Dear Brothers and Sisters,

What a joy it was last Saturday to have Archbishop Hebda with us to bless the Grace Family Center and to celebrate the Eucharist. As many of you commented, the Archbishop is very easy to relate to, and in all my interactions with him I have been impressed and inspired by his kindness and humility. Of course, hosting the Archbishop took a lot of work and preparation. Thank you to all of you who made the event such a memorable one. If you missed the Mass and want to listen to the Archbishop’s homily, it is available on our website.

This past week we celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It was Pope Pius IX, who in 1854 declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. He says; “The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.” Theologians point out that this is why the angel at the Annunciation says: “Hail, full of grace.”

It is at our baptism that we receive the Holy Spirit and original sin is taken away. Because of the special role that Mary would have in the history of Salvation, God gave her the great grace of being conceived without the stain of original sin; this is the meaning of the Immaculate Conception.

When Mary said her ‘yes’ to God, she became the dwelling place of the Most High because within her at that moment, God the Son took on humanity in order to redeem it. Why did he do this? – Because of His steadfast covenant love for His people - For you and me.

In the story of Salvation, Mary is a central character, but each one of us has a chapter all our own. God has entrusted to each one of us a mission that only we as individuals can accomplish and no one else. As we near the great Feast of the Incarnation, let us pray for a portion of the spirit of our Blessed Mother, and the courage to say ‘yes’ to God and His will for our lives.

God bless,
Fr. Tony