THE LORD HAS DONE MARVELOUS THINGS, HOLY HIS NAME! ~ CookingFood.Org

“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”

Thursday, 8th December 2016,

Second Week of Advent

SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Gen 3:9-15,20;

Ps 97:1-4;

Eph 1: 3-6,11-12;

Lk 1:26-38

THE LORD HAS DONE MARVELOUS THINGS, HOLY HIS NAME!

Every person is born of sin because we participate in the sin of Adam. But in all the aspects of life there is a word called ‘exception’. So the exception was given to Mary because she was chosen by the Lord to be the Mother of His Son. Mary was not burdened with a defective human nature with which we are born. She came into the world with a perfect human nature like that of Eve and Adam before they sinned and fell from grace. God gave this perfect human nature to Mary not because she did something great but because she was going to do something great. So while her Immaculate Conception was a special grace from God, from then on it was her task to remain pure and spotless. This she did, we are all thus called “before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love” (Eph. 1:4).

Left to her own power, Mary would be a sinner, and is included in the Scripture that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Her holiness is the result of God's grace alone, and her openness to it. Her being kept from sin is only possible through the clear act of god's grace through the Son she was to bear. So Mary's Immaculate Conception is not an attempt to give honor to Mary for Mary's sake but for Christ’s sake. Christ's sinlessness is by His own merit as the second person of the Trinity. Mary's sinlessness is by grace alone, and her cooperation with it. The early Church always venerated Mary as special among all the saints, both for her participation in the Incarnation of her son, Jesus Christ, and for the holiness that came from that participation.

The same grace is given to us to be pure through the blood of Christ who died for us, but are we committed like Mary to live up to our call?

Prayer :Lord, I desire to be with You forever in Heaven. Help me to keep eternity as my ultimate focus in life. Lord make me pure in my thoughts, words and deeds. Help me to build a glorious life in Heaven by surrendering to your grace. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.