Advent is a time to look back and to look ahead. We remember the first coming of Christ, and we look forward to his second coming.
Today, we look even further back and remember that at her own conception, Mary was preserved from sin. But can today’s solemnity offer us something to anticipate or aspire to?
Yes, if we consider that each day is an opportunity for growth and for new life. And today’s feast can help us look forward to life ahead in a special way, regardless of our age. As Mary did from the time she was in her mother’s womb, we can hope to grow. We can hope to be preserved from sin. We can hope to live life to the fullest. We can hope to continuously welcome Love into our being. And perhaps most pertinently during this season, we can hope to be like a mother who, expecting her child’s arrival, works tirelessly to make her surroundings more loving, peaceful, and just.