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“Today humanity, in all the radiance of her immaculate nobility, receives its ancient beauty. The shame of sin had darkened the splendor and attraction of human nature; but when the Mother of the Fair One par
excellence is born, this nature again regains in her person its ancient privileges and is fashioned according to a perfect model truly worthy of God…. The reform of our nature begins today, and the aged world, subjected to a wholly divine transformation, receives the first fruits of the second creation.”
– Andrew of Crete, 733 A.D.
(Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the Catholic Church. With Mary's conception, the stage is being set for the Incarnation of God's Son. History is about to take a turn. The longing of the ages will soon be fulfilled.)
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GN 3:9-15, 20; PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4; EPH 1:3-6, 11-12
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.
USCCB Lectionary
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- Feast of the Immaculate Conception
How unlikely that God chose Mary! Yes, God chose Mary, and Mary responded fully!
And God chooses us! How unlikely that God chooses us!
The most precious gift God gives human beings is the gift of faith! On this feast of the Immaculate Conception we look to Mary. Yes, we look to Mary
especially amid our sufferings. Mary is our model, intercessor, mother! So we pray for our world, and we pray also for ourselves that we may actually experience the depth of God’s indwelling in us so like Mary we may be transformed by God’s Presence!
“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” (Ps 98,3-4).
Yes, God chooses us! On Mary’s feast day we pray that we may imitate her in responding ever more fully to God’s call!
- from onlineministries.creighton.edu
Paperback, Kindle
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God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd ed.) ____________ Chapter 5: The Journey to Egoic Authenticity - Being Responsible A third
emphasis in this section is to become more responsive rather than reactive in making decisions. Through years of living, we all develop many ingrained habits, and this is not all bad. I am glad, for example, that I do not have to consciously think about every little detail of driving a car when I go somewhere. When I was first learning to drive, I did have to be hyper-attentive to all the details, but I eventually learned how to do it and now there’s a whole system of inner habits that
functions like a robot, of sorts, enabling me to get in the car and go without being preoccupied what to do. When another vehicle starts to creep up close behind me, the robot nudges me to be more attentive to what’s happening and perhaps make some kinds of adjustments. After I do so, the auto-pilot robot takes over again, and my consciousness can focus elsewhere. I can converse with others in the car, listen to the radio, notice the scenery, and so forth. All very good! We have many inner robots that direct our eating, conversing, working and so forth. Again, this is not all bad, only we do need to take responsibility for these habitual ways of living. Practicing attentiveness as noted earlier in this chapter is one way to do so, especially with regard to the kinds of decisions we make. We especially want to be on the lookout for decisions we make that are emotional reactions to
circumstances, as that’s sure to get us in trouble sometime. Becoming more aware of our feelings and thoughts helps us to avoid being reactive, allowing for the possibility of responsive decision-making.
Being responsive means recognizing that circumstances do not dictate our actions, even when we have strong feelings. We always have options as to how we might respond in a situation.
What are these options? What are the pros and cons to each? Which seems the best application of values in this situation? These are the kinds of questions that help us to become more response-able in making decisions.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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