MARY, CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN, PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE!
A Blessed & Holy Immaculate Conception Day to you. Today, with great exultation & rejoicing, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the new Eve, pure, holy & spotless Mother of Christ our Saviour.
So what exactly is the Immaculate Conception? This is a Catholic dogma that states that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin. That’s what “immaculate” means: without stain.
Let’s clear up some misunderstanding here. Some people mistakenly think that the term refers to Christ’s conception (cf Luke 1:26-38) by the Holy Spirit. Others think the Immaculate Conception means Mary was conceived “by the power of the Holy Spirit,” in the way that Jesus was, in the above scripture citation. But both these are incorrect.
As with persons who have descended from Adam, Mary too was supposed to be subject to original sin. But by a special grace & intervention of God, at the moment of her conception, she was preserved from the stain of original sin and the effects of it (immaculate). Mary was redeemed by the saving grace of Christ death & resurrection, but in a special way – by forward expectation / anticipation. Recall the words of the Angel Gabriel to Mary at the Annunciation: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:38). This Grace (Kecharitomene in Greek) that is Mary’s is unique in that it is permanent, from the moment of her conception & all throughout her life!
Christians for a long time have held this belief but it was only officially recognised when, in the Encyclical “Ineffabilis Deus” of December 8, 1854, Pope Blessed Pius IX pronounced the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception & defined that Blessed Virgin Mary “in the first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the Savior of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin”.
For your knowledge & information, there are 4 Marian Dogmas pronounced by the Church –
1. The Divine Motherhood, with Mary called “Mother of God” or Theotokos in Greek in the Council of Ephesus AD 431.
2. The Perpetual Virginity of Mary in the Council of the Lateran in AD 649.
3. The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 Dec 1854 in the Encyclical ‘Ineffabilis Deus’.
4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 1 Nov 1950 in the Encyclical ‘Munificentissimus Deus’.
To learn more about the 4 Marian Dogmas, please visit link below:
So, what does the celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary mean to us in our daily lives? Firstly, it tells us that we are all loved by God; that God has a plan for saving us from the poisonous venom of sin & death, as we read in the 1st Reading from Genesis 3:15 that the offspring of the woman would crush the head of the serpent; that though we are all sinners (cf Romans 3:23) in need of redemption, Jesus, who was born of Mary, died on the cross to save us, & by faith in Him, enabled us to be adopted as sons & daughters of God (cf Galatians 4:4-7).
Secondly, it encourages us & gives us confidence, in that although we are not immaculately conceived, if we learn from Mary & follow her example by being faithful to the Lord, believing, hoping & trusting in Jesus, & loving Him & others, we too, like Mary, will enjoy eternal union with God in heaven. As stated so beautifully in our 2nd Reading from Ephesians 1:3-6,11-12, we are chosen by God to be His very own adopted children, to live in His presence & to always praise the glory of His grace. Our destination & eternal homeland is Heaven – Praise the Lord! Alleluia!
Finally, we are invited to a deep & lasting commitment to God, like Mary in her Fiat – “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me” (Luke 1:38 – from our Gospel today). Our commitment to Jesus must be free, deep & pure, like Mary’s. And if you are hesitating today about making this commitment to the Lord – just think of how committed Jesus is to you – “the Son of God who loves me (you) & died on the cross to save me (you)” (cf Galatians 2:20).
Let us, then, as we exult & rejoice today, always bear the words of our Psalm’s Response (Psalm 98:1) in our minds, our lips & in our hearts: “Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.” And let us joyfully acclaim our Blessed Mother with this hymn of praises – “Immaculate Mary” (Lourdes Hymn)
https://youtu.be/IaquwkfPwJU?si=VdY1G2OLz6GQz11y
Article by Damian Boon, HFC Blog Team Lead