Today the church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through this feast we celebrate the great privilege that God willed for Mary who was chosen as the mother of the Son of God, to be born into the world without original sin. It is the commemoration of God’s preparation of the perfect place for the Most Holy Son of God to be born.
The angel Gabriel addresses Mary as full of God’s grace. There is no trace of sin in this woman who is full of grace in her heart. Because those who truly love God and live by His commandments cannot deny Him and commit sin. Mary was the one who said “yes” to God’s will every moment. If a 16-year-old girl was ready to carry a child in her womb at the behest of an angel, it is only because she trusts so much in God. She said yes to God without worrying about the humiliation she would face in society. This trust in God was proved right in the course of time. After the death of her husband, her only son left home and preached throughout the country, but she still obeyed God’s will. She still surrendered to the will of God when her son, who was supposed to take care of her in her old age, was crucified and died. These words are a reflection of the emotional turmoil she experienced when Luke repeatedly wrote that she was meditating on all these things in her heart. She must have been talking to God in silence. God, I do not know what your plans are, but I trust in you. This must have been her prayer. It was because of her blind reliance on God that Mary was able to gather the disciples who had been scattered after Jesus’ death. When all the woven dreams were shattered in an instant at the death of Jesus, the disciples fell into the abyss of despair. That is why they all went fishing again with Peter. But Mary was able to bring them together and to pray with them together. The result is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Mary teaches us to always be open to God’s will. He will show you the path to walk without stumbling even when it is dark on the way ahead. Let us always strive to say yes to His will.