Conceived by the Holy Spirit
By Greg Zambrano
Praying the Angelus, the church remembers Our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother, in a special way, in the month of May. My kids brought flowers to school to honor Mary during the school Mass. It is great seeing many kids remembering the mother of Jesus.
The first two lines of the Angelus say, “The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary; And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.”
Our Lady conceived Jesus, and the church celebrates the spectacular moment in time on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation of Our Lady. From this day, Jesus was formed in Mary’s womb and he remained there until his birth. I thank God the father for the grace of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, I pray that all unborn children are allowed to remain in their mother’s womb safe until their natural birth.
On further observation of Mary during the Annunciation, I can see that she was perfectly prepared and ready to receive the Holy Spirit. She is the perfect vessel. Knowing that there is only one Mother of God, the Holy Spirit wants to guide us and rest upon everyone that prays and allows him to be received.
Continuing my thought that started with the Angelus, I understand that going to confession and receiving the Eucharist shortly after is the way to mystically conceive the Holy Spirit. In John 1:16, “And of his fulness we all have received: and grace for grace.”
God further instructs us on how to keep him inside our hearts through Proverbs 4:21-24: “My son, be attentive to my WORDS; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are LIFE to him who finds them, and healing to all his flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of LIFE.”
Often, I remember this line from a litany, “From the neglect of Thy inspirations, deliver us, O Jesus.” This indicates to me that we must continually pray to God to keep his Spirit in our hearts.
After Mass, I usually listen to Padre Pio’s after communion prayer to remind myself that I just received Jesus in Eucharist and to pray to Jesus to be with me always. “Stay with me Lord, for You are my light, and without you, I am in darkness. “
Mary was perfectly prepared by God to receive Jesus the salvation of the human race. Through the divine inspiration, what will we bring to this world? As parents, we can bring the future of the church, the future saints in heaven.
