It was fitting that she, the New Eve, who was to cooperate so intimately with her Son in the work of our redemption, be entirely free of sin. She who was to be associated with her Son in His victory over Satan must never have been under the dominion of Satan.
In revealing to us Mary’s Immaculate Conception and perfect holiness, God places before our eyes a concrete model of what we are to love, and, loving, strive to be. He gives us a model that is at once perfect and yet lowly, lovable, and imitable. Despite her unique privilege and lofty holiness, Mary is the most imitable of the saints, because her greatness is in her lowliness. She is the handmaid of the Lord. Mother, yes, but first handmaid. Blessed because she believed.
In gazing upon the Immaculate Virgin, utterly free of the disorders of our sinful nature, the devout faithful feel a new hope in their own humanity. In contrast to our experience of a world given to sin, corruption, lying, cheating, cruelty, and lust, we see a fellow creature that is utterly pure and good, totally given to love, a mother’s love for all. For mortals trapped in this valley of tears to look upon the sinless Virgin is like prisoners buried in a dungeon being allowed to see the bright sun and breathe pure air once more.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!!
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Prayers at the Foot of the Altar
Showing posts with label Ignorance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ignorance. Show all posts
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The Immaculate Conception II
In response to many petitions that had been sent to Rome, after having consulted all bishops throughout the world and having received from them an overwhelmingly favorable response, Pope Pius IX, on December 8, 1854, promulgated the Bull “Ineffabilis Deus,” in which be solemnly defined the Immaculate Conception as a dogma of Catholic faith:
To the glory of the holy and undivided Trinity, to the honor and renown of the Virgin Mother of God…by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ…we declare, pronounce, and define: the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, in consideration of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, has been revealed by God and must, therefore later, Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes and identified herself with the words, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” When it was reported that many miracles were being performed at Lourdes, the faithful throughout the world took this to be a confirmation of the papal definition.
The question becomes “what relevance does this doctrine have for my own spiritual life?” We can find the answer to this question if we reflect on other questions: “Why was it God’s design to preserve Mary from every stain of sin?” “Why did He destine her to attain a degree of holiness far beyond that of any other mere creature?” “And why did God choose to reveal to us the special favors he bestowed upon the lowly handmaid of Nazareth?”
It was fitting that Mary be conceived without sin because she was destined to be the worthy, beloved Mother of the holy God. In preserving Mary from all sin, God prepared a holy tabernacle in which His Son was to dwell, a holy body from which He was to take His humanity, a holy Mother whom He could love with the fullness of His divine/human love. The Immaculate Conception is ultimately a reflection on the holiness of Christ, the incarnate Son of God, with whom Mary was destined to enter into such an intimate relationship.
Sin is alienation from God, disorder in one’s relation to God, a loss of the divine image, a defilement of one’s being. It was fitting that one who was to be the Mother of God never experience such alienation, disorder, loss, or defilement.
Since it was within the power of the Divine Son to bestow this privileged grace upon His dearly loved Mother, Christian piety has believed that so good a Son has done this for so beloved a mother. Here the scotistic principle, Quod potuit, quod decuit, hoc fecit, can rightly be applied. (What was possible, what was fitting, that God did for Mary)-Scotus.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
To the glory of the holy and undivided Trinity, to the honor and renown of the Virgin Mother of God…by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ…we declare, pronounce, and define: the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, in consideration of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, has been revealed by God and must, therefore later, Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes and identified herself with the words, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” When it was reported that many miracles were being performed at Lourdes, the faithful throughout the world took this to be a confirmation of the papal definition.
The question becomes “what relevance does this doctrine have for my own spiritual life?” We can find the answer to this question if we reflect on other questions: “Why was it God’s design to preserve Mary from every stain of sin?” “Why did He destine her to attain a degree of holiness far beyond that of any other mere creature?” “And why did God choose to reveal to us the special favors he bestowed upon the lowly handmaid of Nazareth?”
It was fitting that Mary be conceived without sin because she was destined to be the worthy, beloved Mother of the holy God. In preserving Mary from all sin, God prepared a holy tabernacle in which His Son was to dwell, a holy body from which He was to take His humanity, a holy Mother whom He could love with the fullness of His divine/human love. The Immaculate Conception is ultimately a reflection on the holiness of Christ, the incarnate Son of God, with whom Mary was destined to enter into such an intimate relationship.
Sin is alienation from God, disorder in one’s relation to God, a loss of the divine image, a defilement of one’s being. It was fitting that one who was to be the Mother of God never experience such alienation, disorder, loss, or defilement.
Since it was within the power of the Divine Son to bestow this privileged grace upon His dearly loved Mother, Christian piety has believed that so good a Son has done this for so beloved a mother. Here the scotistic principle, Quod potuit, quod decuit, hoc fecit, can rightly be applied. (What was possible, what was fitting, that God did for Mary)-Scotus.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The School of Jesus Christ
It would truly be quite shameful for a person who studied many years in a particular school of discipline under the teaching of excellent professors to remain ignorant! We should be ashamed because we have lived so many years in the school of Jesus Christ and have seemingly learned nothing of His holy humility! Humility is essential to all those who wish to be saved. In other words, we must truly have the lowest opinion of ourselves.
"My sin is always before me. To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee." (Ps. 50:5, 6).
Let us acknowledge our sins any humbly beg God's forgiveness.
Sincerely Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
"My sin is always before me. To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee." (Ps. 50:5, 6).
Let us acknowledge our sins any humbly beg God's forgiveness.
Sincerely Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
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