Honoring the Holy Family: What Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Teach Us About Family Life
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Since she is the sure means, the direct and immaculate way to Jesus and the perfect guide to him, it is through her that souls who are to shine forth in sanctity must find him. He who finds Mary finds life, that is, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. -St. Louis de Montfort.
What better way to introduce the devotion to the Immaculate Conception than with a quote from the great Mariologist, St. Louis de Montfort?
Surely, he would not have written "He who finds Mary finds life" lightly. Such a powerful intercessor is worthy of the highest praise and affection.
This brings us to one of Mary’s greatest titles: the Immaculate Conception.
As the year draws to a close, I invite you to honor the beloved devotion to the Immaculate Conception assigned to December.
On March 25, 1858, Our Lady changed the world through a young woman named Bernadette when she spoke five words to her:
"I am the Immaculate Conception."
Bernadette didn't know at the time just how much weight this declaration held.
Mary's revelation backed up a dogmatic decree that Pope Pius IX had proclaimed on December 8, 1854, after centuries of theological debate: that Mary was immaculately conceived without sin. It was the first time "Immaculate Conception" had been defined as a Marian title.
News spread slowly in those times, and the fact that a poor French girl who couldn't have known about the Pope's decree knew the title "Immaculate Conception" in her local dialect proved to the people of Lourdes that a great miracle had occurred. Mary had visited them.
Now, the Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception — a Holy Day of Obligation — on December 8.
But why is this title so significant, and what does it mean?
A common misconception is that "Immaculate Conception" refers to Jesus' conception. The moment when Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb is called the Incarnation.
"Immaculate Conception" refers to the fact that Mary was free from original sin from the moment of her conception. She always was, and remained throughout her life, perfectly pure and stainless.
This dogma is a fundamental belief of the Catholic faith. Only she was fit to bear the Son of God in her womb. She wasn't just an exceptionally holy woman; she was sinless and a saint on earth.
She's the living embodiment of what we all strive for: perfect obedience to God, complete union with God, and stainless purity. Thus, we can't go wrong following her example.
We do a great honor to Mary when we acknowledge her as the Immaculate Conception and celebrate her sanctity.
There's one discussion where many people get the wrong idea of Mary.
Jesus died on the Cross to redeem all of humanity from sin. But if Mary was conceived without original sin, how did Jesus redeem her? Did she need to be saved?
The Catholic Handbook explains best:
The Immaculate Conception was made possible through the merits of Christ’s future death and resurrection. God applied the grace of Jesus’ redemptive act to Mary at the moment of her conception, preserving her from original sin.
Without Jesus, Mary's sinlessness wouldn't have been possible. He spared her from sin from the moment of conception because He had a monumental purpose for her.
Mary was saved more perfectly by being preserved from falling into sin rather than cleansed from it.
Mary didn't need to be sinless for the Incarnation to take place, but it certainly best befitted the Savior of the world to lie in a virgin womb.
I'd like to share a few of the best ways to practice the devotion this month.
1. Consecrate yourself and your household to Mary
2. Attend Mass on December 8.
3. Meditate on Mary's obedience and purity.
4. Pray the Novena to the Immaculate Conception.
5. Strive to imitate Mary's example by practicing purity and guarding our senses.
Why wait until the start of the new year to renew our vigor and zeal? Meditating on Mary's purity leads us to contemplating Jesus' birth, making it a great way to make a holy Advent and prepare for Christmas.
Know that, if you faithfully honor the devotion to the Immaculate Conception this month, Our Lady will be extremely pleased and will, in turn, intercede for you.
May the Immaculate Conception inspire us to purity, obedience, and living out our vocations.
Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us.
