Behold I Am the Handmaid of the Lord – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”

And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

Opening Prayer: Blessed Mother, I ask your intercession for me on this solemnity of your Immaculate Conception. Please pray for me to have a heart pure like yours, a place where your son, Jesus, can be born anew. Mother, I humbly ask you, who perfect all of our prayers, to ask your Son to create in me a clean heart so that I may be a witness of light and love and a voice of truth in the world.

Encountering Christ:

1. Do Not Be Afraid: “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” This saying helps us to understand that giving her “yes” did not mean that Mary responded without fear. When we bring our fears to prayer, we can find the courage to face the seemingly impossible–a challenging task at work; a difficult conversation with a loved one, a friend, or a coworker; health issues or conditions. Jesus, we bring our fears to you.
2. How Can This Be?: Mary exclaims, “How is it that you have chosen me?” We are broken, sinful, and weak, yet Jesus chose us, too, as instruments to draw others to the Father. We may be tempted to feel unworthy, but that means we are relying on ourselves. We need Jesus to open our hearts, enter in, and work through us.
3. Nothing Will Be Impossible for God: Our Lady gave us the Rosary during which we contemplate the birth of Our Lord. We pray that Jesus will be born in all hearts, for nothing is impossible for God. The hardest of hearts, the most wayward souls, the ones chained in sin…all can be saved, all can be hearts where Christ is born. There is this potential in every soul.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, what a gift Our Lady is to me. She shows me how to take courage, how to trust in you, how to carry you in my heart. She reminds me that you do not give up on anyone. She shows me that nothing is impossible for you. I entrust the conversion of the souls of all of my loved ones to you through the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace I will fervently pray one decade of the Rosary for the conversion of all souls.

For Further Reflection: Click here to pray the Rosary to the Immaculate Conception

Marjorie Davin is a lay member of Regnum Christi of 21 years who has served as director of the Women’s Section in the Washington, D.C., area. She and her husband just celebrated their jubilee anniversary of 25 years and are the parents of four adult children.