Immaculate Conception Homily

In 1858 the Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes and announced: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This dogma of the Immaculate Conception came to be infallibly defined by Pope Pius XII in 1854. Prior to this the Immaculate Conception was already celebrated in the East since the 7th century and in the West a feast was already established which was celebrated in certain parts of the world. The fears concerning this dogma have nothing to do with Mary sinning or not, but with how it would be possible to say that she was in need of a Redeemer while being without sin.

Therefore, two questions came to be raised which I think are questions often raised in the minds of our non-Catholic brothers and sisters. These questions are:

1. Was Mary in need of redemption if she had been conceived without stain of original sin?
2. When, in the course of her conception, was Mary preserved from the stain and effects of original sin?

These are questions that were left unanswered by the likes of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, Bonaventure, and Anselm to name a few. It was Saint John Duns Scotus who died in 1308 who would develop these answers in detail. He would write: “He who is the most perfect mediator must have a most perfect act of mediation in regard to some person on whose behalf he exercises the mediatorial office. Now Christ is the most perfect... and he had no more exalted relation to any person than to the Blessed Virgin Mary... This could not be if he had not merited for her preservation from original sin.”

To sum up what Saint John Duns Scotus was getting at in simple terms is that Mary serves as a witness to Christ’s saving power. It is true that she was conceived without sin and was thus never touched by sin even original sin. At the same time it was also true that she was in need of a Redeemer. Our Lord preserved her and redeemed her from the cross and this grace was applied to her in anticipation of that redemption upon the cross.

If we delve further into devotion to the Blessed Mother we would hear that one of the titles often attributed to her is that she in the New Eve. It was from the Book of Genesis that we were told, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” When the Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Bernadette she described to her the Miraculous Medal which was to be made. If you look at this image you would see her standing upon the serpent for she crushes the devil under her feet for she is the new Eve who brought the New Adam into this world.

At the Annunciation the angel Gabriel came to her and exclaimed, “Hail full of grace.” She did not become full at grace at that moment, but was already found to be so perfectly full of God’s grace that it was flowing over for Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant for she was the pure and spotless vessel which would bring forth Christ our Lord. It we look at the hands of Mary, in the Miraculous Medal, we would see the rays which pour forth, for these represent to us the fact that she is the Mediatrix of All Graces. 

Therefore, as we come to celebrate this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception may we foster devotion to our Blessed Mother. She is indeed this pure and spotless vessel which was chosen to bear the Word made Flesh. Through our devotion to her may we draw closer to her Son, Jesus Christ. She is the Mediatrix of All Graces, which is to say, that we should pray for her intercession that we may come to more perfectly be open to the gift of God’s grace. Let us foster this devotion and in return open heart to be more like the heart of Christ.