Optional Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do? Quite simply, no! Nothing is too marvelous, as today’s readings demonstrate over and over. In the first reading, we learn that Abraham and Sarah, although they are both old and Sarah past menopause, are to have a child, Isaac; in the Gospel, Jesus heals the centurion’s servant from afar, cures Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, and drives out many demons by a word. If we look at our own lives, too, with the eyes of faith, we will not fail to see the marvels of the Lord: experiences of healing, of redemption, of unexpected fruitfulness… in a word, we will find God’s mercy and salvation.
What response is proper to such marvels? The response of Mary in today’s responsorial psalm, which is her Magnificat: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. When we recall the marvelous works of God in salvation history and in our own lives, it should move us to joy and praise, to glorify the Lord and sing songs of thanksgiving to our God.
As we prepare for the celebration of Sunday, the Lord’s day, tomorrow, let us take care to recall the marvelous works of God, both in Scripture and in our personal history, and so make ready to worship with praise and thanksgiving, like Mary, joining the joyful song Christ offers in the Spirit to the Father.