Word to the Wise
Monday, December 8, 2025 - Dec. 8: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (transferred to Monday 12/9 if 12/8 is a Sunday of Advent )
[Gen 3:9-15, 20; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38]Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. [Ephesians] "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you....Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." [Luke]
The Blessed Virgin Mary is exceptional and celebrated in many ways in Catholic tradition, but she is particularly celebrated in her conception (the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8), in her role as giving birth to Jesus (Mother of God, Jan. 1), and in her death (Assumption, Aug. 15). Today, we celebrate her conception in her mother's womb in which she is excepted from the state of original sin, from which the rest of us are ordinarily freed by baptism. This tradition was formally declared a part of Catholic faith in 1854 by Pope Pius IX.
The words of the Letter to the Ephesians, quoted above, have been particularly applied to Mary as someone destined by God from all eternity to be the mother of Jesus Christ. The greeting of the Angel Gabriel sums it up. Mary was "favored" by God. From the three "exceptions" an entire field of theology, Mariology, has developed and continues to develop in Catholic faith. (The Congregation for the Defense of the Faith has recently issued a document, Mater populi fidelis [Mother of a Faithful People] regarding the various titles that are theologically appropriate for official use in referring to Mary and her role in God's plan of salvation.)
In today's popular parlance, Mary would be considered "super-awesome" to Catholics. The number of devotions to her, aside from the rosary, is huge. But the three "exceptions" are fundamental and we celebrate one of them today. AMEN