A Sinners Reflection on the Immaculate Conception

Written by Tricia Murphy

December 1st, 2020

It is interesting to ponder the plan that God had in store for Mary. Upon reflection, Mary must have been chosen from the beginning of time to play such an important role since God is without time and His saving plan, in which Mary had such a vital role, is also outside of time. When you consider Mary’s role, as the New Eve, the mother of our Church and therefore the mother of the whole world, it would only be reasonable that she would in some way be unique. Many mistakenly believe that the Catholic faith deifies her, but we know that this is not true. So how is she unique for this role? She is without sin. It seems to me, that when one grows in closeness to the Blessed Mother you also become hyper aware of this uniqueness.

There may be the obvious scripture passage that we can draw from to show that Mary was in fact conceived without sin, however, let’s analyze the potential reasoning for her unique immaculate state. First off, Mary is the Mother of God! No, we are not the heretics of the past that believed that Christ was part God and part man, and that Mary was only the mother of the man. We are Catholics that see Christ as fully God and fully man and therefore, Mary is in fact the Mother of God.

As His mother, Mary was the only person with Christ in his human life from beginning (conception) to end. Sociological studies have shown that it is very common for a daughter to be extra close to her father and a son, extra close to his mother. Can we not see that in the Gospels? Likewise, a mother would do anything for her child. Being a mother myself, I can only assume that Mary would have taken Christ’s place on the cross in a heartbeat. I can only assume that while watching Him get whipped that she prayed that she could take His place or ease His pain. It is my sins, our sins, that crucified Christ, not Mary's.

In His adult years, Mary is the only human person Jesus is known to have shown deference to, specifically at the Wedding in Canna. I can’t imagine Jesus being obedient to someone who is flawed when He is flawless. Remember that Jesus did challenge His mother by saying, “It is not yet my time” but, nonetheless, His obedience and love for His mother was more important. For me, this alone exemplifies the potential reasoning as to why it was necessary for her to be without sin.

I believe that it was also necessary for Mary to be unique as the new Arc of the Covenant. In Jewish times the Arc of the Covenant held the Ten Commandments, the presence of God. Mary became the Arc for the new covenant that God was making not just with the Jewish people, but the whole world. Why did this arc need to be “full of grace” and a clean vessel? Consider that we place Jesus in a purified vessel, an adorned tabernacle or a gold chalice. Not in a dirty cardboard box. Mary is that purified golden vessel: a spotless tabernacle that was made worthy so she could hold such Majesty.

Mary is the Arc of the Covenant, she is the New Eve, the new mother of all, she is my mother, the mother of the Church, and she is without a doubt, Immaculate!