Blessed be

Blessed be . . . the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing.   Chosen to be holy and without blemish.   Destined for adoption as children of God.   While all of these phrases describe God’s eternal plan for each one of us, they hold a special meaning when we consider the Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Conception.

We celebrate Mary, a woman preserved from original sin by a unique gift of God before she was even born.   When we wonder what humanity would be like if it weren’t for sin, we can look to Mary for an answer.   In her we see a humble trust in God’s ways.   We see a willingness to question God, coupled with a quiet, reflective heart that embraces his answers wholeheartedly.   We don’t always see perfect peace, but we do see perfect faith.   That’s why we are constantly encouraged to look to Mary as our mother and as the model of the Christian life.

At her Immaculate Conception, Mary received in advance all the blessings that we can now receive in Christ.   Through the cross, we have all been made sons and daughters of God.   Through baptism, we are all cleansed of original sin.   Because of the gift of the Holy Spirit, we, too, can become bearers of God, bringing Christ into the world.

Just as we have received the same blessings as Mary, we can follow Mary as our example.   Every day we can choose to embrace God’s plan, even when it’s hard to understand.   Through quiet, listening hearts, we can become signposts to the heavenly kingdom, showing people a new way to live.   When we give of ourselves to the poor or to help a neighbor, we build the kingdom of God.   When we stay close to the Lord even through times of heartbreak, we receive his comfort and manifest his transforming power.

Yes, Mary is blessed above all people, but we, too, have received “every spiritual blessing”.   Mary most perfectly shows us who we are in Christ. Let’s not lose sight of it!

word among us