December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, when the Catholic Church celebrates that God created the Blessed Virgin Mary without the stain of original sin. Mary herself was born through Immaculate Conception.
This is an important feast day for the Congregation of the Resurrection, so Resurrectionists and Apostles of the Resurrection gathered in anticipation of the feast to celebrate with a special Mass. Fr. Paul Voisin, CR presided and preached.
Fr. Paul’s homily focused on the ways in which Mary, in her pure and unstained state, said YES to God.
We all think of the first of Mary’s Yes’s in the Bible, when the Angel Gabriel came to her and Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” After that initial Yes there were so many more. Mary said Yes to marrying Joseph, she said Yes to travelling to Bethlehem, she said Yes to welcoming the shepherds and wise men into the stable. She said Yes when Simeon and Anna prophesied about Jesus, and Yes when she presented Jesus at the Temple. Mary said Yes at the cross, when she gave her son to the world.
Fr. Paul invited us to learn from Mary’s willingness to say Yes. At Cana Mary taught those in attendance to listen to Jesus, and do whatever He asked of them. She calls us today to listen to Jesus, to say Yes to His will in our lives, for His will for us is righteousness and joy.
"If we follow [Mary] as our model, we learn to share in the passion, death and resurrection of Her Son, and we too will be freed from sin and will share in His new life in the Spirit."
