Immaculate Conception
Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
As we know, Mary was preserved from the first moment of her conception from all stain of original sin. She was also free from actual sin throughout her entire life.
The Immaculate Conception of Mary was a grace given to no one else, but it was not given only for her own sake. When the Second Person became man, he created a human body having a soul and a human nature. He then united himself to it from the first moment of its existence. Thus, Christ is truly human, and he received from his mother his humanity: nature and flesh. Everything that men receive from their mothers he received from his. Since the Fall, however, every mother has passed on to her children original sin. Christ could have no sin, but since he received his humanity from Mary, she also could have no sin so as to be incapable of passing on to him that stain. The Immaculate Conception was a gift given to Mary so that she could fully be Christ’s mother so that he could fully be human.
