Have you ever noticed how the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated each December 8th, sometimes creates a bit of confusion? With Christmas approaching and today’s Gospel reading about the angel Gabriel visiting Mary, we might think we’re celebrating the moment Mary learned she would become the Mother of Jesus. While that beautiful moment – the Annunciation – is indeed what we heard in today’s Gospel, we actually celebrate that event on March 25th, exactly nine months before Christmas.

Thanks so much for stopping by to read this homily for the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY – December 9, 2024.  I appreciate your sharing this on your social media posts and your feedback and comments…  I’m also grateful for all those who’ve asked for the audio version and share them as well at SOUNDCLOUD click HERE or from ITUNES as a podcast HERE.  May the Lord be glorified in your reading and sharing- Father Jim – 

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Today’s feast reveals something even more profound. We celebrate God’s perfect plan of salvation, set in motion long before that angelic visit. The very name Jesus, meaning “Yahweh saves,” points to this divine plan. For God becoming man – perfect holiness incarnate – a mother of unblemished purity was needed. That’s why today, nine months before Mary’s birthday, we celebrate the moment when she was conceived in her mother Anna’s womb, uniquely preserved from original sin.

St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, helps us grasp the magnitude of God’s eternal plan: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.”

Think about the wonder of God’s choosing. He chose Mary – a humble, unknown young woman from Nazareth – to be the Mother of His Son, keeping her free from sin from the first moment of her existence. He chose Paul – once a fierce persecutor of Christians – to become the great Apostle to the Gentiles. And remarkably, He chooses us – ordinary, imperfect people – to be His dwelling place and Christ’s presence in today’s world.

Looking at today’s first reading from Genesis, we see God’s promise of victory over sin, pointing to Mary’s role in salvation history. This “woman” whose offspring would crush the serpent’s head found its fulfillment in Mary, the New Eve, whose perfect cooperation with God’s grace opened the way for our redemption through Christ.

In our world of noise and confusion, Mary’s ‘Fiat’ – her “yes” to God – rings out across the centuries with crystal clarity. It’s the same “yes” we’re called to echo in our own lives. When Mary said, “May it be done to me according to your word,” she didn’t just speak for herself – she spoke for all humanity yearning for redemption.

As we journey through Advent, this feast reminds us that God’s preparation for Christmas began not in a manger, but in the womb of St. Anne, with the immaculate conception of a girl who would change the world. Mary shows us what’s possible when one person gives their complete “yes” to God. Through her intercession, may we find the courage to offer our own “yes” to God’s plan, allowing Christ to be born anew in our hearts, our homes, and our world. For just as God prepared Mary’s heart for Jesus, He prepares ours too – not through immaculate conception, but through the immaculate love that flows from this feast day into our lives.