Immaculate Conception 2019 (2019-12-09)

2019 – December 9  [ immaculate conception  ]

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

[__01__]       / [__02__]     One of the reasons that some sports fans get  disillusioned and impatient – even watching their favorite sport and team is that they observe the players – sometimes very professional players – not observing or keeping to the rules.    Professional soccer players are legendary for this – if you have ever watched professional soccer – even World Cup Soccer – there are players who in a tight and difficult situation will pretend to be injured – they will “feign injury” in order to cause the referee to blow the whistle and stop the game … as a fake defensive measure.

           I just use this as an example to to show that even the most talented, the most gifted individual in a situation where he can display his gifts for all to see … will, under the right circumstances … do something dishonest just to get ahead, or take the easy way out.

[__03__]     I am not saying that “Adam and Eve just flopped themselves down on the field….” But there was a fall… there is a reason why this Genesis Book of Genesis, 3^rd chapter, is called the Fall of Adam and Eve.

          In a reflection on the influence and work of the Devil, Father Robert Barron (later, “Bishop Robert Barron”) observed that just as we can recognize in the world good and evil in ourselves …and in others.

          Well, we can also recognize good and evil in the spiritual beings – in the angels created by God. The angels also have free will, to choose good or to choose evil.

          And, consider what might the greatest aspiration of anyone who has any authority position – and this could be someone in the authority position of being:

-         Mother, father, parent

-         Teacher

-         Religious sister or brother …or the priest, a.k.a., “Father”

-         Physician – someone who can heal someone physically.

In any of these professions or vocations  and other professions, we hope to pass along – to hand down something good, not only by what we tell or teach but also by how we behave.

All of us have great potential to do good.

We also have potential to do harm.

Does this harm – or potential for harm exist simply because of our own personal weakness … or some institutional weakeness?

We might easily come to this conclusion about, for example, the  Church, the Catholic Church ..and sins of her own priests, her own “Fathers” and others.

I am not looking to pretend that bad stuff did not happen. It did.

But not simply because the institution was weak or weakened (we need better policies) … or because the person was week (we need better priests) … but also because of fundamental choices and flops and falling down on the basic choice between Good and Evil.

There is a potential for harm as well as good.

[__03__]   Bishop Robert Barron’s point about the fallen angel – or the Devil – is that he uses all of his so-called “connection” to God and powers bestowed by God do things that are contrary to God.

          Barron offers these examples:

God is is the one who collects who unites… but the Devil is the one who distracts, who scatters… it is the Devil’s great success to “separate”  Eve and Adam. Adam and Eve never really got together to reflect on what the Devil was saying. They each reach their own conclusions and then blame each other.

          Parodoxically, after God appears, the only one with reverent silence before God is the devil. But, his work at that point is done.

          The devil succeeds by separating… us from each or from ourselves.

          The Devil also succeeds by the LIE, by DISHONESTY.

          His famous opening question to Adam and Eve suggests that “regulation” in the garden was all about prohibition rather than protection, the devil suggests that God is shutting down A & E, when he is really sheltering them by his rule.

          How are we affected by dishonesty?

          Bishop Barron asked this question – consider a moment when someone said something untrue about  you, or when you even dared to think that someone said something untrue?

          Or, consider a moment when you said something untrue about another person ..or when the person thought you did so?

          Can the “evil” of that lie simply be explained or corrected by “personal weakness” or “institutional improvements in policy”?

          A lie can have a life of its own.

          And, sometimes all we can do is pray for the Holy Spirit to do his work, for the saving Blood of Christ to sanctify and redeem us and recall that our battle in this world includes a battle with evil, sometimes with untruth, but it is one that Jesus also assists us with …and he suffered and died in order to save us, to raise us and to bring us to a new Garden, a new hope, a new heaven and a new earth.  [__fin__]