Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Let It Be Done: Saying Yes to God Like Mary

Today we celebrate one of the most beautiful and misunderstood mysteries of our faith — the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. And before we go any further, let’s be clear about what we’re celebrating. The Immaculate Conception is not about Jesus being conceived by the Holy Spirit — that’s the Annunciation, which we also heard in today’s Gospel. The Immaculate Conception refers to the moment when Mary herself was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, without original sin.

From the very first instant of her existence, Mary was preserved — by a unique grace from God — from the stain of original sin. Why? Because she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. And since nothing unholy can bear the Holy One, God prepared a pure vessel for His Son. It was a gift — not something Mary earned — but a gift given in view of what Jesus would do on the cross. In other words, Mary was saved by Christ, just like us, but in her case, she was saved in advance.

Now, why does this matter to us? Because Mary’s Immaculate Conception isn’t just about her — it’s about what God wants to do in all of us. God desires to make us holy. God desires to make us whole. And just as He had a plan for Mary, He has a plan for you and me.

In our first reading, we hear the story of the fall — Adam and Eve hiding from God, ashamed, broken. That’s what sin does. It separates. It confuses. It leads us to hide. But in Mary, we see the opposite. We see someone who stands in the light, open, trusting, ready to receive God’s will. She doesn’t hide. She listens. And she says yes.

In the Gospel, when the angel Gabriel appears to her, Mary is troubled. She doesn’t fully understand what’s being asked. But she leans into trust. She asks, ‘How can this be?’ and then, even without all the answers, she says, ‘Let it be done to me according to your word.’

And that brings us to the heart of today’s message — a question I want to leave you with: Will you say ‘Let it be done to me’ to all that God wants to do through you today, even when you fully cannot understand why?

Because the truth is, God is still calling. Maybe not through an angel, but through the quiet moments of prayer, through the needs of your family, through the person who needs your forgiveness, through the call to trust Him in a situation that makes no sense.

And just like Mary, we may not have all the answers. We may feel unworthy. We may be afraid. But God doesn’t ask for perfection. He asks for openness. He asks for a yes.

Mary’s yes changed the world. Yours can too.

So today, as we honor Mary’s Immaculate Conception — her yes, her trust, her purity — let’s also remember that we are part of this story. God is still writing it, and He’s asking you to be a part of it.

Will you say yes? Will you say, even in the unknown, even in the confusion, ‘Let it be done to me’?

Because that’s where grace begins. That’s where Christ is born — not just in Mary’s womb, but in our hearts.