The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women (Lk 1:28) 

        Today we celebrate The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  On December 8, 1854 Pius IX declared "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin."  

        I have to confess that Mary and I have not always gotten along well.  I have mostly ignored her and her devotions for most of my life.  Who was this person Mary of Nazareth? She was a young pregnant woman, without sin, who was generally portrayed as meek and mild and conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  I did not feel particularly drawn to this young woman.  


        I did not have a devotion to the rosary and did not understand it.  Recently, I have read about the strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico by those who have been culturally marginalized.  The care and comfort and love that they feel through their devotion to The Lady is helpful.    I have also read about how women from the Middle Ages through today have had a strong devotion to Mary and to the rosary because it gave them comfort and something to do during a Mass that was entirely said in Latin.  

        Now I realize that Mary can be a liberating figure for women because she provides a mother's care to those who are marginalized.  The other point that I had overlooked is that she is a woman and she was given a choice by God which she said yes to.  This was not the case for women during that time period.  So, for women during that time she was treated with dignity.  
        In recent years I have come to know the peace and comfort that results from reciting the Hail Mary as a kind of silent mantra.  I have found myself saying this prayer during adoration or just to quiet my mind.  I also said several hundred if not thousands of Hail Marys when riding in the passenger side of the car when teaching my children how to drive!

        Dear Lord, in this time of Advent, let us look to Mary for the peace and quiet that we crave during this time of waiting for your coming in a special way at Christmas