moment of her conception, and she has not lost grace, as did Adam and Eve through sin, but has continued to remain full of grace throughout her life. 

St. Ambrose, whose feast we celebrated yesterday, said beautifully, “Mary, a Virgin not only undefiled but a Virgin whom grace has made inviolate, free of every stain of sin.”

Why is this an important feast for the Church to celebrate? Well, it is right and just to celebrate the mighty and wonderful works of God, and Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception, is the greatest thing God has ever created. A human creature with a heart and a soul and a body so full of grace she is worthy to become the mother of God. And if that were the only reason, it would still be fitting for the Church to establish a solemnity, the highest class of liturgical feast, to celebrate the Immaculate Conception.

We honor her also because she is an image of hope, and icon of hope. Our Lady shows us what humanity looks like when it is fully conformed to God. Perfect faith, perfect hope, perfect charity, perfect surrender to the will of God, perfect selflessness. By applying the fruits of Christ’s redemption to Mary from the moment of her conception, God has made her whole life an icon of what he will one day do for all of us.

Mary thus shows us what we an be–and will become–as a result of Christ’s death on the Cross, if we only persevere in the Christian life.

May God be praised on this great feast of his greatest work. And may Our Lady help us this day and all days be conformed like her to her Son for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

That Mary’s maternal care and heavenly intercession will help us all to reach the moral greatness befitting true children of God.  

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  

For blessings on all expectant mothers, newborn infants, and young families. 

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

December 9 2019 - Immaculate Conception - God chose her to be holy

In my homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent, I reflected upon how we prepare for the important events in our life. Parents prepare for the birth of their children, our second graders prepare for the sacraments of reconciliation and first eucharist, our eighth graders prepare for the sacrament of confirmation. Our teenage parishioners prepare to obtain their driver’s license, they prepare for college, for their jobs. Preparing to become a priest requires nine years of seminary preparation. Engaged couples spend months preparing for marriage. The most important things in life require great preparation.

We see this truth reflected most gloriously in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For today we celebrate the way God prepared Mary to become the mother of our savior. In preparing Mary to be the Mother of Jesus, God did not wait for her to graduate high school; he did not wait for her to learn to read and write; he didn’t wait for her to learn to speak or walk. God prepared Mary from the very moment she became a human being, the very moment of her conception, the very moment she became a baby in her mother’s womb.

The Immaculate Conception, Francisco Rizi

From the very moment Mary existed, she was filled with a special grace from God never before given to any other member of the human race: the grace of being immaculately conceived. Could God do it? Of course! He’s God! The Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel today said it perfectly: “nothing is impossible for God”. 

Mary's greatness doesn't come from her intelligence, good looks, charm, bubbly personality - it doesn't come from her natural qualities. Her greatness, her true beauty, comes from being filled with the grace of God and surrendering to God’s plan for her life.

And that’s true for us as well. What matters most in life is allowing God to fill us with grace and cooperating with that grace. Just like Mary, God has a plan for each of us. But it is up to us, like Mary to respond generously to God’s plan, to trust in God, to learn from the events of our life, to become the people God made us to be.

What does God want from us? The same thing he wanted from Mary: Sinlessness, selflessness, and cooperation with his grace.  In the epistle, Saint Paul wrote, “God chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish”.  God chose Mary for holiness, and God chooses us as well. So, may we respond generously to God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That through the teaching, preaching, and pastoral care of the Church all Christians will grow in their devotion to and imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We pray to the Lord.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  We pray to the Lord.

For those trapped in the downward spiral of sin, that the hope offered through the Incarnation of Christ in the womb of the Blessed Virgin will bring them new life in the Spirit.  We pray to the Lord.
That Mary’s maternal care and heavenly intercession will raise us to the moral greatness befitting true children of God.  We pray to the Lord.

For blessings on all expectant mothers, newborn infants, and young families.  We pray to the Lord.

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  We pray to the Lord.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

December 8 2017 - Immaculate Conception - Prepared by grace for service to God

In my homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent, I reflected upon how we prepare for the important events in our life. Parents prepare for the birth of their children, our second graders prepare for the sacraments of reconciliation and first eucharist, our eighth graders prepare for the sacrament of confirmation. Our teenage parishioners prepare to obtain their driver’s license, they prepare for college, for their jobs. Preparing to become a priest requires nine years of seminary preparation. The most important things in life require great preparation.

We see this truth reflected most gloriously in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For today we celebrate the way God prepared Mary to become the mother of our savior. In preparing Mary to be the Mother of Jesus, God did not wait for her to graduate high school; he did not wait for her to learn to read and write; he didn’t wait for her to learn to speak or walk. God prepared Mary from the very moment she became a human being, the very moment of her conception, the very moment she became a baby in her mother’s womb.

From the very moment Mary existed, she was filled with a special grace from God never before given to any other member of the human race: the grace of being immaculately conceived, the grace of being clean of all sin. Could God do it? Of course! He’s God! The Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel today said it perfectly: “nothing is impossible for God”. 

