Mary-A Source of ‘Christian Hope’
“Mary was given unique grace because the ‘yes’ she was asked to give was so big!” -Author Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda
December is a month celebrating God’s entrance into humanity through babies! Today, on Dec. 8, we celebrate Mary’s conception—the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which in a very profound way impacts our celebration of Jesus’ birthday in 17 days. Author Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda has written extensively on Our Blessed Mother and has offered to share some insights on the significance and blessing of this special feast day.
Introduction
Mary was given unique grace because the “yes” she was asked to give was so big! Even before I understood how babies were conceived, or embraced the full impact of a virgin birth at Christmas, I knew that the mother of Jesus must have had a unique and sacred beginning. Long before I grappled with the concept of original sin as an adult, I could understand that Mary, who gave birth to the Son of God, must have lived in an entirely unique and holy grace from the beginning. Some ideas simply make more sense when we are children hearing through our hearts than when we are adults analyzing them as concepts in our minds. Or as Jesus reminds us: “Trust me when I tell you that whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as a child will not enter into it” (Luke 18:17).
First, Original Sin
A most painful consequence of original sin is the schism in our relationship with God. No longer are we experiencing the joy of living in complete union with our Creator! It’s like that feeling, that knowledge that we experience when our relationship with our parents or someone else we love is broken because of something we’ve done — it affects everything in us, and shapes everything that we do. It’s the opposite of comm-union, and one of the reasons why the Eucharist is the greatest gift that Jesus gave us.
Part of that original sin is the focus on self — especially when it comes to thinking that I can do ‘it’ myself, without anyone’s help — even taking care of my own character defects, which the popular “12 Steps Program” speaks to beautifully. It includes such steps as acknowledging what my sins and defects are and asking God to take them away. St. Paul did the same thing. He asked and asked God to remove what he called his particular “thorn in his side” and ultimately he accepted that “your grace is enough for me.”
In a unique and special way, Mary was “full of grace” from the very beginning, and protected from the consequences of original sin that every other human inherits. What she desired most was to please God.
What is the Immaculate Conception?
The Christian Church proclaimed that Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother without original sin. She was pure at her conception. This is not just a Catholic “thing” — The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God “the All-Holy” (Panagia) and celebrate her as “free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature.” By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her entire life. (Catechism, 493).
What’s the significance for us that Mary was conceived without original sin?
The doctrine or belief in Mary’s Immaculate Conception offers us Mary as a source of genuine Christian hope.
In this season of Advent, as we await the coming of our Savior, Mary and her Immaculate Conception are nothing less than a beacon of light and hope in the darkness! For me, it is like a suddenly sunny, warm day that catches me by surprise in the midst of the winter season. Here’s why: It points to the fact that the Creator of the universe loved his children so much, that He chose to become human — like me, like you.
The same God who created the stars, the ocean, and all living things wanted to become one with me in every way, to experience all and everything of what it means to be human. And this choice was not some random idea–but a deliberate choice! That is why Mary was conceived without original sin. It was a special part of God’s plan for our salvation. It is significant to me, personally, because it reminds me just how much this Creator God loves ME, his beloved daughter.
And lastly, a little more on this, from my book “Seeker’s Guide to Mary”
Although it was a widely held belief long before then, this great revealed truth was not confirmed until Dec. 8, 1854, when Mary’s Immaculate Conception was declared a dogma—a true doctrine of faith—of the church by Pius IX.
According to historians, the feast of the conception of the mother of God was celebrated as early as the eighth century in Palestine, Constantinople, and other parts of the East. It was imported into Italy and Ireland as an actual feast day by the ninth century, and subsequently throughout the rest of Europe. Mary’s conception was set on Dec. 8, exactly nine months before her celebrated birthday, Sept. 8.
In the papal bull “Ineffabilis Deus,” Pope Pius IX declared: “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.”
In other words, in order to become the mother of the Savior, Mary was enriched with gifts and graces appropriate to such a role and purpose, including being redeemed from original sin from the moment of her own conception, a grace not shared with any other human. It is indisputable that God blessed Mary in a distinct way by choosing her to give birth to his Son. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception acknowledges that Mary was granted unique grace from the moment of her conception because of the merits of her Son.
‘A Beautiful Example’
I always remind my kids (and myself!) that #1 God will provide you with whatever you need to face whatever happens today and #2 that if I don’t feel like I have enough grace to face it, whatever it is, just ask God for more grace! Having a relationship with God that is based on complete and sincere honesty, telling God exactly who I am and what I need — is essential in my spiritual journey. God doesn’t want to hear about what I wish I was, God wants to know me, personally, as I really am! This is why Mary is such a beautiful example. This is the kind of relationship she obviously had with God. When the angel Gabriel made the huge announcement at the annunciation — Mary’s first honest, simple response was, ‘how can this be?’ — like something a little child would say when they don’t understand. That’s how I want to be, too!
Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda is the author of many books including “A Seeker’s Guide to Mary,” “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Mary of Nazareth” and “Edith Stein: St. Benedicta of the Cross.”
