Immaculate Conception

Well, here it is another of the big Marian Feasts. To be honest, I love these feasts. This one seems to be all about "conceived without stain of original sin." Okay, that sounds just ever so scared of the fact that human beings are born as a direct result of sexual contact between man and woman.

Moving on. For me it is enough to see this feast as one celebrating that Mary was conceived, and with her conception came the possibility of her cooperation with the Holy Spirit when the choice was presented to her. Fiat. Perhaps Jesus was born at that particular time in history because it was when the "one" soul that would say yes, was alive? It's interesting to think that the coming of the Messiah was tied to the birth of the correct woman.

In the end, though, it is all unknown. When the vision told Bernadette that her name was the Immaculate Conception, Abbot Damien said, then it gave heaven's approval to the dogma. I can't say much about that, because I am so reluctant to give the weight of "dogma" to words of a vision. Since this all falls in what I call the category of unknowns, I am content to say Amen, Praise God, and go forward on faith.

The way I see it is similar to the Rabbi in Acts who said, "if it is from God, nothing can stop it." I am Protestant born and raised. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception frightens me a bit. Still, I am more than willing to say that what I don't know about Mary, could fill the earth. What I do know about Mary is that she did and does exist.

Good mothers are loved. Mary must have been a good mother, because while dying on the cross Jesus said, "Behold your mother."

Jesus had to take flesh, bone, DNA, etc., from some human. Mary gave hers to Jesus for his own. And, since Marian Feasts make me feel lyrical:

Hail holy queen, mother of mercy,
Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry poor banished children of Eve,
To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate
your eyes of mercy toward us.
And after this, our exile,
Show us the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.