After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, but I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself." Gen GN 3:9-10
God is good, all the time.
Friends: In today's remarkable feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the church draws our attention to the prevenient grace of God, which Mary received to set her apart to become the mother of God.
Contrasting the first and gospel readings helps us to appreciate the distinction between the fall and redemption. When Adam hid himself after the fall, he hid humanity with him from God; but by standing before God's angel because of prevenient grace, Mary took humanity with her to stand before God, making the fullness of redemptive grace she received because of Christ, the same grace that saves us also.
We need to inform ourselves about two facts concerning the feast: first, Mary's Immaculate Conception is not about her virgin birth; the belief that Mary gave birth to Jesus while remaining a virgin. Second, it is not about Mary being conceived without the husband and wife's regular intimacy as it was the case with the incarnation.
Instead, the dogma, which was defined in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, reminds us that Mary was conceived sinless in her mother's womb because she received a prevenient grace, a redemption from sin from her son at the time of her conception so that she was not affected by original sin, so that she could become the natural Tabernacle to contain the body of Jesus.
Like Mary, we also have the responsibility to bring others to stand before Jesus with us. Who in your life is hiding from God, and whom you should get to stand with you before God?