Full of grace

Apse of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Memphis,
Tennessee, which I visited this past weekend. I will be posting more soon
about the visit to Memphis, which included stops to see the Peabody
ducks and the National Civil Rights Museum--and eat some BBQ!

 

December 8, 2011
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Genesis 3: 9-15, 20
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Luke 1:26-38

Blessed Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation.

 

To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself from through Mary, and thuse he made his own creation. He who would create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary.

 

God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Savior of the world. Without God's Son, nothing could exist; without Mary's Son, nothing could be redeemed.

-- St. Anselm (ca. 1033-1109)