In the Spirit of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Commemoration: Monday in the Second Week of Advent
Scripture:
- Proverbs 8:22–35: “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning.”
- Luke 1:26–28: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”
On this great Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church, in her sacred liturgy, pairs these two readings to draw out the profound mystery of Mary’s unique role in salvation history—a role prepared from all eternity in the hidden counsels of the Most High.
Let us first consider the majestic words of Proverbs 8, traditionally interpreted by the Fathers of the Church in reference to Divine Wisdom, the eternal Logos, the Word through whom all things were made. But in this feast’s liturgical context, the Church—guided by centuries of contemplation—also applies this passage mystically to Our Lady, the Seat of Wisdom, she in whom Eternal Wisdom would take flesh.
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, echoing earlier Fathers, writes that “Mary is the true terrestrial paradise of the New Adam… the grand and divine world of God where there are beauties and treasures unspeakable.” She is that paradise prepared before the foundation of the world, as Proverbs says, “The Lord possessed me… from the beginning.” This possession is not merely metaphorical, but personal—Mary was, from her conception, preserved from the stain of Original Sin, not by her own merits, but by the foreseen merits of Christ, her Son, the Eternal Wisdom.
The words from Proverbs—“I was set up from eternity… before the earth was made”—find their echo in the Church’s teaching that Mary was predestined, from all eternity, to be the Mother of God. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the Mellifluous Doctor, explains:
“God could create the world from nothing, but He willed that the restoration of the world should begin with the free fiat of Mary. As Eve was the beginning of death, so Mary became the beginning of life.”
Thus, Mary’s Immaculate Conception is not an afterthought or an optional privilege—it is integral to the divine plan, the mysterious design of God wherein the New Eve would be immaculate, untainted, and full of grace, from the first instant of her existence.
Turning now to Luke 1, we hear the words of the Angel Gabriel:
“Hail, full of grace (χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη), the Lord is with thee.”
St. Jerome, translating this into the Latin Vulgate as “gratia plena”, captures the uniqueness of Mary’s state. The Greek term kecharitōmenē is a perfect passive participle—it denotes not a fleeting gift of grace, but a completed, abiding state. Mary is the one who has been and remains filled with grace.
St. John Damascene, preaching on the Conception of the Theotokos, says:
“She alone merited to be called full of grace, because she alone possessed the fullness of divine favor, more than all the saints and angels.”
In this solemn mystery, then, we see that the Immaculate Conception is the fitting prelude to the Incarnation. For it was not meet that the Son of God should dwell in a vessel marred by sin, even for a moment. The Church has always confessed with holy fear and reverence:
“Ab initio, from the beginning, she was prepared as a worthy dwelling for Thy Son.” (from the Collect of the feast)
Liturgical Reflection:
Today’s feast is a First-Class Solemnity, ranked among the most precious gems in the Church’s year. It comes to us in the stillness of Advent, teaching us to look beyond time—to see God’s plan unfolding with serene majesty. While we await the visible coming of Christ at Christmas, we are reminded that His hidden coming began in the womb of the Immaculate, the moment when, in the quiet of Nazareth, a sinless maiden uttered her Fiat.
In the Office and Mass, we hear the ancient antiphons drawn from the Song of Songs, Genesis, and Wisdom literature—all exalting the spotless beauty and divine election of Mary. The Introit, “Gaudens gaudebo in Domino” (Isaiah 61:10), reflects the joy not only of Our Lady but of the whole Church in this mystery:
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation.”
And so the Liturgy proclaims what theologians have defended, what the faithful have believed, and what the Fathers anticipated: Mary is the Immaculate Conception—the living sign of God’s triumph over sin.
Patristic Voices:
Let us end with a few more witnesses from the early Church, whose voices rise in harmony with today’s solemn celebration:
- St. Ephrem the Syrian (4th century):
“You alone and your Mother are more beautiful than any others, for there is no blemish in you, nor any stain upon your Mother.”
- St. Augustine (4th century):
“When sin is treated, there should be no mention made of Mary.”
Although Augustine did not articulate the dogma as it was defined in 1854, his instinct for her holiness foreshadowed the full doctrine.
- St. Andrew of Crete (8th century):
“Today humanity recovers the gift of its first creation, and the dust fashioned by God’s hand is deified in the Virgin’s womb.”
Conclusion:
As we venerate the Immaculate Conception today, let us renew our trust in the wisdom of God’s providence, who prepared Mary, immaculate and radiant, to be the dawn of our redemption. She is the Morning Star who shines before the Sun of Justice.
In this Advent season, let her be also for us the model of expectant faith, perfect purity, and complete submission to God’s will. May her Immaculate Heart guide us to Christ, that He may be born anew in our souls.