Homily of Most Rev. Charles John Brown D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines
170th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary | December 8, 2024
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
For me as your Apostolic Nuncio, it gives me a lot of joy and happiness to be with you this evening, here in this beautifully decorated, beautifully prepared Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. We see the sanctuary so beautifully prepared for the Feast of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception. I am deeply grateful to Msgr. Rolando R. dela Cruz, Rector of the Manila Cathedral, for having invited me to celebrate this Mass with you this evening, on the Second Sunday of Advent.
Of course, there is a bit of confusion this year in terms of the liturgical ordering of these days, because normally, of course, December 8 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; but in this year, when December 8 falls on a Sunday during Advent, the Sunday Mass takes precedence over the Immaculate Conception on this day. For that reason, we are celebrating the Mass, and listening to the readings for the Second Sunday of Advent.
Tomorrow will be the Feast of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception here in the Philippines; but already we are “pre-tasting”, we can say, “pre-experiencing” Our Lady's Immaculate Conception. The sanctuary, as I said, is so beautifully decorated for this feast day; and after Mass, following the Mass, there will be the procession of the Inmaculada Concepción in the historic streets of Intramuros, following Mass this evening.
So all of us are already in the spirit of Our Lady's Immaculate Conception even though we are on the vigil of that wonderful feast.
Love for the Blessed Virgin Mary
May I say that I've never, in my four years here in the Philippines, in Manila, seen the cathedral as crowded as it is this evening. All of you gathered here—all of us gathered here—because we love Mama Mary, because we love Our Lady; and we all are here this evening because we want to say “thank you” to Mary. Thank you, Our Lady. Thank you, Mama Mary. We love you. That is why all of us are gathered here this evening.
The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception
Today, December 8, is the 170th anniversary of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It was on this day in 1854 that Pope Pius IX published the apostolic constitution with the title Ineffabilis Deus, which defined the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
What is that dogma defined by Pope Pius IX? That Mary, Mama Mary was preserved free from all stains of original sin from the moment of her conception in her mother's womb, in the womb of Saint Anne, because Saint Anne is the mother of Our Lady. Of course, today, December 8th is nine months before the birthday of Mary, September 8th. So, today we celebrate the moment in which Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne.
Mary who was conceived without sin.
Mary who received, in view of the merits of Christ, this extraordinary privilege to come into the world untouched by original sin, the original sin which affects all of us in this world; and which Jesus comes into the world to free us from.
The Forerunner of the Forerunner
In the liturgy for the Second Sunday of Advent this evening, the focus, as we heard, is on John the Baptist, preaching in the desert, calling people to repentance. John the Baptist, who is the “forerunner”, going before Jesus, the precursor going before the Lord.
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths” (Lk. 3:4).
That was the preaching of John the Baptist. He is the forerunner in preparing people for the arrival of the Lord.
Let us think about that for a moment. John the Baptist, yes, he is the precursor. He is the forerunner, but in a certain sense, who came before John the Baptist? Who was the precursor who came to John the Baptist, when John the Baptist was still a baby in his mother's womb, in the womb of Elizabeth? Who was the forerunner who brought the infant, embryonic Jesus to John the Baptist on the Feast of the Visitation?
It was Our Lady. Our Lady, in a certain sense, is the forerunner of the forerunner.
Because on the Feast of the Visitation, which we celebrate on May 31, Mary, our Blessed Mother, pregnant with Jesus in her womb, goes to help Elizabeth in her pregnancy.
As Mary approaches the house of Elizabeth, Elizabeth feels in her womb her baby, John the Baptist, who jumps for joy, who moves, who stirs in her womb. John the Baptist, who senses in the womb of Elizabeth the presence of Mary and the presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary. An unborn baby sensing the presence of the unborn baby who is the Son of God, Jesus.
So, it is Mary who brings Jesus to John the Baptist.
Yes, John the Baptist is the forerunner. We hear about him in the Gospel this evening, some 33 years later. [Some] 33 years after the visitation, when John the Baptist is an adult, he is then preparing the way for the Lord.
But someone already prepared John the Baptist, and that was Our Lady. So Our Lady, as I said, is the forerunner of the forerunner. Our Lady is the splendid dawn of our salvation. Our Lady is the one conceived without original sin, who brings Jesus into our world.
Mary, Filled with the Fruit of Righteousness
As I said, the readings this evening are focusing on John the Baptist but the Second Reading, which is from St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians (Phil 1:4-6, 8-11) has some phrases in it.
This is St. Paul writing to Christians in the Philippians (not the Philippines but the Philippians) about his experience of the Lord. He has some phrases there which apply in my mind perfectly to Our Lady. What does he say?
St. Paul, writing to the Philippians: “I am confident, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6).
Think about Our Lady in these days, preparing for the birth of the Lord. Mary during Advent. Mama Mary in Nazareth preparing for the birth of Jesus. Probably getting her house ready, getting all the things prepared for the birth of the Lord; and those words of St. Paul written much later certainly describe Our Lady's feelings, “the one who began the good work in her will continue to complete it until the day in which Christ, Jesus” is born.
But remember, Our Lady's plans in Nazareth—in Advent—were disrupted. She thought that she would give birth to Jesus there in Nazareth her town; but as all of us know, Joseph then comes to her and says, “No, we have to go to Bethlehem down near Jerusalem, because there I have to enroll in the census” (cf. Lk. 2:1-7).
So all Mary's plans are disrupted. But in obedience to her husband, in obedience to God, she goes, heavily pregnant in the last days of her pregnancy, traveling all the way from Nazareth down to Bethlehem, where Jesus will be born.
“I am confident of this,” St. Paul says, “the one who began the good work in you, Mary, will continue to complete it until the day of Christ, Jesus.”
Then St. Paul says this, “This is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you”—we think of Mary—“may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:9-11).
Those words apply so beautifully to Our Lady, who is growing in love, growing in knowledge during these days as she awaits the birth of her first born, only born Son, Jesus. Mary, who is growing in love, Mary who is filled with the fruit of righteousness.
Remember the words of Saint Elizabeth when Mary comes to Earth at the visitation? “Blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Lk. 1:42). The same word is in St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians, "Mary, you are filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”
So, even though tonight is the Second Sunday of Advent, the readings are perfect preparation for us to celebrate tomorrow, or even this evening, Our Lady's Immaculate Conception.
Our Lady, who is the perfect disciple,
Our Lady, who is the model of what it means to follow the Lord,
Our Lady, who in heaven now is interceding for us. listening to our prayers,
listening to our troubles, comforting us, helping us.
Our Lady, who brings Jesus into the world.
Our Lady, who loves us so much.
So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, for me as your Apostolic Nuncio, coming this evening here to this beautiful cathedral, as I said, it gives me great joy to be with you this evening. I have come with the staff of the Apostolic Nuncio, including the secretary Fr. Vjeko Hollik and the sisters who work in the Nunciature because we wanted to be with you, faithful devotees of Mary, on this night.
We love Our Lady. She watches over us.
Remember to pray for Pope Francis. Pray for your new, newly elevated Cardinal, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, who yesterday, was made a cardinal by the Pope in Rome. A great, wonderful tribute to the Catholic Church in the Philippines.
We pray for Pope Francis, we pray for the newly elevated Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David; and we say to Our Lady, “Thank you, Mary, for all the gifts you have given us during this year. Thank you for your intercession, thank you for your blessings. We love you, Mama, Mary, you.”
Transcribed by Joel V. Ocampo
photos from The Manila Cathedral Facebook page
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