Catholics have a great reverence for the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are eighteen feast days dedicated to Mary on the liturgical calendar — and that is not counting the numerous local feasts that are important to particular people. Today’s feast, the Immaculate Conception, was officially promulgated by Pope Pius IX in 1854. It commemorates the fact that Mary, from the first moment of her existence was “full of grace” and that no stain of sin ever touched her. The reverence with which we hold Mary has the drawback of putting her on a pedestal. Since we are not sinless Mary can seem too far above us to be someone we can imitate. However, some contemporary theologians are endeavoring to make Mary more accessible. For example, Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, has a book, Truly Our Sister, which argues that Mary is not above us but with us. This idea reflects the understanding that St. Paul has that all believers are “full of grace.” The Apostle writes that God 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. We are one with Mary in being chosen by God from the very dawn of creation “to be holy.” As we honor Mary today let us resolve to reflect our grace-filled nature by living with compassion, forgiveness, generosity and love.
