Immaculate Conception
Two important liturgical
celebrations in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary fittingly occur
during the Season of Advent. They are the Solemnity of the
Immaculate Conception on December 8th, a holy day of obligation, and
the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12th.
The two celebrations are closely related to each other, for Our Lady
of Guadalupe appeared for the first time to Saint Juan Diego on
December 9, 1531, which, at that time in the Spanish Empire, was the
Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
In appearing to Saint
Juan Diego, she identified herself as “the Perfect Ever Virgin Holy
Mary, Mother of the Most True God” (Nican Mopohua, n. 26).By
the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, God the Father
prepared Mary to be the Mother of His only-begotten Son Whom He was
sending into the world as our Savior. Mary, daughter of Joachim and
Ann, was preserved, from her first moment of life, from all stain of
Original Sin. Her womb was the all-pure vessel in which the
conception of God the Son could take place through the overshadowing
of the Holy Spirit. This is the meaning of the words of Our Lady of
Guadalupe who identified herself as the “Perfect Ever Virgin Holy
Mother.”
Mary’s Immaculate
Conception
Quite frequently the
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is confused with
the Virginal Conception of our Lord Jesus Christ. The two events of
our salvation are closely related to one another. God the Father
ordered the Immaculate Conception of Mary to the Virginal Conception
of Jesus in her all pure womb by the overshadowing of the Holy
Spirit. But it is spiritually important to understand the distinct
event of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, in order to appreciate fully
the great mystery of the Incarnation in the Virginal Conception of
Jesus in the immaculate womb of the Virgin Mary.
In Mary’s Immaculate
Conception, Christ’s work of the Redemption was anticipated, that
is, Mary, from the first moment of her life, was freed from all sin
and filled with the Holy Spirit. The gift of her Immaculate
Conception is the fruit of the Passion and Death of God the Son Who
was conceived in her womb. The Immaculate Conception is a wonderful
manifestation of God’s immeasurable love of us, expressed in its
fullness by His coming to dwell with us (Catechism of the
Catholic Church, nos. 490-493).
The Immaculate Conception is also a striking manifestation of our
call to holiness of life. We are called to imitate the perfect
cooperation with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which we see in the
Virgin Mary. We are called to treasure the grace of Redemption,
which we see in her Immaculate Conception, and so grow in the
likeness of Christ. The Immaculate Conception inspires us to seek
the purification of all sin in our lives and to give an ever fuller
cooperation to the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.
Patroness of Our
Nation
The Blessed Virgin Mary,
under the title of her Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of
our nation. The Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
in Washington, D.C., is a magnificent tribute of our affection for
the Mother of God, who has interceded so faithfully for the
intentions of our nation. The patronage of Mary Immaculate also
inspires in us a renewed dedication to the common good of all the
citizens of our nation. The mystery of the Immaculate Conception
leads us to reflect, in a particular way, on how human life, from
its beginning, is to be treasured and fostered. It also leads us to
restore the respect for all human life in our state and nation.
Conscious of the grave evils of procured abortion, the destruction
of embryonic human life and human cloning, let us, with Mary
Immaculate, pray to God our Father for the end of these evils which
are the deadly fruit of our human pride.
Given the
unimaginable situation of our State of Missouri, at present, with
the passing of the amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees
the right to human cloning and the destruction of embryonic human
life, let us place ourselves once again under the protection of our
Blessed Mother, trusting that she will lead us to Christ Who alone
makes us free from sin and free to serve the good of all our
brothers and sisters. As we celebrate the Solemnity of the
Immaculate Conception, I ask you to continue the Rosary Crusade for
the Safeguarding of Embryonic Human Life. We need the intercession
of the Blessed Virgin Mary now more than ever.
Mother of America
The Mother of God has
shown her particular affection for the entire continent of America
by her appearances to Saint Juan Diego in 1531. The Blessed Virgin
Mary came to our continent to show us her loving care in all of our
needs and sufferings, and to bring us to her Divine Son, the Mercy
of God Incarnate for us. After her apparitions and through her
intercession, in a truly miraculous way, literally millions of
Native Americans received the grace of faith and Baptism, and the
horrible practice of the human sacrifice of hundreds of thousands
was ended. What is more, the Native Americans and the Europeans who
were on the brink of a deadly conflict, were brought together in
unity to form a new people and culture, the mestiza culture
which has its identity in the Virgin of Guadalupe, affectionately
called La Morenita. Let us entrust our continent to the
prayers of Our Lady of Guadalupe, so that the faith may be brought
to all and the inviolable dignity of the life of each brother and
sister may be fully respected.
The Rosary Crusade
for the Safeguarding of Embryonic Human Life on our continent is
under the patronage of the Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America
and Star of the New Evangelization. In the challenges which we face
daily to safeguard and promote the common good, let us invoke the
intercession of the Mother of God. In carrying out our daily
responsibilities, let us imitate the faith, hope and love of Saint
Juan Diego, her faithful messenger.
Heart of Jesus,
formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, have mercy
on us.
On
December 2, 2003, Bishop Burke was named Archbishop of St. Louis,
succeeding Justin Cardinal Rigali. Archbishop Burke was installed in
St. Louis on January 26, 2004, the fifth anniversary of Pope John
Paul II's historic pastoral visit to the archdiocese. Pope John Paul
II invested Archbishop Burke with the pallium on June 29, 2004, at
the Basilica of St. Peter, in Rome. On June 27, 2008 Pope Benedict
XVI appointed him to Rome where he now serves as Prefect of the
Apostolic Signatura and President of the Commission for Advocates.
Link to More Homilies of Archbishop Burke>>>
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