Immaculate Conception
For my entire young life in catechesis, I thought today's feast was to celebrate Jesus' conception. This goes back to my 2nd grade CCD class, when either the good-hearted teacher misspoke, or more likely, I misunderstood. In fact, it wasn't until I was a CCD teacher myself and Padre S. came in to speak to my class on Immaculate Conception that I learned we are celebrating Mary's holy, pure, sinless conception. Mary, conceived and born without ever being touched by the stain of Original Sin.
In words much better than my own:
Happy Feast of our Mother, Mary, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit - the God bearer- the Mother of God - the Mother of the Church, the Mother of the people of God, the Mother of the sons and daughters of God, the Mother of Christians- your Mother - my Mother - our Mother. The Immaculate Conception - Mary - whose Gospel "yes" transforms and invites us to immaculate, holy possibilities - calling us beyond sin, beyond time to new dimensions of Faith, Hope and Love.
Mary, born in purity. Each of us, after Adam & Eve, born in Original Sin.
It becomes hard to reconcile in my mind that my little baby, as pure and perfect as he was in my eyes, was born in Sin. From the same 2nd grade CCD class, I learned that any Catholic could perform a Catholic baptism in an emergency, with ordinary water and the blessings of "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit". I'm honestly not sure if this is sacramentally correct, but I carried this knowledge with great care as a 2nd, 3rd, 4th grader -- thinking that if I was visiting anyone with a young baby that wasn't baptized yet and a life-threatening emergency arose, I would perform the sacrament. What heavy knowledge for a 7 year-old. We are washed clean of our Sin in baptism, clean, but still not whole and as if sin never existed. My own soul still has faults and failing, temptations and laziness. I pray today, to our Most Holy Mother, pure & whole & perfect, for your help and your strength. I pray to be closer to you, and in turn, closer to God and your Son. I pray to be a selfless mother, as you were and as you are. I pray:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for me in my recourse to Thee.
amen
In words much better than my own:
Happy Feast of our Mother, Mary, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit - the God bearer- the Mother of God - the Mother of the Church, the Mother of the people of God, the Mother of the sons and daughters of God, the Mother of Christians- your Mother - my Mother - our Mother. The Immaculate Conception - Mary - whose Gospel "yes" transforms and invites us to immaculate, holy possibilities - calling us beyond sin, beyond time to new dimensions of Faith, Hope and Love.
Mary, born in purity. Each of us, after Adam & Eve, born in Original Sin.
It becomes hard to reconcile in my mind that my little baby, as pure and perfect as he was in my eyes, was born in Sin. From the same 2nd grade CCD class, I learned that any Catholic could perform a Catholic baptism in an emergency, with ordinary water and the blessings of "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit". I'm honestly not sure if this is sacramentally correct, but I carried this knowledge with great care as a 2nd, 3rd, 4th grader -- thinking that if I was visiting anyone with a young baby that wasn't baptized yet and a life-threatening emergency arose, I would perform the sacrament. What heavy knowledge for a 7 year-old. We are washed clean of our Sin in baptism, clean, but still not whole and as if sin never existed. My own soul still has faults and failing, temptations and laziness. I pray today, to our Most Holy Mother, pure & whole & perfect, for your help and your strength. I pray to be closer to you, and in turn, closer to God and your Son. I pray to be a selfless mother, as you were and as you are. I pray:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for me in my recourse to Thee.
amen
posted by Counting_Blessings | 7:33 AM
3 Comments:
Two thoughts:
1. In a scripture class, the Immaculate Conception was explained to me as Mary receiving the grace we receive in Baptism when she was conceived. Same grace, just a lot quicker!
2. Instead of thinking that JA was born IN sin (when really none of you did anything sinful in bringing about his birth or in he being born), it might be helpful to remember that "in sin" is the human condition in a fallen world . While John Anthony probably didn't exhibit a lot of true sin as a baby (knowing something is wrong and doing it anyway), he still shares the human condition. This condition causes us to choose the bad, to choose ourselves over others, to grasp for power that is God's alone (wait--that pretty much describes most children!). Maybe a better way to say it would be that we are all born INTO sin.
This condition, unfettered by outside help, leads one way--to spiritual death. Thankfully, we do have outside help in the form of God's own life given to us in baptism and in the example of Jesus' life. We can make other choices and can live in life-giving ways in this world, and God willing, in the next.
My prayers for a great Advent!
Are you doing a Jesse tree with JA, or is he too young?
-Andrea
Thank you for your thoughtful comments Andrea -- definitely more to think about. INTO vs. IN is a better way to look at it.
We haven't been doing a Jesse tree. I've been searching for an unbreakable Nativity set (last year's ceramic sheep and camels spent much time in the "animal hospital" to have their heads reattached after accidentally being dropped.
As luck would have it -- I posted my comment and then came across this site::: Nice selection of Children's Nativities!
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content/390705714?page=1221936&sp=55020&event=51500CRSNF|1001399|55020
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