Today’s feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the privilege that Mary was chosen to be kept pure from the first moment of her existence so that she could be the worthy mother of the Son of God. It was not because of her goodness that she was chosen but it was God’s choice that made her good. St. Augustine reminds us that Mary even in her privileged position is till a member of the Church, a preeminent member but a member nonetheless. All of which should remind us that we too as members of the Church share in the blessing of being chosen by God. St. Paul puts it: God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will. In a similar vein St. John says, “See what love the Father bestowed on us that we should be called children of God, but that is what we are.” So today’s feast is not just the occasion to honor Mary but also to remind us that we too are “full of grace,” not because of any merit on our part but because of God’s freely given gift, even to the likes of us.
