The meaning of the feast of the Immaculate Conception is that Mary is conceived in the womb of her mother without any stain of sin.
Church doctrine states that, from the first moment of her existence, Mary was preserved by God from the Original Sin and filled with sanctifying grace that would normally come with baptism after birth.
The Immaculate Conception was proclaimed as a dogma in 1854 by Pope Pius IX. It means that it is to be accepted as an infallible statement of faith.
Church doctrine states that, from the first moment of her existence, Mary was preserved by God from the Original Sin and filled with sanctifying grace that would normally come with baptism after birth.
The Immaculate Conception was proclaimed as a dogma in 1854 by Pope Pius IX. It means that it is to be accepted as an infallible statement of faith.
But more importantly, it means that God is the one who is made the Immaculate Conception of Mary possible.
It was God who bestowed this unique and special grace on Mary, and the angel Gabriel reiterated this when he greeted Mary with "Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you".
It was also a fulfilment of the promise of salvation that we heard in the 1st reading, when the Lord God said to the serpent, "I will make you enemies of each other, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring".
God prepared Mary to bear Jesus, the Son of God, who is the Saviour of the world, and who would destroy evil and bring about forgiveness of sins and salvation and to make us children of God.
As children of God, we are united with Jesus our Saviour, and we also acknowledge Mary as our Mother.
We are blessed with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ, as the 2nd reading tells us, so that we like Mary will always do the will of God and carry out God's plan of salvation in our lives.
Let us also turn to Mary and pray: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.