As time passed, further discussion arose about to St.

Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858, Mary The Immaculate Conception

this belief. In 1849, Pius IX asked the bishops said, "I am the Immaculate Conception."
throughout the Church what they themselves,
their clergy, and the people felt about this In a homily on the Solemnity of the Fr. William P. Saunders, PhD
belief and whether they would want it defined Immaculate Conception delivered in 1982,
solemnly. Of 603 bishops, 546 responded Pope John Paul II wrote, "Blessed be God the
favorably without hesitation. Of those Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who filled Many people, especially non-Catholics,
opposing, only 5 said the doctrine could not be you, Virgin of Nazareth, with every spiritual think that the term "Immaculate
solemnly defined, 24 did not know whether blessing in Christ. In Him, you were Conception" refers to Mary conceiving
this was the opportune time, and 10 simply conceived Immaculate! Preselected to be His Jesus. My Protestant friend was surprised
wanted a condemnation of any rejection of the Mother, you were redeemed in Him and when I told her that it is about Mary being
doctrine. Pope Pius also saw the spiritual through Him more than any other human free of original sin. She then said, "Where
malaise of the world where the rationalist being! Preserved from the inheritance of is that in the Bible?" What is a good
school of philosophy had denied truth and original sin, you were conceived and came explanation for her?
anything of the supernatural, where into the world in a state of sanctifying grace.
revolutions were causing social upheaval, and Full of grace! We venerate this mystery of Actually, the confusion over the "Immaculate
the industrial revolution had threatened the the faith in today's solemnity. Today, together Conception" is not uncommon. Some people
dignity of the worker and family life; with all the Church, we venerate the mistakenly think the term is related to Mary's
therefore, Pope Pius wanted to spiritually Redemption which was actuated in you. That conception of Christ by the power of the Holy
recharge the faithful and saw no better way most singular participation in the Redemption Spirit. However, the Immaculate Conception
than presenting again the beautiful example of of the world and of man was reserved only is the belief that "the most Blessed Virgin
our Blessed Mother and her role in salvation for you, solely for you. Hail O Mary, Alma Mary was, from the first moment of her
history. On December 8, 1854, Pius IX Redemptoris Mater, dear Mother of the conception, by a singular grace and privilege
solemnly defined the dogma of the Redeemer." of almighty God and in view of the merits of
Immaculate Conception in his bull Ineffabilis Christ Jesus the Savior of the human race,
Deus (quoted in the opening paragraph). May we invoke the prayers of our Blessed preserved immune from all stain of original
Mother, Mary Immaculate to draw us ever sin..." (Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus).
Finally, it is also interesting that in several closer to our Lord, her Son.
apparitions of our Blessed Mother, she herself Keep in mind that in our liturgical calendar,
has attested to her Immaculate Conception: On the Solemnity of the Annunciation on March
Dec. 9 (the date for the Solemnity of the 25 marks the time when Mary conceived our
Immaculate Conception in the Spanish Copyright © Arlington Catholic Herald, Inc.
Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. Nine
Empire) in 1531 at Guadalupe, Mary said to All rights reserved. Used with permission
Printed with ecclesiastical approval months later, on Dec. 25, we celebrate the
Juan Diego, "I am the perfect and perpetual Solemnity of Christmas, the birth of our
Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, through Savior. To have Mary conceive our Lord on
whom everything lives...." In 1830, Mary told Dec. 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate
St. Catherine Laboure to have the Miraculous Pope John Paul II Society of Evangelists Conception, and then have Him born on Dec.
Medal struck with the inscription, "Mary P.O. Box 5584, Bakersfield, California 93388 25, does not make sense. Rather, Dec. 8
conceived free from sin, pray for us who have E-mail: info@pjpiisoe.org Phone: 661 393-3239 marks when Mary was conceived without
recourse to thee." Lastly, when she appeared www.pjpiisoe.org original sin, and then Sept. 8 celebrates her
Pamphlet 059
birth.
