Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 8 December, 2022

Gospel Lk 1: 26- 38 

Gospel  Lk1:2

The angel Gabriel was sent from God

to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,

of the house of David,

and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said,

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was greatly troubled at what was said

and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary,

for you have found favor with God.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall name him Jesus.

He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,

and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,

“How can this be,

since I have no relations with a man?”

And the angel said to her in reply,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore the child to be born

will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,

has also conceived a son in her old age,

Reflections: 

Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved  from the stain of original sin in the very instant of her conception in the womb of her Mother. Pope Pius IX promulgated this dogma in his encyclical Ineffabilis  Deus on 8th December 1854. This feast was born out of the piety and devotion of the faithful  rather than from the insights of brilliant theologians. O Mary, conceived with out original sin, Pray for us.