Now, one human invites another human not into grace, but into sin.
The only way to describe it is that it was an enormous fall, a fall from grace. Things would never be the same. Sin would raise its ugly head in each and all of us again and again and again.
+ In the Gospel, a different visitation occurs. It is an angelic one. It is truly a messenger from God delivering a message from God.
The moment was filled with awe. The moment was grace upon grace revealing the coming of God into and through humankind in the very human person of Mary.
The response was also unique. Even though Mary did not understand “how” this could be or “how” this might happen, she said “YES!”
Could she have said “no”?
That must have been an option, but her response, too, was grace-filled and awful.
+ Is there a message here?
+ The preface of the Mass of the Immaculate Conception describes Mary as a model of holiness; she is the model of every Christian, she is the model of the church, and she is the model of you, me and everyone.
+ Suggestion: How about you, me, and we embrace a very specific spirituality from today (December 8) through Christmas (December 25).
Each day in preparation for the nativity of Christ we say “YES” to God. We say, “We are your servants. Do with us whatever you will.”
We ask God to enter us, fill us, guide us, instruct us, love us, grace us, illuminate us, inspire us, bend us and straighten us, activate in us all that is good.
Let us throw out to God the “Welcome. Come on in!” sign, and let you and me and we see what happens next.
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at perry.leiker@gmail.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
