From the beginning (and before)

People talk about how immoral and contentious the world is today: not like the good old days.

Educated people tell us that, in some ways, the “good old days” were even worse.

Almost from the very beginning, sin has been part of human life, as today’s first reading (Genesis 3:9-15,20) reminds us.

Today’s second reading, however, (Ephesians 1:3-6,11-12) goes even further back, before the beginning of all things, to God’s eternal plan of salvation.

Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him,
before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.

This is what celebrate today: God’s eternal decision to make Mary and all God’s faithful people holy by the infinite merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, not by anyone’s self-made worthiness – not mine, not yours, not even Mary’s – it is all due to the grace of God.

Is Mary's case unique? Yes, as her role was unique - a role for which God chose her, as we hear in today's Gospel (Luke 1:26-38) - but the same grace that saved Mary (and the same Savior - her Son, Jesus Christ) also saves us.

Things may be bad now. Things may have been bad in the past. We ourselves are bad, one way or another (Lord Jesus, have mercy on me).

But God wills salvation for us from eternity.

As it was in the beginning (and before),
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen