{"id":17421,"date":"2014-12-20T15:15:32","date_gmt":"2014-12-20T21:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=17421"},"modified":"2017-04-17T21:58:49","modified_gmt":"2017-04-18T01:58:49","slug":"the-immaculata","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-immaculata\/","title":{"rendered":"The Immaculata","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for December 19th-20th, 2014
of the Third Week of Advent<\/p>\n

Liturgical texts here<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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THE <\/strong> Immaculate Conception of Mary is one of the most beautiful miracles in salvation history after the Incarnation\u2014so much so, that the Fathers of the Eastern tradition celebrate her as “the All-Holy” (Panagia<\/em>) who was…<\/p>\n

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…free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature<\/span><\/strong>. \u2014Catechism of the Catholic Church, <\/em>n. 493<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But if Mary is a “type” of the Church, then it means that we too are called to become the Immaculate Conception<\/em> as well.<\/p>\n

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THE FIRST CONCEPTION<\/p>\n

The Church has always<\/em> taught that Mary was conceived without sin. It was defined as a dogma in 1854\u2014not invented, but defined <\/em>then. It should be easy for Protestants to accept this truth on logic alone. For instance, Samson was a type of the Messiah whom God sent to ‘deliver’ the Israelites. Listen to the demands the angel makes of his mother:<\/p>\n

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Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son. Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. (Friday’s first reading)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In a word, she was to be immaculate. Now, Samson was conceived through natural relations, but Jesus was to be conceived by the Holy Spirit. <\/em>If God demanded that the mother of Samson be pure to prepare for the birth of their deliverer, would the Holy Spirit unite himself to one who is stained by sin?<\/em> Would the Holy One, God-incarnate, take His very flesh and blood from one whose temple was defiled by original sin? Of course not. Thus, Mary was granted the “splendor of an entirely unique holiness… from the first moment of her conception.” [1]<\/sup><\/a>CCC<\/em>, n. 492<\/span><\/span>