So many things to think about on this day. My mind takes me in so many directions. Starting off, today is my father’s 58th birthday! Happy Birthday dad! I hope you enjoyed the “Yo Daddy’s so old” jokes. I only wanted to bring a smile to your face.
Pope Pius IX defined that the Blessed Mary “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stains of original sin.” And for 153 years, that is what we Catholics refer to as the Immaculate Conception. Check out these links for more details: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07674d.htm) or Saint of the Day (http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay/default.asp)
It would only make sense that our Lord and Savior would come from an unblemished womb. It would only make sense that from her conception, Mary led a sin free life for Christ. It would only make sense that our Lord and Savior would be raised by a sin-free woman. How could it be any other way?
God had a heavenly plan for his divine Son and I’m sure he would have perfected the details of His mother as well. I’m sure God just didn’t pick any girl off the street and say, “hey will you carry my Son?” Do you think the response would have been yes? Doubtful. God put a lot of thought into the selection of Mary and He made her birth just as perfect as the Lord’s birth. He watched over her for approximately 15 years making sure that she was on the right path and ready to accept his proposal. There definitely was divine intervention in the planning.
Mary led a sinless life because of the person she was and because of the person she was going to become for Christ. When she said yes to the angel she didn’t only say yes to carrying the baby in her womb for nine months. She said yes to months of diapers. Yes to juggling a child, a marriage and a home. Yes to teaching this child to crawl, walk and talk. Yes to potty training. Yes to sending him off to school. Yes to teaching this child about God. Yes to watching Him grow and leave the house for His public ministry. Yes to giving her Son back to God in order to save our sins. Not her sins but our sins. There was approximately 33 years worth of yes’s uttered in that one yes to Gabriel. Without hesitation she accepted the offer and her life was changed forever.
To me, Gabriel’s question is a loaded question. I can’t say that I would have had as quick of a response as Mary. And for that reason alone I admire her so much more. Her trust in God was unbreakable. Not even the presence of an angel was going to make her question her Lord. And she quickly and graciously said yes. And I thank her for that.
But what struck me today about the Immaculate Conception more then anything were the roles Mary’s parents had in the whole plan. Here Joachim and Anna are giving birth to their precious daughter. Did they have any idea that their child would play such a huge role in our lives today? Did they have any idea that someday their daughter would reverse the curse of Eve? Did they have any idea that their child was saved from the stain of original sin?
Every parent thinks their child is special so I’m sure they felt a lot of love for their bundle of joy. But I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they knew nothing of God’s plan. (Please correct me if I am wrong.) If they knew, then I’m sure they would have told Mary and she would have been prepared for Gabriel’s call. But she didn’t know what leads me to believe they didn’t know.
How did they raise Mary to keep her ‘holy and full of grace?’ I’m sure at some point in their marriage Joachim and Anna fought about the typical things we fight about today (minus credit card bills and gasoline prices.) I’m sure Mary’s friends must have picked on one particular child and called them hurtful names. I’m sure one of Mary’s relatives was doing sinful things in their relationship and everyone was gossiping about it. I’m sure when she was in the market place she over heard people arguing. After all, Mary was sin free but that doesn’t mean everyone else around her was as well. She was surrounded by sinners throughout her life. It amazes me that her will power was so strong that she was able to ignore all the sin around her and not give in. It amazes me that growing up and hearing her parents argue didn’t teach her what to expect from others or how to treat her future spouse. It amazes me that she didn’t give in to the child ridicule that we ourselves get into everyday. It amazes me that she lived so different then everyone else around her. Do you think they noticed?
Personally, I sin every day. I am a sinful person. And I can honestly say I haven’t crossed the path of anyone that is sin-free. But even if I did, would I notice? Would I stop and say, ‘wow! There goes a holy person.’ Do you think its something that is noticed? If so, do you think the people around Mary knew she was holy and tried to be more holy around her? If not, can you imagine how intense her will power was all those years before Gabriel visited her? Speaking for myself I get caught in sinful situations all the time. Mostly they include gossiping. I try really hard not to get involved in the conversation but the longer it goes on the harder it gets to through in a jab. My will power is so weak sometimes. Can you imagine Mary being in those same situations and not ever saying a peep? Not even having the thought of negativity? Instead she probably just walked away.
I want to live a life more like Mary. I want to walk away from the gossip and I want to stop arguing about silly things that I have no control over. I want to be holy in all my actions, regardless of there size. It sounds like an impossible task but I know it can be done. Look at Mary. She is the example we have of pure and perfect holiness. How couldn’t someone want to be more like her?
All of these thoughts take me back to the beginning of this message and I apology now for the jump in thought. But like I said, today has left my head filled with so many things. As I reflected on the Immaculate Conception, it made me think of my dad’s birth. I wonder if 58 years ago, when my grandma gave my dad up for adoption, did she wonder what kind of person he would become some day? Did she wonder what he would do with his life some day? Did she imagine that he would eventually get married and have three children of his own? Did she pray that his new parents would teach him about Christ? Did she dream of seeing him again someday in heaven? Did she plead that the choice she was making was for the best of her child and that someday she would fully accept it? Could some of these have been questions Joachim and Anna asked themselves about their baby Mary? Or even God thought when he chose Mary for His Son? After all, my dad is human as Mary and Jesus were. Even though he has lived a much different life, they all started off the same.
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