The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception is a difficult concept to understand and for most of us it remains an abstract concept, or at best because it is a church dogma, we simply believe without truly knowing.
Fr. Dave Domingues, in his highly energetic and passionate way, explains it succinctly and plainly, in the recent Serviam teaching night at Santuario de San Antonio Church. He clarifies first that the miracle of the Immaculate Conception is the conception of our Blessed Mother, not of the conception of Jesus.
He prefaces his talk by asking if Jesus is SINLESS. Of course, we said, yes, Jesus is indeed SINLESS. He then asks can SINLESS-NESS come from SIN? We of course said, no, sinless-ness cannot come from sin.
He reiterates, SINLESS-NESS therefore, comes from SINLESS-NESS.
For Jesus is sinless, his mother therefore must be sinless. After many years of prayerful debate in the church, it was under Pope Pius IX, on December 8, 1854 that it was decreed and made into a dogma (truth of our faith, declared by our church, believed and accepted by all, revealed by God himself) that Mama Mary was ‘conceived into the world PRESERVED from the taint of original sin.’ PRESERVED here means with divine intention. Mother Mary was preserved from sin for a specific purpose – that of Christ’s birth. She was to pave the way for Jesus and our redemption through Him.
Because we are a people fallen from grace, Mary conception restores us to this same Grace.
This dogma is in complete alignment with Mary’s end of life – the ASSUMPTION where she is brought to heaven body and soul, precisely because of her sinless-ness.
The Miracle of the Immaculate Conception paves the way for Jesus’ birth, His death and our redemption, His Incarnation, and Mary’s Assumption.
Mother Mary, Pray for Us.