At the beginning of Advent, Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (on December 8th), which shows how God prepared Mary from Nazareth to become the Mother of Jesus. While keeping His divinity hidden, being born in Bethlehem, Jesus shared with us the fullness of humanity albeit free of any sin. Consequently, His Mother had to be protected from Satan from the moment of her birth. She was exempted from the stain of original sin.
After receiving such a great privilege, it was still up to Mary to say Yes or No to God’s plan revealed to her by the Archangel Gabriel. Although not fully understanding God’s message, she trusted Him entirely by choosing the first option.
In Advent, John the Baptist, quoting the prophet Isaiah, exhorts us: “Prepare the way of the Lord”. Thanking God for preparing Mary to be a worthy Mother of God, and also for her cooperation in His salvation plan, let us beg Mary and Jesus to give us insights about our own unique tasks in the Creator’s great design. We need small conversions, moving from good to better, getting rid of any Pharisaic traces in our thoughts, words and actions. That will be a proper preparation for Christmas.
Fr. Toni Baranowski, SJ
