Immaculate Conception (2015-12-08)

8 December 2015  /   [ immaculate conception  ]

• Genesis 3:9-15 • Psalm  • Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 • Luke 1:26-38  •

[__01__]     Today, December 8^th, is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and we read from the Book of Genesis, the account of the Fall of Adam and Eve, the original sin of Adam and Eve, their disobedience of God’s commandment.

[__02__]    It is, perhaps, difficult to imagine that Adam and Eve should be   “arrested” … stopped and frisked …. “charged” and “sentenced”  for this particular action and transgression.

It is, perhaps, difficult to see how the prohibition of fruit from a particular tree should be the definition of ORIGINAL SIN, or the manifestation of ORIGINAL SIN before God.

[__03__]    For example, could there not be a more serious “FELONY” or FAULT or SIN or CRIME with which to charge Adam and Eve? …something more serious than the consumption of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

In the next chapter of the Book of Genesis, we read about the disarray and the envy and the chaos in the life of Cain toward his brother Abel …and the taking of Abel’s life.

Certainly, this is also a sin, an offense against God, flagrant and intentional.

[__04__]    Original sin, however, and the subtlety of sin is often not manifested in something flagrant and intentional.

It begins with something that is the opposite of flagrant – “I will not be visible” … “I will not be seen.”

Or, it begins with something in which we hide our intentions … we may not want to admit the intention to ourselves.

“I did not mean to hurt anyone.”

[__05__]     As baptized Christians and Catholics, and as confirmed Christians and Catholics who are able to confess our sins, receive absolution, receive Holy Communion, we certainly have many graces in our life to help us to avoid sin, to avoid many forms of the flagrant and the intentional.

And, for a while, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were also able to avoid many sins because they were in loving communion and conversation with God.

[__06__]     However, the Lord also gave them free will, freedom of choice.

He planted their free choice in the middle of the Garden.

Their free will was planted there – symbolized by a tree – as part of the ecosystem, the delicate environmental and spiritual balance between God and Adam and Eve.

God planted this tree, there, then not to trick them but simply to make them aware that their freedom was also a natural gift.

We speak of our freedom – especially in the themes of July 4, 1776 and the inalienable rights of our Declaration of Independence in terms of freedoms that even the government cannot – and dare not seize, for example:

·        Freedom of speech

·        Freedom of religion, Freedom of worship.

Freedom is natural. God created us with freedom.

Pope Francis spoke about this during his U.S. visit and his address to the President:

“[we] are … concerned that efforts to build a just and wisely-ordered society respect [the] deepest concerns [of people] and their right to religious liberty. That freedom remains one of America’s most precious possessions. And …. as the United States Bishops, have reminded us, all are called to be vigilant, precisely as good citizens, to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it.” (Pope Francis’ address to President Obama, September 2015)

[__07__]    We may be inclined at times to measure – or quantify – our freedom or free will based on the number of rules we have to follow or not follow.

In fact, I don’t think FREEDOM can really be measured… either we are free or we are not.

Neverthless, this is how we think and speak.   For this reason,  SUMMER is often defined a time of greater FREEDOM, in comparison to WINTER.

For this reason, sometimes, we even implicitly or explicitly diminish certain callings or vocations because of their obligations.

But, do we not remain free even if have children, have a spouse, have a career, have responsibilities?

[__08__]  This is, perhaps, what Adam and Eve could have said to the serpent…that the tree of knowledge did not hinder their freedom, but rather created their freedom.

[__09__]   And, this was also the message of Jesus consistently to his disciples and to us about the cross, the tree of our salvation.

The cross makes us free.

For example, each day, when we discover not only the commandment to honor thy father and thy mother..but also discover that it is an honor – a grace – to love one’s father and mother, to return the love given to us

[__10__]    We believe that God’s commandments to love – to love God, our neighbor and our neighbor as ourselves – does not restrict us … but makes us free.

For a person “in love” is often able to extend himself or herself … and also become himself or herself…without restriction and without condition.

Freedom is necessary to love unconditionally.

It does not mean that we would never correct another person..or that we would never receive correction. However, love enables us to receive “correction” from someone who loves us… love also enables us to help another person to grow.

Love enables us not only to conquer great sins but also subtle faults and failings so that our image and our true originality, the originality of our grace in God can be restored.   [__fin__]