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February 2, 2012

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Reflections from Father Joe (Archives) This week’s reflection is posted immediately below this table listing.

                                      Current Reflections Of The Week from Fr. Joe:

Reflection from the Administrator:  December 8th, 2010 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception):

DEC. 8: FEAST OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION-2010 (LP/10)
(Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Ephesians 1: 3-6, 11-12; Luke 1: 26-38)
In 1492, 515 years ago, Columbus discovered America. He sailed in a ship called Santa Maria de Conception (St. Mary, the Immaculate Conception). He named the first Island he landed San Salvador, in honor of our Savior. Columbus named the second island Conceptio in honor of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. The fearless French explorer Fr. Marquette who explored the 2300 miles long Mississippi River, flowing through ten states, called it River of Mary Immaculate.  In fact, all the early American Catholics were so proud of the great truth we celebrate today that the American bishops in 1829 chose Mary Conceived Without Sin as the patroness of the United States. Hence, this feast is the feast of the country’s heavenly patroness in the U.S. 

Mary’s prophecy, given in her Magnificat, “Behold all generations will call me blessed,” was fulfilled when the Catholic Church declared four dogmas of faith about her: 1-Immaculate Conception, 2-Perpetual Virginity, 3-Divine Maternity, and 4-Assumption. The Immaculate Conception is a dogma based mainly on Christian tradition and theological reasoning. It was defined in 1854 by Pope Pius IX through Ineffabilis Deus: “From the first moment of her conception, Mary was preserved immune from original sin by the singular grace of God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race.” (CCC). This declaration means that original sanctity, innocence and justice were conferred upon her, and that she was exempted from the evil effects of original sin, excluding sorrow, pain, disease and death, the temporal penalties given to Adam.(Catholic Encyclopedia). The Fathers of the Church from the fourth century believed and taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary had been kept free of all traces of sin by the grace of God because she was to become the Mother of the Lord Jesus. This belief kept company with the other beliefs about Mary: the perpetual virginity of Mary, her sinlessness, and her Divine motherhood. Church history makes known to us that, as early as the seventh century, there was a liturgical observance that proclaimed the Blessed Virgin Mary to be free from sin.

Proofs: (A) From tradition: The Immaculate Conception is a dogma originating from sound Christian tradition. Monks in Palestinian monasteries started celebrating the “Feast of Conception of Our Lady” by the end of 7th century. The feast spread as the Feast of Immaculate Conception in Italy (9th century), England (11th century), and France (12th century). Pope Leo VI propagated the celebration and Pope Sixtus IV approved it as a feast. Finally in 1854 Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception to be a dogma of faith. Mary herself approved it four years later by declaring to Bernadette at Lourdes: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

(B) Proofs from Holy Scripture: 1- God purified the prophet Jeremiah in the womb of his mother and anointed John the Baptist with His Holy Spirit before John’s birth. (Jer. 1/5: “Before I formed you in the womb of your mother I knew you and before you were born, I consecrated you”). Hence, it is reasonable that God kept the mother of His Son free from all sin from the first moment of her origin.
2- The angel saluted Mary  as “full of grace”. This greeting means that she was never, even for a moment, a slave of sin and the devil.
3- Gen. 3/15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman and her seed shall crush your head.” The woman stands for Mary, and the promise would not be true if Mary had original sin.

Mary’s sinlessness was a gift from God, given to her right from the very moment of her conception. Equally, it is by the grace of God that we have received a new heart, a new spirit and the indwelling Holy Spirit to raise us to the level of holiness that the Blessed Virgin Mary enjoyed during her earthly life. Through faith in Jesus and through the Sacrament of Baptism, having been born again of water and Spirit, we have been adopted into the Body of Christ in the living hope of receiving our salvation. Through our living faith, including the reception of the Sacrament of Confession, we receive the righteousness of our souls. Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we abide in Jesus and Jesus in us, this leading towards our salvation. [Jn. 6:56]. Hence those of us who happen to be holy, who sin less than the average sinner, should regard our holiness as basically a gift of God and not our own achievement. Our attitude should then be characterized by two basic attitudes, thankfulness to God, and humility before those who are naturally and spiritually less-gifted than we are.

As we honor Mary today, let’s remember the deep and trusting faith she had. She didn’t comprehend how she could give birth to the Messiah, but she still said “Yes” to God’s plan. Mary has many things to teach us.

Mary is more than just an idealistic example of perfect faith. She is a mother, and she wants nothing more than to bring us to her son, Jesus. Mother Teresa of Calcutta prays, “Lord, thank you for your Blessed Mother! May I imitate her virtues and call upon her to help me walk with you.”

We can go to her, not just for our needs but to ask her help in growing closer to the Lord. In the prayers of the rosary, we say to her, “The Lord is with you!” As we celebrate this big feast, let’s not forget Mary, who is privileged “insider” in the heavenly court, and who is already praying for each and every one of us.
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