A reading from the Holy Gospel according to the Apostle and Evangelist Saint Luke (Lk 8:16-21).
“No one lights a lamp and covers it with a vessel or places it under a bed; instead, they put it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take heed, therefore, how you listen; for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.”
One day His mother and brothers came to see Him, but they could not reach Him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But He replied, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”
Reflection.
Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, peace and blessings to you all!
Today we celebrate a feast of extraordinary hope: the Conception of Saint Anne of the Most Holy Mother of God. It is a feast that speaks to us of life, trust, and the providential action of God in the darkest and most unexpected moments. The birth of the Virgin Mary, conceived by Anna and Joachim, is a sign that God never abandons His people and that His promises are always faithful.
Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians (4:22-31), reminds us of the contrast between slavery and freedom, represented by the children of Hagar and Sarah. We are not children of slavery, but of the promise and of freedom in Christ. The birth of Mary is an act of freedom and grace: God intervenes in the barrenness of Anna and Joachim to prepare the Mother of the Savior, the first concrete step toward our salvation.
In the Gospel of Luke, Christ tells us that no one lights a lamp to hide it, but places it on a lampstand so that all may see the light. Mary is this light that God has kindled in the world. She is the lamp that brings Christ, the true light, into our darkness.
At this point, it is important to offer a theological clarification. In the Orthodox Church, we do not speak of the Immaculate Conception as formulated in the Catholic tradition. This dogma, proclaimed by the Catholic Church in 1854, affirms that Mary, from the first moment of her existence, was preserved from original sin by a special grace of God.
In the Orthodox tradition, while venerating Mary as Panaghia (All-Holy), the one who was purified and prepared to become the Mother of God, we believe that the Virgin was conceived like every other human being, inheriting the consequences of original sin. However, by God's grace and through her full communion with the Lord, Mary never committed any personal sin.
The difference lies particularly in the understanding of original sin. In Orthodox theology, original sin is not viewed as a hereditary guilt but rather as a condition of alienation from God and mortality inherited from Adam and Eve. Mary, though part of this human condition, was sanctified by God's grace, making her a most pure temple, worthy to receive the Son of God in her womb.
As St. Gregory Palamas says:
"Mary is the bridge between creation and the Creator; through her, God came to us, and through her, we are brought to God."
The true miracle we celebrate today is not only Mary's holiness but God's intervention in human history. Through Mary’s conception, God began to prepare the world for the coming of the Savior.
In the Gospel of Luke, Christ tells us that no one lights a lamp to hide it, but places it on a lampstand so that all may see the light. Mary, conceived immaculate, is this light that God has kindled in the world. She is the lamp that brings Christ, the true light, into our darkness.
The story of Joachim and Anne teaches us that God acts precisely when all seems lost. According to tradition, they were elderly and barren, mocked by society, almost forgotten. But God sees what is hidden and answers their prayers, granting them an extraordinary daughter, Mary, the purest temple that would welcome the Son of God.
Saint John Damascene, a great Father of the Church, in his Homily on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, exclaims:
“O Joachim and Anne, holy and pure! As the moon illuminates the night, so Mary illuminates the world with the birth of the Sun of justice.”
This feast, celebrated in the time of Advent, reminds us that God prepares the world for the coming of Christ, just as He prepared Mary. It is a feast that invites us to hope and trust: nothing is impossible for God. He is able to transform barrenness into fruitfulness, death into life, and despair into joy.
On this note, I would like to share with you an episode that took place at the beginning of December, during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the healthcare facility where I work.
On that occasion, I wanted to remind the young people of this very important truth: we must not fear death, because Christ has conquered it through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Death no longer has the final word.
While I was preaching this truth, a resident woman began to say: "Thank you, because no one had ever explained this concept to me before." Those words touched my heart: how many people live under the weight of fear, as if death were final! Today's feast is the answer to this fear: God, in His infinite love, has given us eternal life through His Son, and this hope begins with Mary, conceived as the first sign of our salvation.
This experience made me think of Joachim and Anne, who lived in desolation and silence. They, too, needed to hear that God had not forgotten them. Like that woman in the facility, we too need to rediscover this truth: God is near, and He acts in our lives even when everything seems still or without hope.
Brothers and sisters, this feast is an invitation to believe that God has not forgotten us. Just as Saint Anne waited with patience and trust, so too can we entrust to God our barrenness, our wounds, and our fears. Mary reminds us that God prepares for each of us a new beginning, a new life.
The season of Advent, in which we celebrate this feast, is the perfect time to pause and reflect: are we willing to let God enter our lives? Are we ready to trust Him as Saint Anne did? Death has been conquered. Eternal life awaits us.
Do not be afraid to return to God, for He awaits you like a loving Father. Let us, therefore, be touched by the hope of this feast, certain that God, like a wise potter, can transform even our emptiness into a full and radiant life.
To Him, who is our salvation and our hope, be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
Archpriest Michele Alberto Del Duca.
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