April 4, 2025
When Word Got Out (Immaculate Conception)
Friends, today is a day of great importance in the Catholic faith and, therefore, is referred to as a Solemnity.
Pondering how great our Savior is, we can and should extend our minds to consider His coming and everything related to the blessed event.
And so, we pause today to consider His Mother Mary. The Blessed Mother. Her "yes," is what we refer to as her fiat (formal authorization), to bear the Son of God was significant but let's go back further to the moment she was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. This is what we celebrate today. THAT moment when God created what would be the vessel to carry our Salvation into our world. For this reason, we honor her not her birth but the Conception. The very start.
However, have you ever thought of the response of the Devil upon hearing this news, when word got out? His free reign was, in effect, over.
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Mother, her being created as spotless and without original sin put in motion, our having a choice to turn away from sin and death. How can we adequately thank God for this perfect creation and her for willingly participating in our salvation?
The day Mary was conceived was not a good day for the Devil and all evil spirits for they knew that God was preparing, meticulously preparing to send His Son to earth to show us the way to love and giving us access to eternal happiness with Him. I don't like to converse with the Devil but on this day I'd surely not want to be anywhere near him.
Plainly, the moment of Mary's Immaculate Conception meant defeat for the Devil and victory for us.
May we respond by showing gratitude to Jesus' Mother by asking her to intercede for us, to go to her Son, and ask Him to hear our prayers.
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
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