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Homilies are posted no later than during the week
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Immaculate
Conception
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http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html
Immaculate Conception
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One day a young Hebrew man saw quite a marvelous sight.
Off in the distance he saw a bush that appeared to be
on fire, but it didn’t burn
out. It was more like a torch. "I have to see this sight, the young man
said to himself." As he drew closer to the bush, the man heard the
voice of God calling to him from the bush, "Moses, Moses," Then the
voice said, "Come no closer, you are standing on holy ground. And Moses
hid his face, for he was afraid to look on God.
One day a young Hebrew man was praying to God about the
horrible plight of the Hebrew people. The Midianites
had conquered them. Now, any time they planted crops,
the soldiers of Midian would come and steal their crops.
They also stole or killed their finest animals. No one
could withstand them. Who could ever be the champion
for Israel? The young man was thinking about these things
while working hard to beat wheat into flour and hide
it from the Midianites. Suddenly he saw a man he had
not noticed before sitting under a tree. The man wore
shining robes, his face was glowing. He called the young
man and told him that God had made him the champion of
Israel. "How is it that I should
believe you," the young man asked? The splendid looking man told him to
go into his house and get him something to eat. The young man returned
with, among other things, a basket of raw meat. The man told him to put
the meat on a rock. Then the man touched the meat with the tip of his
walking staff, and immediately fire came out of the rock and consumed
the meat. The young man knew that he was in the presence of God. "Help
me," he cried. I have seen the face of God. "Don’t fear," the Lord
responded to him, "you will not die." And Gideon went on to become the
champion of Israel.
Throughout the Old Testament and even in the New Testament
we read about people filling up with fear when the realize
that they are in the presence of God. Even St. Peter
cried out to Jesus, "Leave me Lord, I
am a sinful man." It was not that they thought that God was mean. It
was that God was so holy that they were sure that they could not exist
in his presence. Often God would tell the prophets, that they had no
reason to fear, he was choosing them for a particular mission. Still,
there was and is this fact that when we all participate in all that is
not God we exclude ourselves from ever being in his presence.
Participating in all that is not God is the same as doing evil or sin.
When the angel Gabriel came to Mary, he called out to her in those
words we recite at the beginning of the Hail Mary. He called her Full
of Grace. He also said, "Fear Not!" Mary had no reason to fear. There
was nothing about her that was not God. There was no sin in her.
God in his goodness and love decided to show us how much
He loves us by becoming one of us. To do this He took
up His presence in a human being, Mary. To be so close
to God's presence, Mary is conceived by God's plan to
be a person who has totally with no participation in
any form of evil whatsoever. Mary was chosen not just
for what she would do but for whom she was. Mary was
totally holy. There was nothing about her that in any
way participated in that which was not God, that participated
in sin. Mary’s complete freedom from sin is what
we celebrate today, the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
Totally different from Eve, the first woman, or from all people for
that matter, Mary is was always united to God and always obedient to
God. She would do all he instructed her to do. Therefore, she is
obedient and accepts the mission to be the mother of the Lord.
Today’s feast reminds us that God’s plan
is more marvelous then we could ever imagine. To make
his holiness physical by becoming one of us on Christmas
day, he would first prepare someone who would always
be open to his holiness. Moses and Gideon were afraid
to stand before God because they recognized their own
sinfulness. But there was nothing about Mary, that would
contradict the holiness of God. She is Full of Grace.
We celebrate her holiness today as we celebrate her Immaculate
Conception.
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http://www.geocities.com/seapadre_1999/
* available in Spanish - see Spanish
homilies
Immaculate Conception
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Bottom line: St. Dominic's vision of heaven underscores the importance
of placing ourselves under the Virgin Mary's motherly care.
Today we celebrate a beautiful feast in honor of Mary: the Immaculate
Conception. What does it mean for us to have such a mother, such an
intercessor in heaven?
To help understand the importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I would
like to tell you about a vision which St. Dominic had. You have
probably seen paintings of St. Dominic - he is a thin man with a brown
beard and a crown of hair, bald in the middle because of the tonsure.
He wears a white tunic with a black cape. Often, depicted at Dominic's
feet you will see a dog - an animal which lovingly looks at his master,
as Dominic did to the Lord.
In his life Dominic did not have many visions, but on today's Feast of
the Immaculate Conception, I would like to tell you about a vision
which underscores the motherly care of the Virgin Mary.
One night Dominic was praying alone in the chapel of his monastery. He
saw the heavens open with Christ in the center and the Blessed Virgin
Mary next to him. As St. Dominic looked around, he began to weep
bitterly. The Lord asked him why he was so sad. "I am grieving," said
Dominic, "because I see here members of every religious Order, but of
my own, not one."
