Homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today, the Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with special solemnity. From all eternity, she was chosen to be the daughter of the heavenly Father, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, the Mother of the divine Redeemer, and, as a result, the queen of angels and all people.

Reflection on Mary's roles led the earliest teachers of Christianity to believe that she was conceived without Original Sin. Notably, among the many saints who have adorned the Church throughout the centuries, no one wrote against this belief. Bishops' decisions from the earliest days of the Church's history affirmed it.

As human beings, we face many limitations. We are finite, and because we do not possess everything we require within ourselves, we depend on external resources to sustain our existence. Sometimes, this reliance can cause us harm when we misuse these resources, while at other times, it helps us become more complete when we use them properly to enhance not only ourselves but also the world around us.

When we connect to God's love and grace, we find ourselves made whole, overcoming the limitations of our finite nature. When the Church speaks about Original Sin, it addresses the fragility of our limited human existence and our need for something to make us complete.

Through her actions, Mary instinctively understood and demonstrated that God completes her. Mary entirely relied on God to fulfill everything she could have lacked as a member of the human race. She trusted that God loved her and would enable her to become all she was meant to be in this life and the next.

Mary's life and faith inspire us to trust that, as Meister Eckhart said, "However devoted you are to God, you may be sure that He is immeasurably more devoted to you."