Conceived Without Sin

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: (more…)




