December 8th: Immaculate Conception
«The angel came to her and said, Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you»
Fr. David COMPTE i Verdaguer (Manlleu, Barcelona, Spain)
Today, the Gospel plays a tune made up of three notes. Three notes which, in our society, are not always that well-tuned: one note of doing, one of friendship and another one of coherence of life. Nowadays, we all have very busy lives, but, do we have a plan? Today, when we are navigating through a world of communications, are we capable of being alone in our own company for a while? Today, in the information era, are we letting it shape who we are?
A plan. Mary, a young woman «betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David» (Lk 1:28). Mary has a plan. Of human proportions, evidently. Nevertheless, God comes into her life to bestow on her another project... of divine proportions. Today, He wants to come into our lives too, to give our everyday human tasks divine proportions.
A presence. «Do not fear, Mary» (Lk 1:30). We just do not go and build the first thing that comes into our head! Lest our addiction to “doing” were to become a way to hide a void. Marriage, a life of servitude, our profession, should not mean a leap in the dark. «(...) Full of grace, the Lord is with you» (Lk 1:28). Presence that accompanies and provides a new meaning. Trust in God, which —indirectly— brings us to trust others. Friendship with God that renews our friendship with others, too.
To shape ourselves. Today, when we are confronted with so many stimuli, so often conflicting, it is necessary to give unity and shape to our life. Mary, says saint Louis Mary Grignion, «is the living mould of God». «A sculptor, explains Grignion, can make a statue in two ways: By using his skill, strength, experience and good tools to produce a statue out of hard, shapeless matter; or by making a cast of it in a mould (...). The second is quick, easy, straightforward, almost effortless and inexpensive, but the mould must be perfect and true to life and the material must be easy to handle and offer no resistance». Mary is the great mould of God. Do we turn to Her by being ourselves material that easy to shape?