Jesus then asked him if he would like to see those of his own Order.
Dominic replied that he ardently desired to see them. The Lord then
placed his hand lovingly on the Virgin's shoulder and said, "I have
given over your Order to my mother's care." At this the Blessed Virgin
drew back her mantle, and opening it wide before St Dominic, it seemed
to enclose nearly the whole of that heavenly country, so vast was it,
and beneath it he saw a great host of his brethren.
The vision ended, but Dominic remained in joyful, grateful prayer. When
the first light of dawn broke, Dominic rang the bell and gathered his
brothers into the chapel. He told his brothers about the vision and
exhorted them to love Blessed Virgin Mary and place themselves under
her motherly care.
Now, I am no Dominic. I do not have heavenly visions. But I do hope one
day to reach heaven. I would certainly want to ask the Lord, "Where are
my children? Where are the parishioners you entrusted to me for a
time?" How beautiful it would be if our Lady would draw back the hems
of her mantle - and I could see you there! On today's Feast of the
Immaculate Conception, let us place ourselves under her mother’s care.
**********
Spanish Version
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http://www.agreeley.com/homilies.html
Immaculate Conception
Lk 3 10/18
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http://www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk/
Immaculate Conception
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http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org/homilies/index.lasso
Immaculate Conception
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Gospel Summary
Theologians often make a distinction between "high" Christology, which
emphasizes the divine nature of Jesus, and "low" Christology, which
emphasizes his human nature. This distinction finds a parallel in the
case of Mary. Today's feast would belong to "high" Mariology, because
it celebrates a special privilege of Mary which flow from her status as
Mother of God. Most New Testament references to Mary, however, belong
to "low" Mariology because they begin with a very human Mary responding
to the initiative of the angel Gabriel.
This does not in any way detract from the importance of the Immaculate
Conception of Mary, which celebrates the fact that she was without sin
from the first moment of her conception. However, it does remind us
that this wonderful privilege was granted to her by anticipation of her
future status as mother of Jesus and, therefore, of God.
It is important to note that, as today's gospel makes clear, Mary's
status as mother of God, presupposes her response to the angel Gabriel
with that magnificent expression of love and trust and generosity:
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according
to your word" (Luke 1:38). All the privileges of Mary derive from this
moment of unconditional self-surrender to the plans of God. It should
not surprise us, therefore, to see that the gospel of Luke devotes more
attention to the Annunciation than to any other event of Mary's life.
Life Implications
The sinless condition of Mary, from the beginning to the end of her
life, elicits our admiration and prompts us to be grateful to God for
making this possible in one who shares our nature as human beings.
Although we certainly cannot imitate her sinless condition, we can be
greatly encouraged by this signal victory over evil. We live in a world
of so much sin and violence that we are tempted to wonder whether the
light really can overcome the darkness, as John's Prologue promises
(1:5). But we are immensely reassured as we celebrate each year this
victory of Mary, "our tainted nature's solitary boast" (William
Wordsworth).
At the same time, we need to remember that this victory came directly
from the willingness of Mary to accept a mysterious mission from God
which, as she surely must have suspected, would lead to grievous
suffering. We too need to make difficult choices that may demand much
love and courage. And we too are aware that it may be very painful to
remain faithful to the choices that God expects of us. In such
situations, the generosity of Mary remains a wonderful model for us.
Moreover, we can be sure that her maternal solicitude will accompany us
as we try to live in accordance with our best instincts.
When we reflect upon the fact that sin is the worst kind of bondage,
the sinless Mary is recognized also as the only one among us human
beings who is truly free. Those who aspire to freedom solely through
the acquisition of power should pause to consider that the ultimate
freedom of Mary came through her resolute and loving obedience to the
mission that God offered to her. She became a model of freedom through
her loving generosity, and this will always be the only truly effective
way to acquire human freedom and dignity.
Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B.
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http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html
Meeting Christ in the Liturgy
Immaculate Conception
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Contact Father at cbonar@cfl.rr.com; information about his book of homilies is available at www.clydebonar.com.
Immaculate
Conception |
The Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Readings: Genesis 3: 9-15, 20; Ephesians 1: 3-6, 11-12; Luke 1: 26-38
A Risky "Yes"
Introduction
In the spring of 1858, the Virgin Mary spoke
to Bernadette Soubirous in a grotto in the small village of Lourdes, in
France. Bernadette was fourteen years old.
A total of eighteen times Bernadette saw "a
lady" she described as "wearing a lovely white dress with a bright
belt." On each of her feet, "the Lady" had "a pale yellow rose, the
same color as her rosary beads." Pilgrims started to come to Lourdes by
the thousands.
Still, her pastor doubted the young teenager.
