This Thursday we will join with the universal Church in celebrating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is under this title that Mary is Principal Patroness of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as well as the Patroness of the United States of America, Spain, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a holy day of obligation and we will celebrate Mass at 6:00pm on Wednesday evening as well as at 6:30, 8:00am, 12:10 and 7:00pm.
What does this title given to Mary mean and what is the significance of this solemnity? In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read:
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 the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace. (§ 490)
Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:
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. (§ 491)
Unlike the rest of humanity, Mary was free from original sin from the moment of her conception. As we see above, it was a gift from God so that she could give her free assent to God’s call for her to bear his son. The Catechism goes on to explain:
The “splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary is “enriched from the first instant of her conception” comes wholly from Christ: she was “redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son.” The Father 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.” (§ 492)
Jesus Christ came to redeem humankind. Mary shared in his redemptive power from the moment of her conception. The Catechism asserts that God the Father “blessed Mary more than any other created person.” With this special gift, Mary could be “holy and blameless before him in love.” In fact, the Catechism explains that “by the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long” (§ 493). The Catechism continues to speak of Mary in this way: “espousing the divine will for salvation wholeheartedly, without a single sin to restrain her, she gave herself entirely to the person and to the work of her Son; she did so in order to serve the mystery of redemption with him and dependent on him, by God’s grace.” (§ 494)
And so, as with so many aspects of our faith, while the immediate focus of today’s feast might be on Mary, the real focus is always on her son, Jesus the Christ. Like all Marian feasts, today’s solemnity cannot be celebrated without reference to Jesus. That’s why we hear Pope Pius IX emphasize that the dogma comes about through the “merits of Jesus Christ.” It is Jesus who redeems, but in the mystery of the Incarnation, God has chosen to preserve Mary from original sin so she can be a fitting mother for his Son. Consequently, she plays a unique role in redemption and is properly given the title of Redemptrix. In other words, Mary was sinless so that she could give birth in the flesh to the Savior.
As we honor Mary, the Mother of God on Thursday, the feast of her immaculate conception, let us gratefully acknowledge the mercy of God and, like Mary, humbly submit our will to his so that we, like Mary, may be able to continue to cooperate with God as he draws all humanity back to him through his son, Jesus; that’s where we all belong!