The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception. This Church feast recognizes that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. Not being subject to original sin was determined to be part of the plan to bringing the Christ child into the world. Pope Pius IX defined the present doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of December 8, 1854.
Today, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we celebrate the goodness of God — His genius and undying love for us.
We celebrate God’s gift of mother-love. We rejoice in the example of Mary’s trust, her simple “Yes” to God, from which flows our only hope.
We celebrate freedom from fear.
Marvelous indeed: God gave us Mary, whose troubled reaction to the words of the angel quickly turns to perfect surrender to the loving will of God.
Marvelous indeed: Fear is transformed to trust, to hope, to salvation, because God loves us as much and more than any mother loves her child. Can it be that simple?
Yes. Advent is here. Expect marvelous deeds.