Homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Theme: Full of Grace
By: Fr. Gerald M. Musa
Homily for Wednesday December 8
The simple catechism tells us “Grace is a supernatural gift of God, freely bestowed upon us for our sanctification and salvation.” Yet, we are so ignorant about how the amazing grace of God works. St. Thomas Aquinas observes that “Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them entirely.” The Blessed Virgin Mary abandoned herself unreservedly to God and allowed his grace to mold herentirely.
Archangel Gabriel greeted her in the following words: “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28). God planned long before time to make her the mother of the Saviour Jesus Christ. He prepared her body and soul before she conceived Jesus. She was conceived without original sin, which we inherited from Adam and Eve. Pope Pius declared in 1854, “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, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.” She cooperated with the grace of God to be the mother of the Saviour. She remains a model of faith and obedience for all followers of Jesus. Do we imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary in cooperating with God’s plan and allowing his grace to mold us entirely?
Luke 1:26-38; 8th December,
Homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2).
Homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2)