Homily from 12-8-23

It's easy to confuse the Immaculate Conception with the Incarnation.  After all, they both involved Jesus, right?  And Jesus was certainly born without Original Sin!  But no.  The Immaculate Conception marks the annual reminder that Mary herself - the Mother of God - was also conceived without sin and that she also committed no sin during her earthly life.  She so perfectly answered God's call with her fiat - her "yes to God's plan - that Jesus redeemed her from all sin even before Mary was born!  Wrap that around your head!  The question for us all these years later is: Can we also perfectly respond to God's call?