This second Sunday of Advent coincedes with the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. "You have preserved the Virgin Mary from all stain of original sin". This is what the Church sings in today’s preface for the eucharistic prayer. The Church has arrived to the formulation of this affirmation with great joy and firm serenity. Looking at the Virgin Mary the Church has always contemplated the work of God, convinced that She is always more beautiful than anyone can imagine!

"The Son was to be born of Her as the blameless lamb to take away our sins": She could not therefore transmit to him, God and man, the sin of Adam, hence She was to be without sin, not from Her own, but as the Father’s gift who has choosen Her! In today’s mystery we contemplate the free gift of love of the Father, His faithfulness towards man, the beauty of His wisdom in preparing everything in view of what shall happen afterwards!

This mystery of the Father’s love is described and underlined by st. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. He blessed us, choose us, predestined us to be holy, to be His sons and daughters, all this through Jesus Christ!

His choice makes us rejoice and, at the same time, urges us to give Him glory! With simple words we are to say: let’s try to please Him with a behavior that shows that we are worthy to be His! This is what to be admired in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her beauty is all God’s work, but She Herself led a humble and docile life that gave witness to the glory of the Father!

Today’s Gospel presents to us Mary and the angel Gabriel. He speaks to Her with oracle words from the great prophets who lived awaiting the fulfillment of the divine promises for all men! These prophesies speak of joy, of a son, a reign, a throne! Such great words can only disturb the simplicity of spirit in Mary! She doesn’t reject them, she knows herself, her littleness and inadequacy and hence, ask the angel, how could such a thing happen, or better, what could she do so that such great things happen.

She is to do nothing! The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, shall take care: He shall be the one to do everything! Only He can put the holiness of God in sinful humanity.

Sin is always present at the back of all times and of all that happens on earth. This is clear to God. Sin has changed his plan, the beauty of his creation, as from the beginning. Man was betrayed by the serpent. Man trusted more the word, full of irony, of his enemy than the simple one of his creator!

Today’s first reading presents us with the very first fruits of sin: fear, darkness, disunity, mutual accusations.

Immediately, we find the promise of the Father, God wont leave man in dispair, not even for a moment! For the unexpected word of man, He adds another one, a sure and clear promise. The evil one and his evils will be overcome! He himself shall see for victory, and this, He shall do it through the foot of a woman! At the moment of sin, He starts salvation history! From God’s part we see the love that wants to save, while from man’s part we see the difficulty to accept such love, to be saved, to answer joyfully.

At the end the answer come from Mary: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to you word". With loving obedience she crushes the pride of the enemy and God begins to win! Today we thank Her, honor Her, look at Her as a model and learn from Her to answer God’s proposals.

Virgin without sin, we love you! Saying yes to the Father was not easy for you and neither is for us. You had your struggles, your anxieties and tribulations, the anguish for the imment death of your son. You were tempted as Jesus was, and like Him and with His power you won them, remaining docile, completely abbonded to the will of the Father! Help me to be able to say with you:"Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word".