December 8, 2015
LK 1:26-38
December 8th, or the Immaculate Conception, is a very important date in the Church’s liturgical calendar. Today’s readings also remind us of when Gabriel visited Mary and told her that she would conceive a son through the power of the Holy Spirit and He will be named Jesus.
How many times have we been caught off-guard with unexpected news? How did we react? Mary had one question; she asked how she could possibly conceive a son since she was a Virgin. Gabriel answered her saying, “For nothing is impossible for God.” After hearing this, Mary fully accepts her calling to be the mother of Jesus by responding, “Behold, I am a handmaiden of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”, also known as the Fiat, which we say during the Angelus. Mary didn’t stutter with this news; she didn’t tell Gabriel to find someone else or come at a better time for her. She said yes by putting God above all else in her life. If you were Mary, what would you have said?
This Gospel aspires us to be just like Mary as she said, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Sometimes, God’s “word” is not what we expect or want. The important thing is to acquire a strong faith in God’s plan; He knows what is best for us. May the Immaculate Conception enable you to listen to God’s calling for you and to say yes, just as Mary did.