Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patronal Feastday of the United States of America

Lectionary: 689

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.

Saint Francis addressed Mary: Holy Virgin Mary, there is no one like you born in the world among women: Daughter and handmaid of the most high sovereign king, the heavenly Father; mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ; spouse of the Holy Spirit. Pray for us with Saint Michael the Archangel, and with all the powers of heaven, and with all the saints, together with your most holy beloved Son, Lord and Teacher.

Our affection and loyalty to Jesus naturally gather His Most Beloved Mother into our embrace. The more we ponder the mystery of God’s gift to her and her eager response the more we are caught up in wonder.  

This feast celebrates the prevenient grace Mary received before Jesus’ crucifixion. It is a grace given in preparation for his great sacrifice and in response to it. Just as Jesus’ ancestors from Abraham to John the Baptist were called to, and blessed with, salvation, so was Mary richly endowed with superabundant grace.

It is not in God’s nature to give parsimoniously. We especially see that in the story of Mary. It was fitting and somehow necessary that she should be given the grace of immaculation. From the moment of her conception till her final Assumption she grew from grace to grace.

In my case God gives with superabundant generosity because I waste so much of it! God must time and again restore me to grace because I, like the prodigal son, squander the gift. I have looked upon the crucifixion with dry eyes and cold heart. I have seen misery and turned away.

In this feast we celebrate the One who never turned away, even for a moment. She remained open and responsive, eager and grateful for the love of God.

But we should not suppose God’s generosity made life easier for Mary. She had to bear, usually in silence, with enormous sadness and grief. We remember most obviously the sacrifice of her son in the horror of crucifixion. But let us remember that a child without sin will see more clearly than anyone the foolishness and futility of sin all around her. Obedient to the Holy Spirit she will not stand in judgment over them. Nor will she feel compelled to correct anyone's faults unless the moment is right, as when she rebuked the boy Jesus. 

The Immaculate Virgin will see that love is not loved, that grace is not welcome, that holiness is ignored, and that beauty is trashed. She saw it and pondered the goodness of God who, in love for humankind permits us the freedom of sin. With God she felt enormous sadness and she heard his plea, “My people, my people, what have I done to you? Or in what have I offended you. Answer me.” (Good Friday Reproaches)

Only with the birth of Jesus will her pondering discover the purity she longs to see. Where sin distressed and saddened her, the Child reassured her: God is faithful. She knew it in her heart; she was glad to see it with her eyes. Here was a child, soon to be a man, like herself. Together they would live with the innocence of Adam and Eve and the wisdom of long experience.

When Jesus invited the disciples of Jesus to “come and see” I can only suppose they went to the earthly paradise of Mary’s house. They saw the happiness of two people who live without sin, who wait upon and live within the Spirit of God. There they would breathe the pure air of God’s kingdom. 

They would see that it’s not so difficult to live without sin for “Nothing is impossible with God.”