Her pastor instructed Bernadette to ask the Lady" her name. On March
25th, 1858, "the Lady" told the peasant girl in her native French
dialect, "I am the Immaculate Conception."
Until the Virgin Mary spoke the words
"immaculate conception," Bernadette had never heard those words. In her
catechism classes, Bernadette had not yet been taught about the
immaculate conception of Mary.
Ineffabilis Deus
When Bernadette saw "the Lady, it had only
been four years since Pope Pius IX had defined the doctrine of the
Immaculate Conception of Mary, our Roman Catholic belief that "The
Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved pure from every stain of Original
Sin."1
The doctrine of the Immaculate Concepcion
tells us from the very first instance of her conception, Mary was
totally God-centered.2
Knowing Mary would be the Mother of God, the
human mother of God the Son, God the Father suspended the universal
law. God applied to Mary the merits Christ would gain for each of us by
his death and resurrection.
"How Can This Be?"
But, Mary’s extraordinary privilege did not
exempt her from the day to day humdrum of life. When the angel Gabriel
announced she would bear a son and call him "Son of the Most High,"
Mary said, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" A
logical question from the alert mind of a faith-filled young girl.
At the time of the Annunciation, Mary was
perhaps fourteen, maybe fifteen. She was betrothed to Joseph. A formal
exchange of consent had been made before witnesses. Although she
continued to live at home with her parents, Mary was called the "wife"
of Joseph. Any infringement on Joseph’s marital rights could be
punished as adultery.
If Mary were pregnant, people would know.
Something like 200 or 400 people lived in Nazareth. Like in any small
village, in Nazareth everyone knew everyone else’s business. When
villagers would see Mary at temple, if she were with child, eyes would
stare. And, it would ruin her betrothal to Joseph.
Mary knew getting pregnant involves a physical
act, and Mary knew she had not engaged in that physical act. Besides,
any adulterous affair would go against her faith as a pious young girl.
So Mary asks, "How can this be?"
God expects us to use our heads, to question
if something out of the ordinary happens to us. When the angel Gabriel
told Mary she would get pregnant out of wedlock, that didn’t make sense
to Mary. So Mary asked, "How can this be?"
"May It Be Done To Me According To Your Word"
Which brings us to something Mary also knew:
Mary knew that all things are possible to God. Mary questioned, then
accepted as true what the angel Gabriel told her. When the angel
Gabriel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you," Mary
responded, "According to your word." She willingly did what God wanted.
Even when she could not understand, her deep
faith prompted Mary to say "yes." Mary opted for God in faith, hope,
and love. With complete trust in God. Obedient to God’s will.
How different the response of Zechariah (Luke
1:18-20). When told his wife Elizabeth would bear a child, Zechariah
asked the angel, "How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man,
and my wife is getting on in years." Zechariah is saying, prove it to
me and then I’ll believe. We know what happened then: the angel
silenced Zechariah until John was born. When suddenly he could not
utter a word, when he could no longer speak, Zechariah believed!
When God told Abraham his wife Sarah would
have a baby, they laughed (Genesis 17:15-17). Abraham asked God, "Can a
child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is
ninety years old, bear a child?" Abraham and Sarah thought God was
joking! So, they laughed. Then, Isaac was born, just as God said he
would be.
What we tend to do is worry. Rather than
trusting totally in God, we start to worry. As a pastor, I’ll tell you
some of the worries pastors have. For example, will the collection this
week pay the bills? One pastor tells of returning from vacation, being
handed his pay check, and then asked please not to cash it until after
next week’s collection had been deposited. Priests worry. Anytime Mass
attendance is low, priests wonder why? [Or, what do the parishioners
think about me? Or, where will I live when retired? Will there be
enough money?] Everyone’s tendency is to worry.
But, Mary did not worry. Nothing in the Bible
even hints that Mary worried about being pregnant and not yet married.
Joseph is the one who worried. So much, he decided quietly to divorce
Mary (Matthew :18-20).
Asked by God to do what seemed impossible,
Mary said "yes." With a "eyes wide open," in faith, trusting a risky
"yes" would have a good result. With total faith, Mary took on the
difficult task of being the Mother of God.
Conclusion
We celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the
Virgin Mary. Our Roman Catholic belief that Mary, from the very first
instant of her conception, was free from any stain of original sin.
Still, Mary had to face the humdrum realities
of life. And, she did so with faith. She asked, "How can this be?" when
asked to be the Mother of God. Then, she said, "Let it be according to
your word."
When God says to one of us, "Greetings,
favored one," God expects us to discern God’s will for us, and then,
with faith, to trust God will accomplish in us what God wants done. |
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homilies may be copied and adapted for your own use; however, they may
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