LEARN TO LIVE, LIVE TO LEARN
“To know much and taste nothing-of what use is that?” ―St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio
"Dear Kuya Jeff, I attend your Bible Studies in Makati, and I appreciate the opportunities you provide for addressing our pressing questions. Ako po yung nagask about biblical foundations of Mama Mary's immaculate conception. Hoping to receive readings about this topic. Thank you and Merry Christmas." - C.G. Dear C.G., thank you for consistently joining our Bible Study. Your interest in understanding Mama Mary stems from God's guidance. As requested, here is valuable information on Mama Mary's Immaculate Conception rooted in the Bible: 1. On December 8, 1854, Blessed Pope Pius IX pronounced and defined in the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus, that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin." 2. Every human being, except for Jesus Christ, was born with original sin, inherited from Adam, the first man. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul stated that, "When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned" (5:12). This shows that we all require purification because we were all conceived in a state of original sin. The book of Psalms also emphasizes this, saying, "For I was born a sinner — yes, from the moment my mother conceived me" (51:5). These passages from the Bible underscore our universal need for a Saviour. 3. Mary, just like all of us, needed a Savior. In the gospel of Luke, Mary acknowledged her need for redemption when she said, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!" (1:46-47). The concept of Preservative Redemption suggests that Mary's exemption from original sin was an application of the saving graces earned by Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. In Luke 1:28, the word that the angel uses is kecharitomene. So it's not literally “full of grace,” but its root word is the Greek verb “to give grace” (charitoo). The word is the past perfect tense, meaning that the action of giving grace has already occurred. Mary's redemption occurred at the very moment of her conception, as she received sanctifying grace through the application of Jesus' merits from Calvary. God, who exists outside of time, possesses the ability to bestow the benefits of Redemption to individuals across different historical periods. In the case of Mary, this happened at the very instant of her existence. The fact that the Blessed Virgin's soul was preserved from original sin from the moment of conception doesn't imply that Mary had no need for Jesus' Redemption. Quite the opposite, Mary owed more to Jesus' Redemption than anyone else. In reality, Mary received a more profound form of redemption from her Son. While all other human beings are redeemed after acquiring a fallen nature through sacramental Baptism, Mary, on the contrary, was redeemed at the moment of her conception through the grace of Jesus, which prevented her from ever inheriting a fallen nature. Consequently, we can affirm that Mary was redeemed by Jesus at her conception, prior to her nature being influenced by sin in any way. This is why we can rightly say that Mary owed more to Christ than anyone else. Through the graces of Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary, Mary never experienced a fallen nature but was sanctified and redeemed right from the very beginning of her existence. 4. Luke incorporates additional parallels into the narrative of Mary, which may go unnoticed by those who are not familiar with the Old Testament. Following the death of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Joshua placed the Ark of the Covenant in Shiloh, where it remained for over two centuries. On a particular occasion, during a battle against the Philistines, the Israelites, in a desperate move, seized the ark and rushed it to the front lines. The Philistines, however, captured the ark, and it brought them significant trouble, leading them to return it to Israel (1 Samuel 5:1-6:12). David later sought to retrieve the ark (1 Samuel 6:1-2). When a man named Uzzah died upon touching the ark, David became afraid and asked, "How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" He left the ark in the hill country of Judea for three months. It's worth noting that David danced and rejoiced in front of the ark, and everyone joined in the jubilation. The house of Obed-edom, where the ark had been kept, was blessed, and subsequently, David transported the ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:9-14). Upon seeing the ark, David expressed his joy with the words, "How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" Elizabeth, in a strikingly similar manner, used nearly the same words: "Why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Luke is subtly conveying something significant, guiding our thoughts back to the Old Testament and revealing a parallel. When David approached the ark, he shouted, danced, and leapt in front of it, dressed in an ephod, the attire of a priest. In the presence of Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, John the Baptist leaped in his mother's womb, and it's worth noting that John hailed from the priestly lineage of Aaron. Both John and David leaped and danced in the presence of the ark. Just as the Ark of the Old Covenant remained in the house of Obed-edom for three months, Mary spent three months in the house of Elizabeth. The place that hosted the ark for three months was blessed, and in Luke's brief account, Elizabeth used the word "blessed" three times, signifying that her home was undoubtedly blessed by the presence of the ark and the Lord within it. 5. The connection between the Holy Spirit overshadowing the ark and the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary, as well as the parallel between the Ark of the Old Covenant being the divine dwelling place and Mary serving as the new dwelling place of God, can easily be overlooked. In the case of the Ark, God meticulously specified every detail, as described in Exodus 25-30. It was designed as a sacred abode for God Himself (Exodus 25:8). God's desire was for His words, inscribed on stone, to be housed within a flawless container covered in pure gold both inside and out. It stands to reason that He would desire an even more perfect dwelling place for His Word, Jesus. If the Only Begotten Son were to reside in the womb of a human girl, wouldn't it be imperative for her to be without blemish? Mary's immaculate conception was a necessary condition to ensure that she could later give birth to Jesus without transmitting original sin to Him. 6. To conclude, Blessed John Duns Scotus, a prominent figure celebrated for his eloquent support of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, invoked the words of St. Anselm when he proclaimed, "Potuit, decuit, ergo fecit," which translates to the idea that Mary was kept free from the taint of original sin because God "Had the power to do it, it was fitting, and therefore He accomplished it!" The Son of God possessed the capability to create Mary without original sin. It was entirely appropriate and fitting that the Son of God would bestow this honor upon His Mother. Hence, God indeed made His Mother without the burden of original sin. Happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception!
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About JeffJeff Jacinto, PhD, DHum Archives
July 2024
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