625. December 8, Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary (II)

Meditations no. 552 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

Mary’s Immaculate Conception is a sign of Christ’s victory over sin.

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, by the Lord the most high God above all women upon earth. You are the glory of Jerusalem. You are the joy of Israel. You are the honour of our people. On the feast of her Immaculate Conception, we praise our Mother’s surpassing beauty in every way possible.

Original sin, an historical event that really took place in this world, was our first parents’ sin of disobedience against God. As the Council of Trent solemnly defined: The first man, Adam, when he transgressed the commandment of God in paradise, immediately lost the holiness and justice in which he had been constituted, and through the offence of that prevarication incurred the wrath and indignation of God, and thus death with which God had previously threatened him, and together with death, captivity under his power who thenceforth had the empire of death, that is to say, the devil (Heb 2: 14); and the whole Adam, both body and soul, was changed for the worse through the offence of this sin.

The Church also teaches that this sin is transmitted to all by generation, and exists in each as his own. Because of it we are all born deprived of God’s friendship; we are subject to death, and the devil and sin: we have lost the precious gifts with which God had endowed man for living injustice and holiness. Therefore, against God’s marvellous plan stands man, pronus ad peccatum after the fall, inclined toward evil.

However, Mary’s Immaculate Conception inaugurates the time of salvation. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come. Mary most holy possesses the first fruits of the kingdom because from the very first she is full of grace. Even before Christ’s birth she shares in the redemption in a measure that no other creature can ever attain.

Mary’s unique privilege is the most beautiful fruit of her Son’s saving mission. For us the Cross means victory over the devil, sin and death-enemies that hold power over us from birth. But the Virgin Mary, chosen from all eternity to be the Mother of the Redeemer, received the benefits of salvation at the very instant of her conception. Mary’s nature was never contaminated by the sin that held human nature in bondage and that Christ came to remove. She had no need to be freed from Satan’s power, since she was exempt from this subjection. The Blessed Trinity rejoiced in her as the new Eve, fulfilling the promise made in the garden of Eden: I will put enmity between you and the woman.

We rejoice in our hearts to hear once more the words of Pope Pius IX’s solemn proclamation: the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a unique grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God, and therefore must be firmly and constantly held by all the faithful.

Mary’s sanctity is a model for the Church and for all Christians.

I will gladly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and with the robe of justice he has covered me, as a bride adorned with her jewels.

How great is our Lady’s sanctity! How marvellous her beauty! The Fathers of the Church, overwhelmed by the mystery of her Immaculate Conception, address her with words of burning praise. Hail Mary, full of grace, holier than the saints, higher than the heavens, more glorious than the cherubim, more worthy of honour than the seraphim, raised above every creature. Hail, O dove, bringing us the olive branch of peace and announcing our deliverance from the spiritual flood. And the Church’s liturgy sings, Enclosed garden, a fountain sealed, lily among thorns, humble and gentle dove lacking all bitterness of sin.

The Church, the Spouse of Christ, sees in Mary her perfect model. The Church too is without spot or wrinkle, although always in need of purification because we who are her members are sinners. That is why she tries to imitate the one who is her Mother and Model.

The Church indeed contemplating her hidden sanctity, imitating her charity and faithfully fulfilling the Father’s will, by receiving the word of God in faith becomes herself a mother. By preaching and baptism she brings forth sons, who are conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of God, to new and immortal life. She herself is a virgin, who keeps in its entirety and purity the faith she pledged to her spouse. Imitating the mother of her Lord, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, she keeps intact faith, firm hope and sincere charity.

After Christ himself, the richest treasure of the Church is our Lady’s sanctity. From her abundance the other members of the Mystical Body draw life. Our contemplation of Mary strengthens our faith in the Church, which is always holy, despite our personal wretchedness. The immaculate Virgin is much more than the most exalted member of the Church. In subordination to her Son, she too gives spiritual birth to Christians in the life of grace, and thus is our Mother.

Father, you prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy Mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by his death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in your presence without sin.

We must have recourse to Mary if we are to be freed from our own sins and attain sanctity.

But while in the most holy Virgin Mary the Church has already reached that perfection whereby she exists without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5: 27), the faithful still strive to conquer sin and increase in holiness. And so they turn their eyes to Mary who shines forth, for the whole community of the elect, as the model of virtues.

The Church needs our personal sanctity. Original sin has been pardoned in baptism, but its consequences live on in our soul, seen in our mistakes and weaknesses, our readiness to do evil and our reluctance to do good. Yet we have no right to become discouraged, since we can count on God’s all-powerful grace and holy Mary’s intercession. Our part is to struggle with determination, beginning again as often as need be. Our Father tells us, My children, you ought to look upon your life and ask for forgiveness. On seeing your poor life, ask for pardon and form a very firm, definite and well-defined resolution to improve in one thing or another, in what you find difficult and habitually fail to do in the way that you know you should.

At times we may more vividly feel the full weight of Adam’s sad inheritance. It may be that our self-love tries to make us discouraged, picturing sanctity as an impossible goal and trying to stir up unrest over our sins. Such unrest cannot come from God since it does not lead to humility and peace. Then is the moment to seek refuge in Mary’s immaculate sanctity with greater trust than ever. Our Father writes, All the sins of your life seem to be rising up against you. Don’t give up hope! On the contrary, call upon your holy mother Mary with the faith and abandonment of a child. She will bring peace to your soul.

However great our wretchedness, we are always assured of our Lady’s protection. She is the most loving of mothers. Even if I were a leper, my mother would embrace me. She would kiss my wounds fearlessly. Won’t the most holy Virgin Mary do the same? As long as we are wayfarers, there is a solution to any problem. When we realize that we are lepers, when we see our wounds, let us cry out: Mother! Her protection is like a kiss on our wounds. Have a great devotion to her. Always trust her. And when you see that you are in danger, go to her and beg for her help. Lean on her. She is a sure support. And you will find the strength to go on.