This is such a beautiful Solemnity, such a wonderful celebration!
But what is it that we celebrate today?
We hear it in Gabriel the Archangel's greeting to Mary. He doesn't say, "Hello, Mary." He says, "Hail." "Hail, full of grace."
We know these words well from the Hail Mary we say so often. But that word, "Hail"-- attend to it for a moment. ... It is the salutation for a King or a Queen. Already at this moment, even before Mary receives Jesus in her womb, Mary is a Queen.
And doubly odd is that Gabriel doesn't say, "Hail, Queen Mary." He says, "Hail, full of grace." The Archangel Gabriel says this because he is revealing what God has done in Mary's life. Not only has God made Mary a Queen, but the Father, in His beautiful plan, has also made her "full of grace."
Which means there is no sin in her at all. She is immaculate -- from the Latin im + macula -- meaning: without stain, without blemish or sin.
Mary is the Queen, full of grace, who Gabriel greets and to whom the plan of the Father's love is now revealed: She will "conceive and bear a Son and He shall be named Jesus."
Many may wonder why the Annunciation is read on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. (Many after all, confuse the immaculate conception of Mary with the conception of Jesus at the Annunciation). The Annunciation is read today because it reveals what God has done in Mary's life, who she is, and what the Father is about to do. It is a triple annunciation.
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When did Mary become the Queen full of grace?
It began at her conception.
She was conceived in the womb of Anne, her mom. Remember: Joachim and Anne are Mary's parents. And the immaculate conception is when Mary is conceived in Anne's womb -- at which moment, the heavenly Father, seeing and knowing all things, and knowing that His Son would offer Himself on the Cross for the salvation of the world -- the Father takes those graces from the Cross (which is present to Him because all times are present to Him) and He applies them to Mary. The word for this is "prevenient" grace. And it is a grace that prevents Mary from bearing the stain of original sin.
Mary is conceived immaculate, full of grace.
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Some may feel a little envy about this: why does Mary get such a gift?
Do not be too quick to envy.
After all, when you were baptized, reborn in those mystical waters of rebirth, was not original sin washed away from your soul? Yes, absolutely! At the moment of your baptism, you were as clean as clean could be!
So, while you were not biologically conceived free of sin, you were sacramentally made so!
And if you have sullied your baptismal garment through sin, the Father in His plan of sheer goodness has given you yet another Sacrament, what the ancients called "Second Baptism" -- the Sacrament of Confession.
Do you not know that, when you confess and are absolved of your sins, the Father restores your soul to its purity and innocence that you enjoyed at your baptism?
In fact, it must be this way. For, after all, in heaven, can there be any sin? Of course not! Can there be any stain or spot or wrinkle? No. In heaven, everything is immaculate. You must be made immaculate before you can get to heaven! And so, what a grace for these Sacraments.
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Here, we see a two-fold gift -- an early Christmas gift! -- in this great celebration.
First, we see how beautiful the Sacraments are and how generous is God's plan for our salvation. (He didn't have to do this! He could have left us all in the darkness and misery of sin and death! But has given us grace upon grace!)
The Father prepares Mary to be the Temple in which His Son shall dwell. God dwells in holy places, after all. He dwells here in this holy parish church. And soon, He will dwell in your soul by means of the Eucharist. How important confession is to make us ready to receive Him. How beautiful is Baptism and Confession and Eucharist -- a kind of triple annunciation!
The second gift we receive in this great celebration is our Mother -- a beautiful mother; a mother so pure and gentle and holy and good; who is also Queen. Men look for a beauty to serve; here, men, we have the most beautiful woman. And she is a model of holiness for everyone, an advocate, an intercessor of grace for us: "Heavenly Father," our Lady and Queen prays, "free them from sin. Draw them to your Son's Sacred Heart."
How beautiful it is: that God the Father not only gives us His Son, He gives us a Mother.
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For me, this renews my love of the Hail Mary and the Rosary. It is such a wonder and a gift: I get to say the same words that the Archangel said! "Hail Mary, full of grace!"
And what is the next line?
"The Lord is with you."
Yes, yes He is. Right here, coming to us in the Eucharist. Let us praise the Father, with Mary, praising Him for "He who is mighty has done great things. And holy is His Name!"
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Beautiful
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