Reading 1
Gn 3:9-15, 20
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with meC
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.
Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
Responsorial PsalmR. (1)
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Reading 2
Eph 1:3-6, 11-12
Brothers and sisters:
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.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.
In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.
Gospel
Lk 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
Meditation: Luke 1:26-38
The Immaculate Conception
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. (Luke 1:38)
If you have any experience of motherhood, you know that it takes a lot of faith. In many ways, it’s something beyond your control. Suddenly you have a new life inside of you. You do your best to nurture that life, but you don’t know how everything is going to turn out. You do everything you can to ensure that your child will be loved and supported. Still, you have to trust God for the big picture.
As we honor Mary today, let’s remember the deep and trusting faith she had. She didn’t comprehend how she could give birth to the Messiah, but she still said “yes” to God’s plan. She was told she would suffer greatly because of her child, but she still obeyed. She faithfully took care of Jesus, endured his crucifixion and death, and stayed true to him until the end.
Mary has many things to teach us. Like her, we are called to bring Jesus into this world; like her, we too will suffer. When we face challenges and temptations, we can be tempted to forget about our walk with the Lord and just go with the flow. Or we can do as Mary did and proclaim God’s greatness, recognizing that he will look after us if we remain open to his word: “The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty” (Luke 1:53).
Mary is more than just an idealistic example of perfect faith. She is a mother, and she wants nothing more than to bring us to her son, Jesus. Quite simply, she loves us! St. John Vianney tells us, “Mary’s heart is so loving toward us that the hearts of all other mothers taken together are but a piece of ice in comparison.” We can go to her, not just for our needs but to ask her help in growing closer to the Lord. In the prayers of the rosary, we say to her, “The Lord is with you!” Let’s not forget Mary, who is a privileged “insider” in the heavenly court, and who is already praying for each and every one of us!
“Lord, thank you for your Blessed Mother! May I imitate her virtues and call upon her to help me walk with you!”
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