It is 8th December 2016. We celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May I wish all of you a very happy feast of our Beloved Mother Mary, who conceived without sin. Mother Mary, pray for us all sinners and lead our souls to Christ. The feast recalls the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother St. Anne. She was conceived without any taint of original sin as She is going to be the mother of our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is the celebration of God’s love and mercy towards humanity. The plan of God for the erring humanity as it is portrayed in the first reading. God revealed God’s glory in the person of Jesus by this singularly extraordinary historical event that offered us all a way out from the Fall of Adam and Eve. The readings are from Genesis 3:9-15; and the second reading from the Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12; and the Gospel from Luke 1:26-38. The first reading explains the introduction of sin in the life of Adam and Eve which would have potential consequence on all the humanity as a whole. Because of their sins, they lost the privilege to live in the Garden of love, grace and blessings of all kinds eventually expelled from it by God. Mother Mary, the new Eve offered herself to God completely with all her submission to the plan of God to save the world through Jesus. In the second reading, St. Paul assures that through the Immaculate Conception of Mary, God predestined a road map for the salvation of humanity. God made us to depend on God through this very act of mercy and grace towards the humanity. As long as human beings depend on God for their personal salvation, the roaring waves of the sins cannot have the power to engulf them. It is just like the fiat of Mary, She allowed God to use herself for the welfare of humanity, we need to transcend ourselves daily by responding affirmatively to such a loving God. In the responsorial Psalm praises, “Sing to the Lord a new song, for God has done marvellous deeds.” (Ps.98:4). The Gospel recalls the Annunciation to Mary by the Angel Gabriel and her powerful response to God. God prepared Mary for the birth of Jesus. God wants us to remove all our sins from our lives before we celebrate the birth of Jesus during this Christmas. Are you prepared internally? Are we living in grace or sinking deep in our personal sins? May you have a good day.