December 08, 2015
Immaculate Conception
We have 17 days to prepare for our celebration of Christmas. God started “before time†preparing for the birth of Jesus Christ. Our 1st reading, from the Book of Genesis, is a creation story that speaks of enmity between the serpent who deceives and the woman who will play a role in salvation. St. Paul in our 2nd reading writes of a divine plan, not a mechanical predestination, but God’s hope and design for our becoming adopted children. The feast of the Immaculate Conception expresses our faith that Mary, from the very first moment of her existence, was favored by God. Our original disobedience and alienation from God is healed by her faithful “yes†to be the mother of Jesus. Mary is the most admired woman in the world. Muslims and Christians journey to a place in Egypt where the holy family stayed. Muslims and Christian visit a house in Ephesus where tradition holds she lived. Mary is mentioned more in the Koran than in the New Testament. At this time of enflamed political rhetoric, Mary can be a meeting point of discourse rather than discord. She becomes a bridge for greater respect and cooperation among Catholic Christians and Muslims.
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2nd Sunday of Advent
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3rd Sunday of Advent
