A glimpse of what should be

     Storytelling often uses the concept of a dream or a vision or an experience of what could have been, what might have been, what should have been if things had taken a different path or we made a different decision in life.  Look at George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life" who saw what a positive impact his existence made on others and regretted his despair in life.  Or look at Phil, the anchorperson in the movie "Groundhog Day" who comes to realize that he can do something about the empty lifestyle that he leads, and strives over and over again to make a positive impact on his existence.  Or look at the regret of the main character (Nicholas Cage) in the movie "The Family Man" who is given a glimpse of what could have been if he had made better decisions and prompts him to made amends.

     This feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb of her mother, Anne, involves God intervening in the act of love between Joachim and Anne and at that moment of conception, keeping Mary free from the stain and the effect of the original sin of Adam and Eve.  We know that the first rejection of God led to a weakness in our spiritual human DNA that makes us prone to subsequent failures.  That original sin kept us on a merry-go-round that we found ourselves helpless to exit, leading to frustration and darkness.

     That original sin that led to darkness and death was dealt with through the ultimate sacrifice of love in Jesus embracing the tree of the cross for us ... in order to break the chains of sin and death, to bring us into the light, to make possible what was meant to be from the beginning, what should be in our lives, that we live lives that are holy, lives that are at one with God, lives that restore what was lost in our friendship with our creator.

     The glimpse of what should be, what is meant to be, is found in this feast of Mary.  She was not given something beyond us, but was given (before hand) what her son would win for us - freedom and life, holiness and grace.  What she possessed in her life, the grace to not be tempted but rather to resist all temptation, is what we should embrace.  The reason is simple ... it was won for us at a great price and given to us through baptism.  It is our destiny, our hope, our very life.

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     Today marks the anniversary of the death of the first bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg - Bishop Hugh L. Lamb.  He died on December 8th in 1958.  I remember the day, but find myself a little fuzzy on when I heard - either at school and then telling my grandma Lenard who lived a few doors down when I got home ... or hearing when I got to grandma's house that afternoon.  I had met Bishop Lamb once, at my Confirmation.  God grant him rest.