Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Old Eve, New Eve Luke 1:26-38  Reflecting on the Immaculate Conception one cannot miss comparing the old Eve and Mary, the new Eve, and the implications it brings us as a Church. First, sin vs. grace The old Eve started sin and its transmission, hence, the teaching on "original sin."  On the other hand, the new Eve put an end to the cycle of sin in the world and brought grace.  The angel Gabriel greeted her, "Hail, full of grace." This is the manifestation of the Immaculate Conception.  God would not allow even a stain of sin to touch the mother of God. The Church's mission is to transmit grace, not sin to the world. Second, disobedience vs. obedience Adam and Eve's sin is disobedience, a defiance of God's will.  But Mary eradicated it through her absolute obedience, "I am the maidservant of the Lord; let it be done to me as you say." The Church, to be a living Church, has to have disciples or servants for its members.  It cannot...

In the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the old Eve is replaced by the new Eve, the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are three attributes that separate the new Eve from the old Eve aside from the title "Blessed Virgin" which is the mark of the Immaculate Conception as well as the perfect holiness of God. First, learn us learn for her obedience and not from the disobedience of Eve. Second, learn from the responsibility of Mary vis-a-vis the irresponsibility of Eve.  Eve blamed the serpent while she was the one who was responsible for the choice she made.   Thirdly, Mary's fruit is Jesus while Eve became the mother of humankind.  What kind of fruits will we produce on this earth - weak or strong youth? Be strong to follow Jesus.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception Can we still be holy?  how do we go back to the holiness that once was? The answer is we couldn't.  But God initiated everything.  It is God's own doing that we go back along the path of holiness.  All it takes is for us to thank God for everything: for the Immaculate Conception and for his son Jesus. God wishes us to be freed from any stain of sin.  God wishes us to be like him in holiness.  That's is the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, even a tinge of holiness, unblemished state can heal the darkness of our lives.  We just need to go to that direction. Could we still be holy?  The answer is "yes!" Even the little things we do, sanctifying all things redounds to proclaiming God's greater glory and honor.  We could do the following: 1. Fill ourselves with holy things each day.  Only our adherence to Jesus can make us holy.  He causes us to be holy through the sacraments and throug...