Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 411, 489-493, 722, 2001, 2853: God’s preparation; the Immaculate Conception
 
Doctrinal Information about the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

“Immaculate Conception”
by Domenico Piola, 1683

Readings for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 3:9-15, 20
 
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the Lord God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The Lord God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
 
Then the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
 
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.
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Commentary on Gn 3:9-15, 20
 
Adam and Eve are confronted by God after having eaten the forbidden fruit from the tree of wisdom. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. Thus, the identity of the serpent is now synonymous with the devil. This passage, because of that linkage, can now be classified as the first prediction of the messianic struggle with evil and ultimate victory.
 
Contained here is the scriptural evidence of original sin. The story is also called “the fall,” as God’s human creation (personified in Adam and Eve) falls from grace and is condemned to suffer the struggle to regain the blessed state throughout history. Mankind has disobeyed God and defied his will. Through disobedience, sin and death enter the world.
 
CCC: Gn 3:9-10 399; Gn 3:9 410, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:11 2515; Gn 3:12 1607; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489; Gn 3:20 489
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
 
R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
 
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
 
The Lord has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
 
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
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Commentary on Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
 
Psalm 98 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. God is praised for the strength he lends his people, and the salvation he brings to those who are faithful. It is also a song of victory that is attributed to the Lord, and one of awe for the deeds he has done on behalf of his people. We can relate the victory to the unblemished creation of the Blessed Mother, her Immaculate Conception.
 
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Reading II: Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
 
Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.
 
In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.
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Commentary on Eph 1:3-6, 11-12
 
This passage is a selection from a liturgical hymn. It praises God and all of his creation.  It is written in a style very much like that found in Colossians 1:15-20, and is broken into two sections: God's plan for salvation and Christ's redemptive actions in response.
 
Paul speaks to the Ephesians about their adoption by God as sons and daughters. He relates, in typical Pauline fashion, the omnipotence and timelessness of God’s knowledge and actions. The emphasis in this selection is “chosen.” We were chosen (“to be holy and without blemish before him”) to accomplish God's will, just as he chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the unblemished vessel of our Savior Jesus Christ.
 
"'He destined us in love': the loving initiative is God's. 'If God has honored us with countless gifts it is thanks to his love, not to our merits. Our fervor, our strength, our faith and our unity are the fruit of God's benevolence and our response to his goodness' (St John Chrysostom, 'Hom. on Eph, ad loc'.)."  [5]
 
CCC: Eph 1:3-14 2627, 2641; Eph 1:3-6 381, 1077; Eph 1:3 492, 1671; Eph 1:4-5 52, 257; Eph 1:4 492, 796, 865, 1426, 2807; Eph 1:5-6 294; Eph 1:6 1083
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Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
 
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.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
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Commentary on Lk 1:26-38
 
This passage, from St. Luke’s Gospel, is the story of Mary being informed by the archangel Gabriel that she has been chosen for the great privilege of bearing the Savior of the world. St. Mary graciously accepts this honor, although with very human fear, indicating that her free will is at play. This response makes her obedience to God’s will more powerful. It is proposed that, with this acceptance, Mary entered into a vow of perpetual virginity because of the demands of Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."
 
In St. Luke’s story of the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a son and name him Jesus (the eternal implication of this statement is made clear in the greeting which presupposes knowledge of Mary’s entire existence). Mary confirms the title “Virgin” as she questions Gabriel saying: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” Even though she does not understand, Mary accepts her role and is told that the Holy Spirit will be the agent of the life within her. She then utters those amazing words: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
 
This announcement parallels Zechariah’s news about John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-23), also delivered by the archangel Gabriel. This passage clearly identifies Jesus as Son of David and Son of God, thus linking it with the messianic predictions from the Old Testament.
 
CCC: Lk 1:26-38 497, 706, 723, 2571; Lk 1:26-27 488; Lk 1:26 332; Lk 1:28-37 494; Lk 1:28 490, 491; Lk 1:31 430, 2812; Lk 1:32-33 709; Lk 1:32 559; Lk 1:34 484, 497, 505; Lk 1:35 437, 484, 486, 697; Lk 1:37-38 494; Lk 1:37 148, 269, 273, 276; Lk 1:38 64, 148, 510, 2617, 2677, 2827, 2856
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Reflection:
This feast confounds many of the faithful because of language. It is one of the few “Infallible” pronouncements of our pontiffs and is probably the most misunderstood. It is, therefore, critical that we approach this event didactically, that is with a teaching mentality.
The common misconception by many Catholics and a vast majority of non-Catholics is that the feast of the Immaculate Conception refers to Jesus’ conception. This is due to the language used. Immaculate Conception, in the mind of most people, refers to the situation we heard in the Gospel today; that is, conception without sex. Since the best-known biblical example of that is the conception of Jesus, that’s what many people think. Even when the full name of the solemnity is used - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, people are still confused since she was the vessel of the Lord.
Let us then set the record straight. This feast is a celebration of the singular gift of grace (“Hail, favored one!”) given to Mary, the Virgin Mother of God (Theotokos). Another great misconception about this solemnity is about the gift itself. Because the conception of Christ was done through the power of the Holy Spirit, without any will of human industry, it is assumed by many Catholics that the same is true of the pronouncement of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. That is, her conception was accomplished without relations between her parents, Saints Anne and Joachim. This is not the case.
 
The promulgation of the Immaculate Conception states:
 
The term conception does not mean the active or generative conception by her parents. Her body was formed in the womb of the mother, and the father had the usual share in its formation. The question does not concern the immaculateness of the generative activity of her parents. Neither does it concern the passive conception absolutely and simply (conceptio seminis carnis, inchoata), which, according to the order of nature, precedes the infusion of the rational soul. The person is truly conceived when the soul is created and infused into the body. Mary was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin at the first moment of her animation, and sanctifying grace was given to her before sin could have taken effect in her soul. [6]
 
The doctrinal pronouncement is clear:
 
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.[7]
 
This was the intent of Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, pronounced by Pope Pius IX.
 
Where does our understanding of the intent of the proclamation of the Solemnity lead us?  What spiritual benefit do we derive from this understanding of God’s wish for us?  Clearly: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  The Church, since the very beginning, has understood the unique function the Mother of God has had in her role as vessel for the Son of God’s incarnation.  It is ironic that, to reconcile logical arguments that sought to challenge her exalted role and to reestablish our highest veneration, this misunderstood infallible dogmatic statement was made.
 
For those of us who have faith in the Savior, we find no need to explore the deep logic that followed the thread of St. Mary’s elevated state of grace through all of the theological twists and turns that supported the pronouncement made in Ineffabilis Deus.  We take on faith the wondrous love the Blessed Virgin Mary has for the Father.  We understand her obedience captured so perfectly with the opening words of the Magnificat (the Canticle of Mary): “My soul (magnifies) proclaims the greatness of the Lord.  My spirit rejoices in God my savior.”  (Luke 1:46-47)
 
We celebrate this day as a Solemnity – a solemn feast – a day dedicated to the faithfulness and love of the Theotokos, the Mother of God, who fulfilled her role with heroic virtue and cemented her place as Queen of Heaven.  Today we thank her for the blessed fruit of her womb, without whom we would not have life.
 
Pax
 
In other years: Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used today is “Immaculate Conception” by Domenico Piola, 1683.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Letters of St. Paul, The Navarre Bible, Four Courts Press, 2003, p. 362.
[6] Ineffabilis Deus.
[7] Ibid.