As we begin each day’s reflection, invite the Lord to come be with you as you read and meditate on His Word. Take a moment and read the bible passage slowly, allowing the Lord to draw you to any word or phrase that speaks to you.

Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

Brothers and Sisters: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.

During Advent, the Church gives us some special days to stop and focus on our Blessed Mother. And how appropriate it is to spend some time better understanding the woman who God chose to give humanity to His Son. Today’s Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is an opportunity for us to consider who this young girl was and how she could do all that God asked of her. 

First off, we need to understand what we are celebrating today. The Immaculate Conception refers to the moment Mary was conceived, not Jesus. It is the teaching of the Church that Mary was protected from the stain of original sin at the moment of her conception. We might ask why she is so special to get this gift that no other human has received. Does this mean she is divine in some way? No, she is not divine. God chose to bestow this gift upon her because of the role she would play in salvation history. Practically speaking, as the one who would carry within her God incarnate, Jesus, she had to be pure and holy. 

The angel Gabriel calls her by the name, “Full of Grace” in Luke 1:28. Fr. Charles Grondin from Catholic Answers puts it this way, “The word that the angel uses is kecharitomene. So, it’s not literally “full of grace,” but its root word is the Greek verb “to give grace” (charitoo). The word is the past perfect tense, meaning that the action of giving grace has already occurred. It was not something that was about to happen to her but something that has already been accomplished. The word was also used as a title. The angel did not say, “Hail Mary, you are kecharitomene” but rather, “Hail kecharitomene.” Therefore, the word is not simply an action but an identity.” (www.catholic.com)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the Immaculate Conception teaching in paragraphs 490-491. Mary needed this gift to be able to “give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation…” (CCC 490) The beauty of this teaching about the Blessed Mother is that this gift she has received says more about Jesus than her, which every Church teaching about Mary does. She did not merit this gift. She did not do anything to deserve this gift. She didn’t make this happen on her own. It is all by the merits of Jesus. Just like we are pulled out of the pit of sin after falling in, thus being saved, Mary was saved by God as well. She was just saved before she fell in the pit. 

Today’s second reading from Ephesians so beautifully describes being chosen and destined before the foundation of the world to be adopted into the family of God, “so that we might exist for the praise of his glory.” May the example of Mary’s life, lived in total union with God be something for which we strive. We may not have had the grace given to us at our conception, but we have our baptism, our Sacraments, and our Savior who is more than willing to share His Holy Spirit with us to help us reach the goal of being “holy and without blemish before him.” And we have a mother in heaven who wants us to know our identity as children of God.

Reflection Questions: Where is your devotion to the Blessed Mother? Is she someone you talk to or think much about? Is she a part of the story of Christmas, but outside of the birth of Jesus, she doesn’t really draw much attention? As Catholics, we know that she is not to be worshiped, but because of her special status with Christ, we revere her, and Christ gave her to us our Mother (John 19:26-27). Today, consider where she fits into your life and ask Jesus to help you love her as He does.