Mary's greatness doesn't come from her intelligence, good looks, charm, bubbly personality - it doesn't come from her natural qualities. Her greatness, her true beauty, comes from being filled with the grace of God and surrendering to God’s plan for her life.

And that’s true for us as well. What matters most in life is allowing God to fill us with grace and cooperating with that grace. Just like Mary, God has a plan for each of us. But it is up to us, like Mary to respond generously to God’s plan, to trust in God, to learn from the events of our life, to become the people God made us to be.

What does God want from us? The same thing he wanted from Mary: Sinlessness, selflessness, and cooperation with his grace.  In the epistle, Saint Paul wrote, “God chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish”.  God chose Mary, and God choses us, but it is up to us to respond generously to God.

And so we pray today that Mary’s yes and radical surrender to God may resound in our life, may the sinless immaculate ever-virgin Mary assist us in turning away from the selfishness and self-centeredness and fear and material attachment which keep us from great holiness, may she help us discover God’s will in our life and help us respond to God with wholehearted surrender, obedience, and trust, and prepare well for all God has in store for us, for His Glory and the salvation of souls.

Homily: Dec 8 2016 - Immaculate Conception - Mary's Way of Grace

On Monday evenings between Labor Day and Easter I meet with groups of adults wanting to become Catholic. Some of them were baptized in a Protestant denomination; others were never baptized; but each of them possess this growing desire to become Catholic. Some are attracted to the beauty of our rituals, the clarity of our teachings, our faithfulness to the Word of God—each person, no doubt, gains a deepening sense that God is calling them.

Last Monday, I presented to them a lecture on the Blessed Virgin Mary, and I showed them pictures, paintings from throughout the centuries. I showed them Renaissance Painters like Michelangelo, and Fra Angelico, and Leonardo Da Vinci.  The earliest Christians had a deep love for Mary, Jesus had a deep love of his Mother, and so, it is no surprise that much Christian art depicts the Mother of Our Lord.

Particularly, I showed them several different paintings of the biblical passage we heard today, the story of the Annunciation. And one of my favorite depictions of the Annunciation, one that I have showed even in several of the classrooms in the school is by the Italian Renaissance painter named Sandro Botticelli. Botticelli is probably most famous for his painting of the Greek goddess Venus, emerging from the sea shell; and he brings that same mastery of his art to painting Our Blessed Mother.

In his painting of the Annunciation, Botticelli paints Mary ever so gracefully, so fluid, like a ballet dancer; it is amazing how Botticelli is able to depict Mary turning from her reading of the open Bible toward the Archangel Gabriel who greets her, “Hail Mary, Full of Grace”. Where Adam and Eve sinfully and pridefully turn away from God’s plan; Botticelli depicts Mary trustingly and lovingly turning toward God’s plan.

And what’s amazing is how Gabriel appears to be approaching Mary very slowly, very cautiously, like he doesn’t want to scare her. But also, this angel of God approaches Mary, this human woman, so reverently, as if he is more scared of her. The angel is almost trembling as he delivers his message from God.

Typically, in scripture, when an angel approaches a human, the angel has to reassure the human not to be afraid. But Botticelli shows Gabriel nearly fearful, like a scared cat coming out of hiding. Why does he do this? Because Mary was unlike any human he had ever met. Mary was unlike any human God ever made. From the moment of her conception, God made Mary clean of every sin that has ever tainted the human soul.So even in a painting of the Annunciation, Botticelli is able to show the grace that filled Mary's life at every moment.

Through this special grace—the grace of her Immaculate Conception—God prepared Mary for the monumental mission of being the mother of Jesus and the mother of the Church. God gave Mary everything she needed to fulfill her mission in life, but it was still up to her to respond freely and generously to the angel's invitation. And thanks be to God she did. Amazing things, wondrous things happen, when we, like Mary trust God, and make use of the grace he gives to each of us.

Whenever I read the story of the Annunciation or gaze upon Botticelli’s beautiful painting, I hear questions being asked to me, questions God asks each of us: Are you as full of grace as you should be? Are you using the grace God gave you?

Each one of us, when we were baptized received God’s grace. Each one of us, when we receive Holy Communion receive God’s grace. We have been blessed, as St. Paul said in the second reading: “with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.” What have I done with that grace?

So often, instead of protecting and guarding that grace, nurturing it, growing it, using it for the intentions of God’s will, we turn right back to the old sinful ways of Adam and Eve. How often have you used the tongue God gave you to hurt others with your words or to lie? How often have you spent your time on selfish pursuits, instead of using that time to better your mind and heart and help others?

Instead of turning to the example of Adam and Eve, we Christians need to turn  to the example of Mary, who trusted God, who kept herself pure and without blemish, who made serving God the highest goal of her life.

On this great Feast, let us recommit to Mary’s way of grace: turning toward God every day in the sort of prayer we need, practicing the self-control we need, developing habits of generosity as we should, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.