A reflection on the daily readings, for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
+ Chosen! Loved! Called! Invited into a most holy mystery, a life-changing mystery for her and for all of creation!
Then (as only biblical and mystical and grace-filled wonder could have it) she was “immaculately conceived without sin” so that she would be a clean and holy and worthy vessel to carry and give birth to the word made flesh.
It is a mystery that is practically speaking “inconceivable” and yet, she was conceivably pure from the first moment of said conception.
Then, in these two feasts, do we see what the church is saying in the mystical language of the Bible, tradition and liturgy.
Mary was preserved from the “corruption of sin” at her conception and from the “corruption of death” at the end of her physical life which was transformed through an immediate “assumption” into heaven.
It all makes perfect mystical sense and is a beautiful way to see and appreciate and love the wonderful gift that Mary is to church and you and me.
+ The gift and call given to her and revealed in the angelic moment of the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel — as shared in the Gospeltoday— echoes our own call, as expressed in St. Paul‘s letter to the Ephesians.
+ The only thing I can say — and I say it with as much gumption as I can muster: If we are going to believe these mystical and wondrous thing said of Mary, then we must believe also the mystical and wondrous things said to the Ephesians and equally to us.
And I would add — especially since we are living nearly 2,000 years since Christ roamed the earth — we still believe.
Now that is mystical and wondrous.
And so are we.
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
