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THE FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION ( December 8th )

Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. (Luke I, 28.)

CONSIDER FIRSTLY that IT WAS THE GOOD PLEASURE OF THE THREE Divine Persons to preserve Mary from original sin. It was the good pleasure of the Father because Mary was His first begotten daughter. As Jesus was the first begotten son of God, the first-born of every creature. (Col. i, 15), so Mary, destined to be the Mother of Jesus, might always be considered to be His first begotten daughter, and consequently she was always specially favoured by God with His choicest graces, The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways. (Prov. viii, 22.) For the honour of His divine Son it pleased the father to preserve Mary from every stain of sin. He also destined her to crush the head of the infernal serpent that had seduced mankind; She shall crush thy head. (Gen. iii, 15.) How could He then have ever permitted her to have been first a slave of Satan? Mary, moreover, was likewise destined to be the advocate of sinners. Consequently it was also suitable that God should preserve her from sin, so that she might ever be guiltless of the sins of our human race for which she was to intercede.

APPLICATION:  Cherish devotion to Mary Immaculate, the great model of all purity and the all powerful advocate of sinners.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: With the holy thou wilt be holy, and with the innocent thou wilt be innocent. (Ps. xvii, 26.)

CONSIDER SECONDLY that it was also the good pleasure of the Son to have an Immaculate Mother. He Himself elected her as His Mother. One could never imagine that a son, who might have a queen as his mother, would choose rather a slave. How can we even imagine that the Eternal Word, able to have His Mother ever Immaculate and always the friend of God, would allow her to be at any time stained with sin or an enemy of God? Moreover St. Augustine says: The flesh of Christ is the flesh of Mary. The Son of God would have shrunk from taking the flesh even of a St. Agnes, of a St. Gertrude, or of a St. Theresa, for all these holy virgins before their baptism had been stained with original sin. The devil could have claimed that their nature alone had once been subject to himself. Jesus Christ did not however abhor to be made man in the womb of Mary: He did not abhor the Virgin’s womb, for she had always been pure and immaculate. Besides, as St. Thomas says, Mary was preserved from every actual sin, even venial, otherwise she could not have been worthy or even capable of being Mother of God. And not less capable would she have been, had she been stained by original sin which renders a soul hateful in God’s sight?

APPLICATION:  God hates even the least stain of even venial sin. Always labour to keep a great purity of conscience in all things.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: Who is God but the Lord? Or who is God but our God? God who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless. (Ps. xvii, 32, 33.)

CONSIDER THIRDLY how it was the good pleasure of the Holy Spirit that this most beloved spouse of His should be immaculate. The redemption of fallen mankind having once been decreed by God, the Holy Spirit desired that His spouse should be redeemed in the most perfect manner of all, by preserving he from the stain of sin. If God preserved the body of Mary after her death, how much more should we believe that He preserved her soul from the foul taint of sin? Therefore this immaculate spouse is called a garden enclosed, a sealed fountain, because the enemy never entered into the blessed soul of Mary. She is praised therefore as being all-beautiful, ever beloved, and ever pure. Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee. (Cant. iv, 7.)

APPLICATION:  Ah, my most beauteous Lady, I rejoice to see thee so beloved of thy God for thy purity and for thy beauty. I thank God intensely for having preserved thee from all sin. Ah, my Queen! As thou art so beloved by the most Blessed Trinity, do not disdain to cast thine eyes on my soul so stained with sins. Obtain for me from God pardon and my eternal salvation. With thy sweetness thou hast drawn many hearts to love thee. Draw mine also, so that from this day forth it shall love none other than God and thee. Thou knowest already that I have placed all my hope in thee. Never leave me, my most dear Mother.  Assist me ever by thing intercession in life, and especially at death. Make me to die loving thee and calling upon thee, so that I may come to love thee for ever in heaven. Amen. 

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: Virgins shall be brought after her unto the King. (Ps. xliv, 15.) Ave filia Dei Patris!  Ave mater Dei Filii!  Ave sponsa Dei Spiritus Sancti!  Ave templum totius Trinitatis ! 

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