Unconditional Cooperation

“ The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”

- Pope Pius IX 

First Reading: Gen. 3:9-15, 20

The LORD God then called to the man and asked him, "Where are you? " He answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me--she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it." The LORD God then asked the woman, "Why did you do such a thing?" The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it. " Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

Res. Psalm: Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

Second Reading: Eph. 1-3-6, 11-12

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.

Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee  to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"   And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection

By Pietro S Albano

Most Catholic schools in the Philippines would have been holding their Grade 2/3 students’ First Holy Communion today, the Solemnity of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. This feast, a holyday of obligation in our home country, celebrates Our Lady’s privilege of being exempted from original sin. If you would compare the First and Third readings in today’s Mass, you would see how Eve and Mary differ in keeping God’s command. Eve, being easily fooled by the devil, ate the forbidden fruit. Mary, being full of grace (i.e. conceived without sin), humbly accepted to be the mother of the Promised Saviour. If Eve was ambitious, thinking that by eating the fruit she would be equal to God, Mary was obedient, ever mindful that she is the ‘handmaid of the Lord’. Ambition brought sin into the world. Obedience brought redemption.

I don’t know the real reason why First Holy Communions have been traditionally done on December 8 – mine and a sister took place in November. But I have a gut feeling that it is linked with this miracle that had happened to the Virgin Mary. By being immaculately conceived, Mary became a worthy mother to Jesus (whom we know is sinless being God). It is with hope that our young children, being innocent as they are (not to mention having been educated at the proper level of Catechism), would also be worthy recipients of Jesus - in the form of bread – just like her mother.

Most of our readers would have received Holy Communion for ages. Perhaps this feast would also be a good opportunity to check ourselves if we are still in that ‘state of grace’ to receive our Lord. If not, then it’s high time we go to confession. It’s also an opportune time to examine if we are still being good role models for those who look up to us especially children – not necessarily in what we say to them, but what we show them. Remember that famous saying “Ang anumang mali ay nagiging tama kung gagawin sa harap ng bata.” (Whatever wrong that is done in front of a child becomes right.)?

Nowadays, we have lost the ‘sense of sin’. People cheat because others have done the same thing. People wanted to satisfy their own selfish desires at the expense of their loved ones and other people. Like our first parents, we have failed to realize how our sins would impact on those around us.

Today’s celebration is good news! If Eve, our first mother, has let us down, God has given us a new mother in the person of Mary. Throughout the course of salvation history, she has been a mother we can count on. Let’s have recourse to her so that we may “withstand temptations and abhor sin…”(December monthly intention).

Prayer

Father God, You have never given up on Your people in spite of our failings. You have given us the Immaculate Mary to be our Mother. Through her intercession, grant us the strength and wisdom to do good and always, always avoid evil. Our sins have hurt You and others so much; may we come back to our senses to realize the effect of sin around us and do our best to bring about healing with Your grace.

We pray for all our First Holy Communicants, their parents, and teachers, especially for Cailin Balla and her parents Ana and Cris. Be with them on their special day. Bless them that like Mary they would always be filled with Your grace to do Your will and become worthy bearers of Christ in the world.

In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.