Read Online
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house
of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he
said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” Luke
1:26–28
What does it mean to be “full of grace?” This is a question at the
heart of our solemn celebration today.
Today we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Savior of
the World, under the unique title of “The Immaculate Conception.”
This title acknowledges that grace filled her soul from the moment
of her conception, thus preserving her from the stain of sin.
Though this truth had been held for centuries among the Catholic
faithful, it was solemnly declared as a dogma of our faith on
December 8, 1854, by Pope Pius IX. In his dogmatic declaration he
stated:
We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds
that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her
conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty
God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human
race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a
doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and
constantly by all the faithful.
By raising this doctrine of our faith to the level of a dogma, the
holy father declared that this truth is to be held as certain by
all the faithful. It is a truth that is found in the words of the
angel Gabriel, “Hail, full of grace!” To be “full” of grace means
just that. Full! 100%. Interestingly, the Holy Father did not say
that Mary was born in a state of Original Innocence as were Adam
and Eve before they fell into Original Sin. Instead, the Blessed
Virgin Mary is declared to be preserved from sin by “a singular
grace.” Though she had not yet conceived her Son, the grace that He
would win for humanity by His Cross and Resurrection was declared
to have transcended time so as to heal our Blessed Mother at the
moment of her conception, preserving her of even the stain of
Original Sin, by the gift of grace.
Why would God do this? Because no stain of sin could be mingled
with the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. And if the Blessed
Virgin Mary were to become a fitting instrument by which God unites
with our human nature, then she needed to be preserved from all
sin. Additionally, she remained in grace throughout her life,
refusing to ever turn from God by her own free will.
As we celebrate this dogma of our faith today, turn your eyes and
heart to our Blessed Mother by simply pondering those words spoken
by the angel: “Hail, full of grace!” Ponder them, this day,
reflecting upon them over and over in your heart. Imagine the
beauty of the soul of Mary. Imagine the perfect grace-filled virtue
she enjoyed in her humanity. Imagine her perfect faith, perfect
hope and perfect charity. Reflect upon every word she spoke, being
inspired and directed by God. She truly is The Immaculate
Conception. Honor her as such this day and always.
My mother and my queen, I love you and honor you this day as The
Immaculate Conception! I gaze upon your beauty and perfect virtue.
I thank you for always saying “Yes” to the will of God in your life
and for allowing God to use you with such power and grace. Pray for
me, that as I come to know you more deeply as my own spiritual
mother, I may also imitate your life of grace and virtue in all
things. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You!
Source of content:
catholic-daily-reflections.com
Copyright 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved.
Used with permission via RSS feed.
Featured images above: The Immaculate Conception
By Francisco Rizi, via Wikimedia Commons
Kommentare (0)
Melde dich an, um einen Kommentar zu schreiben.