The Feast 0f The Immaculate Conception

Mankind is capable of so much good.  As children of God they have been created in his image and likeness to build the Kingdom of God on earth.  Yet it is not happening.   There is instead a weakness in his nature that attracts him to evil things, to selfish things, and to dismiss the God within them.   Yet we know from scripture that we were created good and were totally pleasing to God who in an analogy 'walked with us in a Garden'.   Yet as scripture relates somehow we rebelled against that God who loved us so much and our perfect nature was weakened and became capable of evil.  Yet God promised us medicine in the coming of a Messiah who would be able to make us perfect again if we so wished it.  He could change history and remove the weakness but he could give us the medicine - the grace to be perfect again.

Into this mess of a world came Mary.   She was to be the Mother of God, but as greater scholars than myself have noted she with that weakness, that almost imperfect gene, would through the natural process of conception have passed on that weakness to the Son of God.  God made Man would therefore have been imperfect which would have been impossible.  So Mary was granted that great privilege granted to no other human mother - her soul was created without that weakness - she was the Immaculate Conception.

But this did not remove the possibility of sin from Mary.  She could have by her own free will have revolted against God as our early parents did, but Mary had all the supernatural gifts that were meant for all of us and was able to resist.   "Hail, full of grace.........." cried the Angel Gabriel.

Jesus built the Church in much the same way.   In the Church you can receive all the graces that Mary had.   And the Church was to shine in the world like a great light guiding sinners back to Christ because of its goodness and its faithfulness.   It would shine with the teachings of Christ that would lead us to the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.   A sign of contradiction to our now pagan world.   Alas how far it is from the hopes of Jesus.  The Church was to be the voice of Jesus in our present society and God would no longer init it would not interfere with the affairs of men.  The Catholic Church was to clear up any mess there is in society by giving witness to the truth.   How long have I heard people say that we should just pray and everything will be OK.   No, it will not and it has not.   In that Church there are bishops, priests, and laity who are called by God as Christians to clear up that mess and phrases like "It is OK, everyone is on a journey", "Just leave it to God", are just a mockery of Jesus Christ.  It is the Church that will clean up the mess and it is time that everyone whether bishop, priest, or layperson realised this and stopped excusing themselves.   Follow Jesus or leave Jesus.  "If you love me keep my Commandments"


















       

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