Friday December 8, 2023

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“We cannot avoid sin unless we rely on God’s gift of grace.”

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Good News Reflection for:

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 8, 2023

Today’s Prayer:

Thank You, Father, for filling me with Your gifts and talents. May Your Grace, which You so generously pour upon us, pass through me to reach my brothers and sisters who need You most. Amen.

Subscribe to Today’s Saint Quote & Prayer:
gnm.org/SaintQuotes/

Today’s Readings:

Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Ps 98:1-4
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Luke 1:26-38
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120823.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-december-8-2023

Living by the grace of God

Grace is a gift, pure gift. Grace is God’s power offered freely when we need it, regardless of what we do or don’t do. It’s God’s decision. He offers it because he cares.

However, availing ourselves of his grace does depend on us. We cannot sin and remain in the state of grace. We cannot sin and remain in God’s good graces.

God’s grace is necessary. It’s a gift with a purpose. We cannot avoid sin unless we rely on God’s gift of grace. Mary is the holiest human who ever lived because she was full of grace (as today’s Gospel reading says). Due to this fullness, she resisted all temptations to sin. Tradition tells us (from the earliest of writings about Mary) that she remained full of grace throughout her life, which is why we can safely hold fast to the dogma that says she never sinned, ever.

Grace is available to us because of Christ. He gave us his Holy Spirit so that our holiness would be activated by the power of God, by the presence of God, and by the truth of God. If we desire this, he favors us with the grace we need.

Have you ever been graced with a new understanding? Or with a deeper love for others? Or with greater purity of heart? This is evidence that you’ve been favored by God. What does it mean to be “favored”?

The world says: If I do a favor for you, then you owe me a favor. God says: I do many favors for you because I love you.

The world says: If you’re my favorite, I’ll treat you better than I do others. God says: You are My favorite, and so is everyone else who embraces the saving power of Christ. Don’t compare yourself to others, because you are special to Me in your own unique way.

The Holy Spirit planned ahead for the birth of Jesus by creating Mary without the effects of Original Sin. This is called her “immaculate conception”. God completely filled her with the gift of grace so that the body of Jesus, who is fully divine and holy, could be formed in her womb, and so that the child Jesus could be raised in a holy environment.

Yet, as highly favored as Mary was, God did not love her more than he loves you.

Love is love. There is no such thing as less love or more love. It is not given nor withheld based on what a person deserves. Love is limitless, love cannot be stopped, and love gives itself away freely because anything less is unloving.

In his love for you, God wants to help you resist temptations. Ask for more grace and he will gladly provide it. But to receive it, we have to want to be holy. By giving to Jesus your desire to be holy, you will receive the grace he is already offering to you.

Read more about this using our WordByte: “Was Mary an Immaculate Conception?” @ https://wordbytes.org/faqs/mary-immaculate-conception/

© 2023 by Terry A. Modica

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