The preface that will be used at this Mass refers to the Blessed Mother as : "a model of holiness." This is a most important statement for us to understand because so many often claim that devotion to our Blessed Mother is not important. Others might claim that devotions such as the Rosary or even having Holy Days of Obligation set aside for our Blessed Mother takes away from devotion to Christ to whom all of our devotion should flow. It is sad to hear this because our Blessed Mother is most important throughout the plan of salvation history. It is sad to hear this because she never claims all of this devotion and honor for herself, but instead through our devotion to her we are raised into union with her Son, Jesus Christ. It is sad to hear this because after all she is a model for holiness. Devotion to her and to her Immaculate Heart will lead us towards holiness.
What took place in the Garden of Eden was our surrender to sin. From the actions of Adam and Eve each of us have in return been touched by Original Sin. From their actions the gates of Heaven were closed, but thankfully God's plan for salvation did not end here. Instead God took on human flesh in the Incarnation and as we now prepare during this Advent season came to dwell with each of us on Christmas Day. Thanks to the great gift that Christ would offer on our behalf upon the cross; the sin that entered into the world through Adam and Eve could not reign supreme. It was conquered by Christ's gift of Himself which should in return make us realize that any sin that is present in our life cannot reign supreme because Christ has already ushered His mercy and forgiveness into a world that has been touched by sin. This is the story of salvation history and therefore we must realize the important role that the Immaculate Conception plays in all of this.
The Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived free from the state of sin, this includes original sin. This is important because if she was stained by the state of sin even original sin; Christ would of entered into the world through an impure vessel and thus He to would of taken on the state of sin. The Immaculate Conception was not brought about due to any merit on the behalf of Mary, but instead this was an action that God made on her behalf. It is through the work of God that Mary was conceived free from the state of sin because she was chosen among all women to be the pure vessel that would bring Christ into this world. Thus she is known as the Godbearer; not because she created God in the first person of the Trinity, but instead because she gave birth to Christ who is God made man. Therefore her "yes" to the angel Gabriel is most important because it resounds down to all generations our salvation and points out towards us a path which leads towards holiness.
We know that our own life and that which we see played out around us is far from being the perfect realization of the Kingdom of God. Sin exists and it is real. The greatest lie that the devil can ever lead us to believe is that he is not real because when we become confused on this fact we become confused on the existence of sin. When we become confused on sin's existence we fall into it to the point where we lose hope that we can ever crawl back out of it. Through the reality of the Fall we encounter so many pressures in our daily life. Nevertheless, may we not lose the hope of God's coming Kingdom which has been won for us through the cross. It is from the cross that Jesus Christ now reigns victorious as the new Adam and it is from Her "yes" that Mary now reigns victorious as the new Eve. Sin and death have been conquered and now we are left to look towards the Kingdom of Heaven which has been opened to us.
May we look towards our Blessed Mother this day for she is the new Eve. She desires to lead us along a path towards holiness which will ultimately lead us to encounter her Son, Jesus Christ. Devotion to our Blessed Mother is most important because it elevates our ability to love towards God. In all things may God be glorified and may we carry out this task through our Blessed Mother and her Immaculate Heart. May we truly allow her to be "a model for holiness" in all that we carry out in our daily life.
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