As we approach the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we are reminded of the holiness and purity of Mary, Our Blessed Mother.
On this solemnity, we celebrate that Mary was conceived without the stain of Original Sin. Because Mary is sinless, she is able to carry the child Jesus. Mary is the Theotokos, or “God-bearer,” the woman chosen by God to bring light, hope, and salvation to the world through Jesus.
Scepter author Jacques Phillipe writes in his Real Mercy: Mary, Forgiveness, and Trust:
“The more we are holy, the more we depend totally on the mercy of God, either for the sins that are forgiven us or for the good that we do, the more all of this comes from grace. Everything is given and everything comes from the mercy of God, not from our merit but from the free love of God.
Therefore Mary is the richest of all creatures, the holiest and the most beautiful, but also the humblest and the poorest because she knows that she has received everything from God. She has received everything from God freely, and so she gives everything freely. There is nothing left for her - there is only God who passes through her in complete humility and poverty of heart. More than the greatest sinners, Mary knows the mercy of God, and she can help us to understand it in all its depth.”
Mary models perfect humility and trust in God for us when she says “yes” to his call. As Jacques Phillipe says, she not only adopts these traits, but has a true understanding of God’s mercy and Grace because of her extreme holiness. Though it might seem like Mary is not relatable because she is perfect, she is actually the best source for us to go to for help in understanding our Lord.
We hope this helped you understand Our Lady a little more leading up to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. For more from Jacues Philippe, check out his collection here.