In examining the history surrounding the Scripture scholar, Fr. Carroll Stuhlmueller on this problem. Duns Scotus (d. 1308)
dogma of the Immaculate Conception, we see noted, "Luke’s word puts the emphasis upon posited one solution saying, "Mary more than
the beauty of a Church founded by Christ, the source of goodness rather than upon its anyone else would have needed Christ as her
whose faithful followers struggle to grasp ever effects. In regard to Mary, therefore, he Redeemer, since she would have contracted
more clearly the mystery of salvation. This points out that she is the object of God’s original sin... if the grace of the Mediator had
struggle is guided by the Holy Spirit, whom grace and favor. Because the verb is also a not prevented this." Quoting the Dogmatic
Jesus identified as "The Spirit of Truth," Who participle, Mary is shown to have been Constitution on the Church, the Catechism
"will instruct you in everything and remind chosen for a long time past; God’s full flow adds, "The 'splendor of an entirely unique
you of all that I told you" and "will guide you of favor has already been concentrating upon holiness' by which Mary is 'enriched from the
to all truth" (cf. John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13). her.... In her, more than in anyone else, God’s first instant of her conception' comes wholly
messianic fulfillment is achieved. As such, from Christ: she is 'redeemed, in a more
Part of the "struggle" with the Immaculate she has received more from and through exalted fashion by reason of the merits of her
Conception is that there is no specific, crystal- God’s anticipation of Jesus’ redemptive work Son'" (#492). In essence, since Mary was
clear scriptural citation for it. Nevertheless, the than anyone else in the Old Testament or chosen to share intimately in the life of Jesus
references in the Gospels to the Blessed New Testament" (The Jerome Biblical from her conception, He was indeed her
Mother and her role in the mystery of Commentary). Savior from her conception.
salvation intimate this belief. In the Gospel of
St. Luke, we find the beautiful passage of the Moreover, Archangel Gabriel announces,
Annunciation, where Archangel Gabriel said "the Lord is with you." Such a proclamation Perhaps one reason why the discussion over
to Mary (in our familiar wording as translated coming from God Himself implies a the Immaculate Conception was prolonged is
from St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate edition of the particular office or a special prerogative. because the early Church was outlawed and
Bible), "Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is Again, Fr. Stuhlmueller noted, "The under persecution until the year 313, and then
with you." While some scripture scholars Redeemer-God professes to find an eminent had to address various problems surrounding
haggle over "how full is full," the testimony of fulfillment of His promises in the recipient of Jesus Himself. More reflection about Mary
St. Gabriel definitely indicates the exceptional the greeting." Given this scholarly and her role occurred after the Council of
holiness of the Blessed Mother. When one examination of Scripture, we rightly believe, Ephesus (431) solemnly affirmed Mary's
considers the role Mary was to play in the life therefore, that an exceptional, grace-filled divine motherhood and gave her the title,
of our Lord — whether His incarnation, His holiness extended to the very beginning of "Mother of God" in that she conceived by the
childhood, or His crucifixion — she must have Mary’s life, her conception, and that God had power of the Holy Spirit and bore Jesus who
been outstanding in holiness, truly "full of prepared her to play an integral role in the is second person of the Holy Trinity, one in
grace" in accepting and in fulfilling her role as plan of salvation. being with the Father. Several of the early
the Mother of the Savior, in the fullest sense of Church Fathers including St. Ambrose (d.
Mother. On the practical side, if original sin is 397), St. Ephraem (d. 373), St. Andrew of
inherited through our parents, and Jesus took Crete (d. 740), and St. John Damascene (d.
Going further to the original Greek text of the on our human nature in all things except sin, 749) meditated on Mary's role as Mother,
Gospel, we find the wording chaire then Mary had to be free of original sin. including her own grace-filled disposition,
kecharitomene. Chaire means "grace." The and wrote of her sinlessness. A feast day in
verb kecharitomene means "having been The question then arises, "How is Christ the honor of the Immaculate Conception has been
favored." The form of the verb is also Savior of Mary?" Actually much of the celebrated in the Eastern part of the Church at
important: here the verb does not simply imply debate concerning the Immaculate least since the sixth century.
"fullness," but rather instrumentality. The late Conception during the Middle Ages focused