CHARLOTTE — The Blessed Virgin Mary can inspire us and help us to become more holy, if we open our hearts in response to God’s love for us just as she did.
That was the message Bishop Peter Jugis preached during Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8 at St. Patrick Cathedral.
This “beautiful feast” for the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates her sinlessness and her complete trust in God, Bishop Jugis said. We are similarly called by God to follow Mary’s example, growing in holiness and virtue so that we may be with Him in heaven one day.
Mary was “a beautiful, perfect creature,” the model for all humanity to follow, he said. “Because of her sinlessness, her response to God is always a generous yes. There’s never any question in her mind.”
Saying no to God – being disobedient to His will – is the very definition of sin, he noted.
Mary shows us how to say yes to God. She is also the epitome of virtue, and we can become more holy by imitating her, Bishop Jugis said.
On this feast day that celebrates Mary, the Lord is asking us to become more generous, more charitable, more forgiving and open-hearted, just as Mary was, he said.
“We should not necessarily be content as to where we are now” on our path to holiness, he said. “With God’s grace, great things are achievable. We will never be the Immaculate Conception, we will never be the Blessed Virgin Mary, but the Lord knows” what we are capable of doing with His grace and the help of the Holy Spirit.
Mary is also our intercessor, Bishop Jugis said. Pray to her, asking her for help in following God’s will.
God always “makes the first move towards us, extending the hand of friendship to us, and reaching out to us,” he continued. In response, we are called to do our part “in being present to Him.”
“We can’t do much if we don’t say, ‘Yes, take this raw material, Lord, and continue to perfect it.”
We must open our hearts to His love, he said. God gives us the grace to grow in holiness, if we accept His gift as Mary did.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor
FOREST CITY — Father Herbert Burke, pastor, recently blessed a new altar for use in Immaculate Conception Church's 65-year-old historic church.
The altar was dedicated by Father Burke Nov. 16 during Mass in the original church, which continues to be used as a chapel.
"We took the altar stone with the relic from the old altar and had it installed by the manufacturer in the new one," Father Burke noted. "The parishioners have been very pleased with the three-inch deep carving in the oak wood of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and with the golden angels in adoration at each side.
"We have many hours of Adoration each week in this chapel, and so in addition to Mass we will have the monstrance placed on the altar on a regular basis."
— Pictured are Father Burke, Deacon Andy Cilone and altar server Michael Lugo.