THE Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary is celebrated today, a wonderful and solemn occasion in this sacred season of Advent that commemorates the conception of Mary without original sin, not the conception of Jesus Christ, as some erroneously believe.
“At length, on the distant horizon, rises, with a soft and radiant light, the aurora of the sun which has been so long desired. The happy Mother of the Messias was to be born before the Messias Himself; and this is the day of the Conception of Mary,” wrote Dom Prosper Guéranger on this feast. which cannot be appreciated without an understanding of the doctrine of original sin.
All men were to contract the sin of Adam; the sentence was universal; but God’s own Mother is not included. God, who is the author of that law; God, who was free to make it as He willed; had power to exclude from it Her whom He had predestined to be His Own in so many ways; He could exempt her, and it was just that He should exempt her; therefore, He did it.
Many misconceptions about this day and about veneration of Mary exist. Here is a comment by a reader from a 2015 post that does a nice job of addressing some of them:
I am married to a Protestant convert who struggles with the idea of venerating Mary, wondering why it is necessary, as he feels his faith is strong enough without her help. Here are some things I’ve tried to explain in our discussions (but like any very deep idea it is not easy!).
1) Mary wasn’t chosen to be the Mother of God sort of randomly out of all other women because of her holiness, but created by God Himself – Immaculately Conceived – to be the Mother of God, and was holy because of that. The woman to carry the Son of God in her womb must be perfect; since Christ is perfect nothing else would befit Him. Therefore God in His wisdom created such a woman.
2) Her blood runs through His veins, an unspeakable honor. God did not merely select a woman out of those who already existed, no matter how holy, to receive that honor. No natural woman would be worthy, she must be from the realm of the supernatural.
3) God in His wisdom did not leave us to be spiritually “motherless” children here on earth. He gave us a Father – Himself – but also a Mother, who is our example of perfect, selfless motherhood (needed now more than ever). In His infinite wisdom he gave all mothers here on earth, charged with the salvation of their children, a woman from the supernatural realm to intercede for us (and indeed for all mankind).
4) She is God’s answer to Eve, the New Eve (as Christ is the New Adam). Mary “untied the knot” of Eve’s disobedience: A virgin disobeyed, a virgin obeyed; Eve listened to a serpent, Mary an angel, etc, etc. This has been believed since the first centuries of Christianity. Adam and Eve and the tree caused the Fall; the New Adam and the New Eve and a tree (the cross) will redeem us. This is a very profound and I am not doing it justice but there are many beautiful writings available that do do it justice.
There is, of course, so much more as the Church is inexhaustible in its depth. I think, as with many things, faith included, that a desire to understand Catholic beliefs about Mary greatly aids in opening our minds to acceptance. As I believe I’ve said before here on TTH, I think much of the confusion, the “block” if you will, comes from a Protestant sense of disloyalty in praying to Mary since they rightly reserve all worship – which for them lives in fervent prayer – for Jesus Christ. Catholicism is sacramental. Our highest form of worship is the Holy Sacrament of the Mass of which prayer is but a part. We can pray to Mary and the saints in veneration without fear of disloyalty to Our Lord.
More on devotion to Mary here.
May the mystery of the perfect woman conceived without sin fill you with happiness, confidence and peace.
