On December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated in the Catholic Church. It is a special day for Marian Fathers
The mystery of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the heart of the religious charism of Marian Fathers, and the Immaculate herself is the main Patroness of the Congregation.
Holy Mass in the basilica in front of the Miraculous Picture of Our Lady of Licheń at 12.00 was presided over by Fr. Janusz Kumala, MIC, curator of the sanctuary.
At the beginning of the Eucharist, he recalled that the truth of faith celebrated today about the preservation of Mary from the stain of original sin, in the first moment of her existence, matured over the centuries. It was solemnly proclaimed as a dogma only on December 8, 1854 by Pope Bl. Pius IX.
Founder of the Congregation of Marian Fathers, St. Father Stanisław Papczyński, conveyed to his confreres the mystery of the Immaculate Conception as the heart of their religious charism and left the task in the Church - as the current religious Constitutions put it - "with the utmost effort, piety and enthusiasm, to confess, proclaim and venerate the mystery of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ".
In the homily of Fr. Janusz Kumala, MIC, emphasized that in the mystery of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, we can discover the action of the merciful God who loves man with free and disinterested love from the very beginning of his existence. Already the description of the sin of the first parents in the Book of Genesis, which we hear about in the liturgy, shows a God who does not reject the sinner, but seeks him, to save him, to forgive him. God's response to the drama of the original sin of Adam and Eve was the promise of the Seed of the Woman, who would crush the head of the serpent, overcome Satan, sin and death, and renew man and the world.
The curator pointed out that when we commit sin, we start to fear God and want to hide from Him, just like Adam. Hence the call of God "Adam, where are you?" it is the voice of the merciful God who seeks us to forgive us. The good news for us is the truth about God who does not reject the sinner, but saves him and gives him grace. “He wants us to live in friendship with him anew. Only then does our life pursue the goal of eternal life. Because God loves us so much that He wants to be with us for all eternity! ".
Fr. Kumala recalled that the Immaculate Conception means that “Mary was not only preserved from the stain of original sin in the first moment of her life, but was also filled with the fullness of grace. She experienced the fullness of God's love from the moment of conception. From the beginning of her life, she was filled with it, transformed. We are talking about her - Beloved, wanted and loved by God. This Marian truth of faith tells the same about every human being. This divine love for Mary and each of us is undeserved and completely free ". "And every human life from conception is God's gift and a sign of God's love" - added.
"What should our response to God's love be?" - asked Fr. Curator. It is precisely following the example of Mary in the Annunciation that we are to say every day: "Yes Lord, here I am to do Your will".
Lichen Stary, December 8, 2020
Text: Robert Adamczyk, Sanctuary Press Office
