On this Second Sunday of Advent we come to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immacualte Conception. This word “immaculate” means “without stain.” Therefore, what we come to celebrate is the reality that our Blessed Mother was conceived without the stain of sin. That she was the pure and spotless vessel prepared by God to bring forth the Savior of the World.
In the Gospel of Saint Luke the angel Gabriel addresses our Blessed Mother with these words: “Hail full of grace.” These words get to the very heart of what is going on in the midst of this feast. Some of other faith traditions would argue that the word used here should be favor and not grace. Neveretheless, we later hear in Luke 1:30: “Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.” In this passage the word used is clearly “grace” and not “favor.” With this we must consider what it means to state that Mary is “full of grace.”
For Mary to be “full of grace” there is no room in her for the tendency towards sin. For Mary to be “full of grace” there is not even the smallest drop of evil found within her. For Mary to be “full of grace” sets her apart from other saints who were sinners. For Mary to be “full of grace” she had her full attention always placed upon God. Mary is “full of grace” and thus she never fell into the stain of sin.
In our world it seems that many are led to believe that sin is not real and thus something that is impossible for them to commit. Even among Catholics we see people who have nothing to do with the Sacrament of Confession. Of them there are even some who believe they have not sinned. None of us can be the second coming of the Immaculate Conception because we are all sinners who are in need of the mercy of God. Taking the life of another is a serious sin, but there are other sins are serious too. When it pertains to what constitutes a sin it seems that we have set the bar so low that hardly anything constitutes sin.
It is difficult to grasp the reality of sin if we in return have lost our belief in God. Sadly, many have lost sight of God. Sadly, some never fathom their sinfulness in light of God’s merciful love. It is here that Mary shows us the way for her sight was always set upon God. Throughout scripture we are told that “she pondered all these things within her heart.”
