Immaculate Conception

Thursday, 08 December 2016 Immaculate
Conception of Mary
1st Reading: Gen 3:9–15, 20
2nd Reading:
Eph 1:3–6, 11–12
Gospel: Lk 1:26–38

The angel Gabriel came to Mary and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus.

He will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his ancestor; he will rule over the people of Jacob forever and his reign shall have no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be if I am a virgin?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy child to be born shall be called Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible.” Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

In 2004 a photographer named Habi Halabi lighted two candles in a church in Beirut and went to the altar to pray. Coming back to where he had lighted the candles he noticed that the wax that dripped from the candles slowly formed the image of Mary. He went back to the altar to take a picture of Mary’s statue to compare it with those he had taken from the candles. They were identical. The image was that of the Immaculate Conception.

Habi’s experience reinforces our belief that Mary is there whenever we pray. “To Jesus through Mary” immortalizes this conviction. This slogan takes an even deeper meaning if formulated as “To Jesus with Mary” as it assures Mary’s presence each time we pray. We need her presence at prayer. Civil law requires that a person should come to court with clean hands. Similarly no one should stand before God with sullied hands. But who among us have hands unsullied? Mary bails us out from this limitation because she is immaculate. Born sinless she lends to us some semblance of worthiness each time we pray. The wax that formed the image of Mary while Habi was praying deepens our reflection on how Mary is “consumed” each time she accompanies us at prayer. In being present at prayer she gives herself wholeheartedly to God for us.

In this sense, Mary’s Immaculate Conception is a gift to all, especially to those who pray. -(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM., MAPM., MMExM., REB., Email:dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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