Christ the Cornerstone

Mary will lead us to her Son if we follow her ‘yes’

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin. (Pope Pius IX, “Ineffablis Deus”)

Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Under this title, Mary is the patroness of the United States, so today is a very special day for our country as well as for our Church.

The Church’s teaching on the Immaculate Conception is an example of how our understanding of Catholic doctrine develops over time as a result of prayerful reflection, scholarship and sometimes lively disagreement.

Especially during the medieval period, theologians—including St. Thomas Aquinas—debated the question of how Mary was freed from the stain of sin. There was no disagreement about the fact that Mary was without sin, but there were differences of opinion about how and when this privilege was granted to her. Pope Pius IX settled the question in 1854 with his papal bull titled “Ineffablis Deus.”

This infallible declaration affirmed what had been gradually understood during the course of Christian history—namely that the mother of Jesus was freed from original sin from the moment of her conception.

Pope Pius IX taught definitively that this “singular grace and privilege of almighty God” was made possible by the merits of her divine Son. It does not mean that Mary had no need for Christ’s redeeming grace. On the contrary, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception asserts that the suffering and death of Christ, and his subsequent resurrection, were absolutely necessary to exempt his mother from “all stain of original sin.”

As Catholics, we believe that Mary is what every baptized follower of Jesus Christ is called to become. She is “full of grace,” holy, and totally open to God’s will. Mary listens with her heart. She responds decisively with courage and generosity. And she accompanies each of us, her children, as we undertake our life’s journey through good times and hard times.

Being conceived without sin did not exempt Mary from hardship, suffering or grief. Sacred Scripture makes it clear that Mary suffered with her son—just as she is compassionate and loving toward all of us. The grace of her Immaculate Conception does not make Mary less human. It gives her the courage and the singular ability to endure the pain and suffering of her children in ways that inspire us and give us hope.

Pope St. John Paul II observed that:

In contemplating this mystery in a Marian perspective, we can say that “Mary, at the side of her Son, is the most perfect image of freedom and of the liberation of humanity and of the universe. It is to her as Mother and Model that the Church must look in order to understand in its completeness the meaning of her own mission” (“Redemptoris Mater,” #37).

The fact that Mary was sinless from the beginning of her existence does not separate her from the rest of us, who are sinners. It gives us hope. If we turn to her and ask for her assistance; if we follow her example in saying “yes” to God’s will for us; and if we walk with Mary, following in the footsteps of Jesus, we will know the freedom and the joy that God has promised to us.

Pope Francis says that “the uncontaminated beauty of our mother is incomparable, but at the same time it attracts us.” Mary’s purity, her fidelity to God’s will, and her relentless determination to accompany Jesus on the Way of the Cross are magnetic. They draw us to her, and in coming close to Mary, we encounter her son, Jesus. By his redeeming grace, we too are freed from selfishness and sin.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a holy day of obligation. The Church does not impose this obligation lightly. It is meant to call our attention to the multiple ways that participation in the mystery of our redemption enriches us spiritually and sets us free. Rather than “business as usual” today, we are invited—and challenged—to set aside an hour of our day to thank God for the gift of our Blessed Mother.

During this time of eucharistic revival, let’s acknowledge the incarnate Word whose real presence we adore in the holy Eucharist. Let’s ask Mary to inspire us in our eucharistic devotion. As Pope Francis urges, “Let us entrust ourselves to her and say ‘no’ to sin and ‘yes’ to grace once and for all.” †