December 2, 2022
This month is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.
On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX decreed that:
“The Most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, preserved exempt from all stain of original sin.” (Ineffabilis Deus)
The Virgin Mary was preserved from sin and prepared to be Jesus’ mother by God's grace. Then as she was filled with grace, she said “Yes.” to God’s will.
Through God’s favor and Mother Mary’s obedience, Jesus was born and fulfilled His promise of salvation for us.
This idea may be challenging for some of us to understand and relate to.
What do God’s grace and Mother Mary’s saying “Yes.” have to do with our lives?
They became real and relatable to me when a good friend was diagnosed with cancer yet, fortunately, recovered.
Like all those afflicted with the disease, she feared the worst and thought all was lost.
However, instead of giving in to her fears and doubts, she surrendered all these, plus her life to God. She asked her family and friends to pray fervently with her for His blessings and grace.
She promised that whatever the outcome, she would use the rest of her days thanking Him and living for Him.
She has miraculously been spared, and as she enjoys her health and life now, she highlights the importance of developing and strengthening her prayer life so she can humbly ask for His graces and, in turn, live a life for Him, her family, and those in need.
At some point in our lives, God will summon us to respond to His calling and mission. Then sometimes, the calling would come through difficult and trying happenings in our lives, seemingly to nudge us into making a clear, unmistakable stand if we would live our lives for Him.
Yet, the “Yes” we give must be born out of a conscious and uncompromising devotion to Him and not because of the simple desire to avoid challenges in our lives.
Moreover, as we surrender to His will and ask for his blessings, the more we will see His promises of salvation and redemption come to fruition in our lives and through us.
Praying the Rosary is an invitation to reflect on how God wants to do wonderful and meaningful things in our lives. The question is if we will have the courage to say “Yes.” to Him, just like Mary, full of grace.
Through the mysteries, particularly the Joyful Mystery, we ponder how we could let God work his wonders in and through our lives, pretty much like how God came into Mary’s life and paved the path for Jesus’ life here with us–our salvation.
We could do the same.
Let God in our lives and let Him save us.