Precious and Known

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today’s solemnity celebrates the church’s teaching that from the moment of her conception, God favored Mary with the fullness of grace that she may be a fitting mother to the Savior of the world. We rightly lift up Mary’s unique motherhood as a sign of holiness, for by her total “yes” to God’s grace, she became the mother of us all and the icon of the Church.

However, perhaps on this day, we might dwell deeper into another aspect of Mary’s holiness, which, like everything about Mary, points us back to God’s love in Christ. To prepare her for her singular role in God’s plan of salvation, God gave Mary from the very first moment of her creation all she would need to do God’s will. Through Christ’s sacrifice, God manifested in her very existence God’s desire for all humanity: to be completely one with us in Christ.

Every life is precious and known by God. Every person, from the moment of their conception to their last breath, is filled with God’s grace, blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, and destined to bring forth the love of Christ by their lives. We do not need to give birth ourselves to bring forth Christ. By our care for every human life, we manifest God’s love and, through Christ, help them say “yes” to God’s grace.

This post was first published in “GIA Quarterly: A Liturgical Music Journal.”

Image credit: Photo by Masaaki Komori on Unsplash.

Read more reflections on the Sunday readings here:

• Restraint and Generosity
• Going Further
• Can we be salt and light?
• Who is advocating for those in need?
• Bonded to Christ’s Mission