Getting lost inside of an unknown area can be a very scary thing. It can especially become scary once the sun goes down and we are surrounded by darkness. When driving one turn can quickly get us into a lot of trouble that might require a lot of time in order to get back onto track. Maps or GPS technology can be very helpful in getting reoriented to the correct path, but even here it might take more time then we would like to get things figured out. This is especially true when we hear "recalculating route" being repeated over and over again in our ears. Once it finally has it figured out we do not have the time to react and then we are left repeating all the steps all over again. We might get so frustrated with this process that we decide that there is no hope especially when we have been led down a path where we encounter unmoving traffic. Sin has many paths that always led us into getting lost without hope. Sin leads us into getting upset and falling into despair.
Glancing at the world we can see a lot of stuff that can quickly make us upset. Everywhere that we look it seems that we can find some place where sin has entered into the human existence and we now find ourselves to be lost. With this giant burden that has fallen upon us we must continually battle the desire to fall into despair. No matter how grim the human existence seems to be we cannot fall into despair because hope always remains. Today we gather to celebrate this solemnity of hope. In the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary we can always find hope. Hope remains that from the darkness of sin the light of new life always shines forth. Our Blessed Mother brings this great light into the darkness of our lives and hope is given that we can come to conquer the death of sin. The death of sin was never allowed to touch the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was chosen by God before time to be the vessel that would carry our Divine Saviour into the world.
Her "yes" to the angel Gabriel can still be felt to this day because from it came the hope that a Saviour would be brought into the world who would save all from their sinfulness. This exchange was only possible because she was a woman without the stain of sin. Christ could never come to dwell in the womb of an impure object because he was completely pure and without sin. The Immaculate Conception brought this possibility into the world because from it Mary was conceived without sin. Without the Immaculate Conception taking place it would of been impossible for the Annunciation to take place. Without the Immaculate Conception the sin of Adam and Eve that we inherit would of been impossible to be overcome. Her Son, Jesus, is the new Adam while she is the new Eve. Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, but Christ and Mary were able to triumph over its grasp. From this reality great hope can be found within the event of the Immaculate Conception.
As we continue to prepare ourselves during this Advent season for the birth of Christ may we realize the importance that the Immaculate Conception plays within that event. Through the Immaculate Conception Mary was set apart because she never knew sin. From the moment of her Conception onward she began to prepare herself for the arrival of her son. Her life was set apart, so that in due time Christ would come to dwell within the world. Mary now dwells with her Son in Heaven above and she reaches out to each of us this day who need to use this season of Advent to prepare for the arrival of her Son. She desires to bring that light of her son into our lives as we prepare for this important moment. With the reception of this bright light the darkness of sin is able to be erased from our lives. May we trust in allowing Mary to help us prepare for the arrival of her son. From the event of the Immaculate Conception she knows a lot about the preparation that is necessary within our lives.
And so what are the preparations that we need to make during this season? Through these preparations that we must undertake we can begin to move ourselves closer to Christ. We can help our faith to grow a new during this season. We can learn how to silence the many voices of the world and be led into the silence of prayer. We can see how material possessions are nothing compared to having family and Christ present within our lives. We can see that we can move ourselves closer to God each day only if we begin to put a little work into it. Mary points out the path to all of these changes that must occur within our life. She is the reminder that the sin of Adam and Eve could not conquer humanity. When we come to her great embrace she takes not worship of herself, but always draws us closer to Christ. In the event of the Immaculate Conception she was set apart by God from sin, and now encourages us with great hope to stay connected to God always. She is the beacon that shines in the world leading us away from the various things that have made us lost within our lives. Through following this beacon that shines out we can finally be reoriented towards Christ and His love. The Immaculate Conception is the marvelous deed that God has worked within our world showing His desire that each of us will continue to have hope that we will not be left lost among the weight of sin and despair.
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