Jesus acts through the Holy Spirit who formed Him in Mary’s womb

Maximilian Kolbe was struck by the title of "Immacule Conception" given to Mary. For it is the Holy Spirit who makes the Immaculate Conception possible, and Mary took his Name, in the same way that a woman takes the name of her husband. The great mystery of the Incarnation was made possible by the Holy Spirit who, within the Trinity, represents the Love between the Father and the Son, the Love of the Father for the Son, and the Love of the Son for the Father.

Thus, the Immaculate Conception is feminine, like the name Spirit which in Hebrew is feminine: Ruah. Mary, the new Eve, is a woman and, as Saint Irenaeus penned it, “by means of a Virgin who obeyed God’s word, man was revived and recovered life.” This resuscitation is not only valid for Mary's response to the Angel, it extends to the whole history of humanity and to each one of us, provided we are willing to do so freely, for we are made in the image of God.

We know that the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One (Jn 1: 20), but our Faith can triumph over evil and we can ask in faith that the Will of God be done not only in Heaven but also on earth. The Christian is neither a pessimist nor an optimist; he is a believer and believes that God can do everything according to a plan that he cannot fully comprehend. God does take our wishes into consideration. Moreover, He wants to hear them. And some of our wishes are not granted just because we did not ask for them.

This is how novenas of prayer elicit graces. And what is Grace? It is Jesus acting through the Holy Spirit who formed Him in the womb of Mary. Thus we see how all things are connected in God, who never stops giving, creating, and loving.

Father Patrick de Laubier (1)

Source: https://www.famillechretienne.fr/

(1) Father Patrick de Laubier (1935-2016) was a French scholar and sociologist, who became a Catholic priest