by Chase Hawkins
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – more commonly referred to as the Immaculate Conception. Every year on December 8th, Catholics celebrate this holy day of obligation by going to Mass or by saying an extra “Hail Mary”. But what do really celebrate on December 8th? Is it Jesus’ conception? Is it Mary’s conception? Is it something else?
It is not uncommon for people to think that the Immaculate Conception is the solemnity of Jesus’ conception in Mary’s womb. The truth, however, is that the feast of the Immaculate Conception commemorates Mary’s conception.
As the years progressed, the Catholic Church explored this concept of Mary’s sinless conception deeper and deeper. In 1854, Pope Pius IX said, “The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.” Mary the Mother of God could only be the Mother of God if she was made pure at her conception. And so we celebrate Mary’s Immaculate Conception.
For a while – and even today – this concept of Mary being sinless from birth was controversial. Does Mary being sinless mean she was less of a human? Does Mary being sinless mean that she can redeem us? Did Jesus have to save Mary in the same way He saves the rest of humanity? Well, the answers are no, no, and yes. Mary was fully human. And although Mary intercedes for us, she cannot redeem us; only Jesus is our Redeemer. Because of this, Jesus DID save Mary. Consider this analogy (which I cannot take credit for):
It is not uncommon for people to think that the Immaculate Conception is the solemnity of Jesus’ conception in Mary’s womb. The truth, however, is that the feast of the Immaculate Conception commemorates Mary’s conception.
As the years progressed, the Catholic Church explored this concept of Mary’s sinless conception deeper and deeper. In 1854, Pope Pius IX said, “The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.” Mary the Mother of God could only be the Mother of God if she was made pure at her conception. And so we celebrate Mary’s Immaculate Conception.
For a while – and even today – this concept of Mary being sinless from birth was controversial. Does Mary being sinless mean she was less of a human? Does Mary being sinless mean that she can redeem us? Did Jesus have to save Mary in the same way He saves the rest of humanity? Well, the answers are no, no, and yes. Mary was fully human. And although Mary intercedes for us, she cannot redeem us; only Jesus is our Redeemer. Because of this, Jesus DID save Mary. Consider this analogy (which I cannot take credit for):
A man falls into a muddy pit and someone pulls him out. Now the man is “saved” but still has the stain of the mud on him as a result of falling into it. Now a woman is about to fall into the same pit, but at the moment she is to fall, someone stops her. She too has been saved, not just from falling into the pit, but from getting stained by the mud.
In the same way, Mary was saved by Jesus by the same sacrifice on the Cross, applied in a different point in time, by preventing her to be stained by original sin at the moment of her conception, so she could be worthy to carry the Son of God.
To look into this further, let’s dive into some Scripture, shall we? In today’s Gospel reading from Luke, we see the Annunciation to Mary by the angel Gabriel. This is where we often get confused as to what the Immaculate Conception actually celebrates. Since the reading recounts the angel Gabriel telling Mary that she will bear the Son of God, we tend to think that this solemnity commemorates Jesus’ conception. As we know, this isn’t the case. So why do we use this Gospel reading? But if we look closely, we can see where Mary’s Immaculate Conception comes into play. Take a look at this excerpt from today’s Gospel reading:
To look into this further, let’s dive into some Scripture, shall we? In today’s Gospel reading from Luke, we see the Annunciation to Mary by the angel Gabriel. This is where we often get confused as to what the Immaculate Conception actually celebrates. Since the reading recounts the angel Gabriel telling Mary that she will bear the Son of God, we tend to think that this solemnity commemorates Jesus’ conception. As we know, this isn’t the case. So why do we use this Gospel reading? But if we look closely, we can see where Mary’s Immaculate Conception comes into play. Take a look at this excerpt from today’s Gospel reading:
“In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph… and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, ‘Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.’ But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son… But Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?’ And the angel said to her in reply, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:26-35).
Now let's take another closer look at the words in bold.
And the virgin's name was Mary.
Mary was a virgin. This fulfills the divine promise given through the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son” (Isaiah 7:14).
Hail full of grace! The Lord is with you.
The fact that the angel greets Mary as “full of grace” is a revelation of Mary’s sinless nature. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
“To become the mother of the Savior, Mary ‘was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.’ The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as ‘full of grace’. In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly born by God’s grace” (CCC 490).
You have found favor with God.
God found favor in Mary and He “blessed Mary more than any other created person ‘in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places’ and chose her ‘in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love’” (CCC 492).
The Holy Spirit will come upon you.
Remember, Mary was “greatly troubled”. She was afraid of God’s will. And what does the angel say to comfort her? “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.” The Holy Spirit filled Mary so that she had the courage to say yes to God and bear the Son of God in her womb. And here’s the thing: confirmed Catholics have received the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that conceived the Son of God lives within us and assists us in our lives.
Today, on this feast of the Immaculate Conception of our Holy Mother, take time to pray the rosary, say a “Hail Mary”, and see the beauty of the world around you.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
"Immaculate Mary" hymn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcs6WPjZi0k
St. Francis of Assisi, ora pro nobis.
St. Margaret Clitherow, ora pro nobis.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, ora pro nobis.
Chawkins.
Today, on this feast of the Immaculate Conception of our Holy Mother, take time to pray the rosary, say a “Hail Mary”, and see the beauty of the world around you.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
"Immaculate Mary" hymn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcs6WPjZi0k
St. Francis of Assisi, ora pro nobis.
St. Margaret Clitherow, ora pro nobis.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, ora pro nobis.
Chawkins.