2nd Week of the Advent - Thursday
8th December 2022 (Thursday) Readings and Reflection
Immaculate Conception Readings and Reflection
Dear Brothers and Sisters, we are on the Thursday of 1st Week of the Advent. Today's gospel reflection is on the theme Stainless and spotless!
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: Genesis 3:9-15,20
9. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10. And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11. He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12. The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13. Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14. The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”20. The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 (R. lab)
Response: O sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation. Response
The Lord has made known his salvation,
has shown his deliverance to the nations.
He has remembered his merciful love
and his truth for the house of Israel. Response
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth
break forth into joyous song,
and sing out your praise. Response
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-6 11-12
3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4. even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6. to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 11. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12. so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
Gospel : Luke 1:26-38
26. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27. to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29. But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greetingthis might be. 30. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33. and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34. And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35. And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be borne will be called holy—the Son of God. 36. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37. For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38. And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Stainless and spotless!
Indicative: God in His benevolence kept Mary immaculate. It is quite valid because she was to be the abode of His incarnate Son and so it would be a worthy and sinless abode{alertSuccess}
1. On 08th December every year, we celebrate the immaculate conception of our sweetest Mother Mary and as her beloved children, we rejoice. It is a key dogma that we hold fast to. Thereby we believe that Mary was conceived immaculately and she remained sinless till the end of her life.
2. The immaculate conception of Mary is not a momentary happening, a one-time event limited only to that moment. It refers not only to the moment of conception in her mother’s womb. Rather it extends and embraces her whole life, from womb to tomb. Mary’s whole life was an unceasing act of immaculate conception.
3. She was already conceived immaculately in the eternal plan of God, and that continued at her birth and till her death. Mary’s immaculate conception points to God’s eternal plan of salvation. Things do not happen by chance. Everything has a place and purpose in God’s eternal will and designs. He destined Mary to be the Mother of His incarnate Son.
4. Mary’s immaculate conception blends God’s gift and human acceptance, God’s offer and human cooperation, privilege and responsibility, grace and duty. No doubt that it was God’s unique choice and gift. However, she was not a passive receiver or indifferent spectator to the divine show.
5. For her part, she actively cooperated with God’s gift. She offered no resistance to the fulfillment of God’s plan in and through her. She surrendered her whole life in unreserved commitment. What she received gratuitously, she strove to merit by her humility and fidelity.
6. Her immaculate conception was the starting point of an enormous duty. It was great to be conceived immaculately without the stain of sin. But that was no guarantee or shield against the attacks of sin. It did not exempt her from the perils of evil. She had to wage the battle for life. She had to work hard every moment to preserve and foster the grace of her immaculate conception.
7. Her immaculate conception points to Mary’s purity of heart. She was immaculate, pure, and guileless. No malice or evil could find a place in her. Like a lotus amid dirty water, she kept herself immaculate amid all the dirty and stained world.
8. She could be immaculate because her intentions and heart were totally free from any stain of egoism and self-seeking interests. She allowed no selfish motive to stain her heart or divert her focus. Her whole attention and orientation were doing God’s holy will. Her whole concern and striving was to cooperate with God’s plans and fulfilling the sacred role entrusted to her.
Imperative: Mary’s immaculate conception points to the secret of her life. In surrender to God, with purity of heart, be committed to cooperating with God’s plan and accomplishing it {alertSuccess}
Video Reflection
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