The Immaculate Conception
– December 8th
Adam and Eve were our first parents, and because they offended God by sinning grievously, every baby born into the world has original sin on his soul. We are all children of Adam, and so we all inherit his sin, which is called original sin.But the Blessed Virgin Mary was given the marvelous privilege of being conceived without original sin. Our Lady was to crush the devil’s head, as God told Adam and Eve, and so, not for one second was the Evil One to have any power over Mary! There was never the slightest stain of sin in our all-beautiful Mother. That is why on of the Church’s favorite hymns to Mary is: “You are all-beautiful, O Mary, and there is no stain of sin in you!”
This great privilege of Our Lady is called her Immaculate Conception. It was given her because she was to be God’s own Mother. Four years after Pope Pius IX proclaimed to the whole world that there was no doubt at all that Mary was conceived without sin, she appeared to Bernadette at Lourdes. When Bernadette asked the lovely Lady from Heaven who she was, Mary joined her hands and, humbly raising her eyes toward the skies, she said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
I will be devoted to the Immaculate Conception. To obtain her protection, I will acquire the beautiful habit of reciting three Hail Marys every morning and night.