FRIDAY DECEMBER 8, 2023
FRIDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT YEAR B
SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF OUR LADY.
Genesis 3:9:15.20
Ephesians 1:3-6.11-12
Luke 1:26-38
COOPERATING WITH DIVINE GRACE AND GOD’S PLAN
The solemnity of the immaculate conception of our Lady calls to mind the action of God with human beings and man’s ascent to work with grace. The church celebrates Mary Immaculate, with the great preparations of God to bring into the world the Saviour for the salvation of mankind. As such, our mother Mary was prepared and preserved from the stain of original sin from the moment of her own conception.
She was conceived immaculately and never allowed to bear the scourge of original sin, for the singular reason of being preserved to bear in her womb the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ. This is the action of grace and the prevenient grace and gift of God in her life.
The annunciation narrative in the gospel of today only gives the indications of what actually our Mother Mary is. She is “full of grace” and she is someone that “the Lord is with.” These classifications also details that she “has found Favour with God”, for she will conceive in her womb and bear a sins who will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High whom the Lord God will give the throne of his father David.
Just as the prevenient grace of God has so prepared her, that Mary was so favoured, granting her grace unmerited and gratuitously given so also the provident God grants to us variously same favours and gifts unmerited. In baptism, we are all saved unmerited and granted sonship and members of the household of God. In the Eucharist, we are fed unmerited, in the sacrament of order wherein we become deacons, priests and bishops we are chosen as Mary and granted the same divine favours unmerited.
The preparations given us as Mary was, is not only limited to our Mother. It is equally extended to us all in different measures and conditions. What was so exceptional in Mary our Mother and which we must learn is that our mother responded adequately. She gave her ascent to divine grace. She pondered all in her heart, he gave her ascent to the message of God, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to thy word.”
Again, she comported herself adequately and she keyed into the grace freely given to her. She totally abandoned herself into the divine will and control and only savored the pleasure, admitting and accepting the difficulties, the troubles and living under the control of divine powers unquestioning and uncomplaining.
So we learn from the Mother of God the virtue of total submission, keying into divine grace, working with prevenient grace of God and walking without looking back. We learn to give our ascent to God in all circumstances of life as baptized persons, ordained person or consecrated persons. The higher the grace the deeper the commitment required.
We are never denied this grace but always made available this unmerited grace of God which comes in superabundant measure. Our task then is to ascent to this grace, to work with it, to live in it and to abide in its effect, allowing the grace to function adequately in us and through us as our mother Mary did.
It means accepting the task assigned us, giving all our strength in fostering and enhancing the course of our lives and the task of making Christ known, love and followed. Making ourselves open to God’s actions and life, attending to the eternal life that we have been called to promote.
As Mary our mother was successful in her efforts to promote the course of her son’s coming to the world, so we must equally strive through personal efforts of ascending to his task and keying into divine grace to foster the salvation of our souls and those entrusted to us.
Heavenly Father, you endowed our Mother Mary with such grace and privilege of being freed from original sin, in order to bear your Son and bring him into the world. And this she did to the honour and glory of your name. Grant us same spirit to work with your grace in making Christ known, loved and eternal life spread to souls entrusted to us. May our ascent to you bring us happiness, fulfillment and unending joy in this world and in eternal glory through Christ our Lord.
Our Lady conceived without original sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
