Praised be Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
As we speak, our country is beset
by the slowly moving powerful typhoon rightfully named “Hagupit.” We have yet
to see the full extent of the damage this typhoon caused our country. However,
the experts tell us that slowly moving typhoons leave more damage than those
which strike quickly. Thus, we should pray to the Immaculate Conception, the
patroness of the Philippines, to help our people weather and overcome the
storm.
The name “Hagupit” is very
appropriate for a typhoon of this magnitude. Hagupit means “scourge”. I do not
like to imply that this typhoon is a punishment coming from God. Rather, we
should see this typhoon as part of the consequences of the sin of Adam: “The harmony
in which they found themselves, thanks to original justice, is now destroyed:
the control of the soul’s spiritual faculties over the body is shattered; the
union of man and woman becomes subject to tensions, their relations henceforth
marked by lust and domination. HARMONY WITH CREATION IS BROKEN: VISIBLE
CREATION HAS BECOME ALIEN AND HOSTILE TO MAN. Because of man, creation is now
subject to its ‘bondage to decay.’ Finally,…death makes its entrance into human
history.” (CCC. 400) Indeed, we are witnessing not only an effect of climate
change and global warming. We are seeing the effect of sin in action.
By his sin, Adam lost original
holiness and justice not only for himself but for all human beings. Adam and
Eve transmitted to their descendants a human nature that is deprived of
original holiness and justice. This deprivation, called “original sin,”
subjected the entire created world to the domination of death. (CCC, 416-419)
Before this reality of original sin, we are helpless. No one has the power to
save himself from this slavery to sin and death. Such is the poverty of our
human nature.
Only the Lord can redeem us from
original sin. Seeing our helplessness in face of sin, God decided to send his
Son to save us. In preparation of the Incarnation, God created his most perfect
creature: the Blessed Virgin Mary, who will be the Mother of his Incarnate Son.
In Mary, we find the restoration of original justice and holiness. She was
untouched by original sin, never deprived of the glory of God, always full of
grace. The Immaculate Conception is God’s masterpiece. Mary was conceived
without sin not only in anticipation of the Incarnation and Redemption, but
also to provide for us the image of what God wants to accomplish in us by
redeeming us: a human nature in which the likeness of God is truly restored. In
the Immaculate Conception, we have the evidence of the victory of Christ. God
has wonderfully created man but even more wonderfully restored him in grace.
“The world has been established and kept in being by the Creator’s love; has
fallen into slavery to sin but has been set free by Christ, crucified and risen
to break the power of the evil one.” (CCC, 421) In Mary, we see the new
creation: creation set free from the power of the evil one, creation restored
in the loveliness of innocence and grace. “Mary benefited first of all and
uniquely from Christ’s victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of
original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during
her whole earthly life.” (CCC, 411)
And so, we still find ourselves
within the harsh combat with the powers of evil. We continue to struggle to do
what is right. We continue to suffer the consequences of original sin. By
looking up to the Immaculate Conception, our weary hearts are strengthened by
the assurance that God will never abandon us to the evil one. If only we
cooperate with his grace, we will also succeed in achieving our own inner
integrity. Only by God’s grace…only with God’s grace will we be saved.
Jesus, I trust in you. O Mary
conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
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