IMMACULATE CONCPETION -2018

Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Eph. 1: 3-6, 11-12; Luke 1: 26-38)

In 1492, Columbus discovered America. He sailed in a ship called Santa Maria de Conception (St. Mary, the Immaculate Conception). He named the first Island he landed San Salvador, in honor of our Savior. Columbus named the second island Conceptio in honor of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. The fearless French explorer Fr. Marquette who explored the 2300 miles long Mississippi River, flowing through ten states, called it River of Mary Immaculate.  In fact, all the early American Catholics were so proud of the great truth we celebrate today that the American bishops in 1829 (25 years before the promulgation of the dogma), chose Mary Conceived without Sin as the patroness of the United States. Hence, this feast is the feast of the country’s Heavenly patroness.

All Our mothers predate us. And we all love our mothers. Now, suppose that you could have pre-existed your own mother, in much the same way that an artist pre-exists his painting. Furthermore, suppose that you had the infinite power to make your mother anything that you pleased, what kind of mother would you have made for yourself? Would you not have made her, so far as human beauty goes, the most beautiful woman in the world; and so far as beauty of the soul goes, one who would radiate every virtue, every manner of kindness and charity and loveliness; one who by the purity of her life and her mind and her heart would be an inspiration not only to you but even to your fellow men, so that all would look up to her as the very incarnation of what is best in motherhood?

There is only one person who predated his own mother, that is Jesus Christ. And since he is the creator of his own mother we can imagine that he created her flawless in every way. She is made full of grace. That is what we celebrate by the feast of Immaculate conception. Mary was protected by God from the stain and effects of original sin. And if I had a way to protect my mother from death or corruption, I would certainly do that for her. Jesus did that to her by assuming her into heaven at the end of her life. Like sun rays that pass through window glass does not break the glass, so Mary gave birth to Jesus without losing her virginity.

Why did the Church make this Solemnity one of the seven days of holy obligation?

There are two reasons.

First, the Immaculate Conception reminds us of the most basic truth of the Catholic faith and of human existence: we need a Savior.

After our rebellion against God, we needed him to reach out to us, we needed a Savior. The Immaculate Conception reminds us of this, because Mary didn't do it herself. This miraculous privilege of being completely protected from the stain and effects of original sin, of being created "full of grace", was a pure gift of God. He filled her with grace from the very first moment of her existence in order to make her a fitting mother for the coming Savior.

When Adam disobeyed, he wasn't alone; Eve was with him. Adam and Eve together were created in God’s image, and together they were entrusted with caring for the world, and together they gave into temptation and caused the fall. And so, when the time came for God to redeem the fallen race, he considered it appropriate to give us not only a new Adam, Jesus, but also a new Eve, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Jesus alone is the Savior, because he alone is divine, but he has chosen to involve Mary in his work of salvation in a special way. That is why she was preserved from the stain of original sin, from the very first moment of her existence.

Since Jesus has given her as our mother from the cross, we can confidently ask for anything through her. At the miracle of Cana, Jesus said his time did not arrive for a miracle, but when she insisted he did. Even though God’s time may not have arrived for granting a petition, when Mary insists Jesus obliges.

The great victory of the war of Lepanto on October 7th, 1571 is a historical evidence of Mary’s powerful intercession. The Arabs almost conquered Europe and finally Rome, but at this juncture Pope Pius V ordered the churches of Rome opened for prayer day and night, encouraging the faithful to petition the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the recitation of the Rosary. As a result of the prayers the Holy League won the battle and drove the Muslims back to Turkey. When word reached the Pope Pius of the victory of the Holy League, he added a new feast day to the Roman Liturgical Calendar- October 7th would henceforth be the feast of Our Lady of Victory. Pope Pius' successor, Gregory XIII would change the name of this day to the feast of the Holy Rosary. Had it not been for the intercession of Blessed Virgin Mary, we would not have been praying here but would be facing Mecca when we would be praying.   

The Immaculate Conception was God's way of giving Jesus a worthy mother on earth, and of giving us a worthy mother in heaven. We should thank him for this great gift, and the best way to do that is to follow in our mother's footsteps, answering every call that God sends to our hearts and consciences in the same way that Mary answered her call, by saying: "May it be done to me according to your word."

Every mother wants her children to inherit or acquire all her good qualities. Hence, our Immaculate and holy mother wants us to be holy and pure children. The original sin from which Mary was preserved is the original sin from which we, too, have been freed. Mary is significant for us because the central factors in her life are the central factors in our own. On this feast day, let us ask Mary conceived without Original Sin, to be with us, to guide us, to protect us through her prayers of intercession with her Son, and to share her privilege with us, making our bodies worthy resting places for her son.