Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Jill RiceDecember 08, 2023
The Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Pucallpa, Peru. Photo by Eduardo Flores, courtesy of Unsplash.

A Reflection for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
(Lk 1:26-27)

My grade school (which I’ve mentioned in previous Scripture reflections) had an Advent/Christmas concert of sorts called the Service of Lights. It began with one student singing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” in the pitch darkness, and then slowly a few candles were lit. We had the classic hymns, like “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night”; but also unknown ones like “A Mother’s Lullaby,” which I can only find in its original Polish version, with English lyrics here; and “When Blossoms Flowered ’mid the Snows.” It ended with all the candelabras glowing brightly as we all sang a celebratory “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” But throughout the night, girls would read passages from the Nativity narrative, including today’s Gospel reading.

It is the perfect Advent Gospel, and today’s feast is Mary-centric, just like the reading, in which the angel Gabriel appears to Mary. She awaits the coming of her son, who has been sent from God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and is the Son of the Most High—a high calling for the son of a random woman from Nazareth!

Mary’s preparation, and our preparation for the coming of the Lord, were, and are, necessary.

But, as we know, this woman is no random girl. She was chosen as the New Eve, the woman who would bear the savior of the world. And today we celebrate the feast that made her so: the Immaculate Conception. Contrary to what today’s annunciation reading might suggest, the one who was immaculately conceived is Mary, meaning that she was born without original sin. Thus she is the new Ark of the Covenant, the pure vessel in which the Lord will reside.

She was created to be the mother of God before she was born, but Mary still had free will and could have given into her fear, saying no to the angel’s declaration. But she, born without sin, prepared her heart for the Lord to come, most especially in the time leading up to her son’s birth.

Back in grade school, we would spend a few days a week in November and December practicing for the Service of Lights. It was fun when we were allowed to skip math class and got to sing in the chapel instead—the hymns were ever-present in my mind; I would quiz myself on the lyrics so that I could have them memorized. The practice times were necessary (five grades’ worth of girls sing together differently than as singular classes!), and they also got us ready for the ceremony.

Mary’s preparation, and our preparation for the coming of the Lord, were, and are, necessary. Advent, when we prepare for the arrival of the baby Jesus, is a time of joy and celebration, but also one of serious work. We should rejoice, but that is the opposite of slacking off; we must instead prepare for the changes that Jesus can bring to our lives, hopefully just as profoundly as he did in his mother’s life.

More: Scripture

The latest from america

Israeli activists take part in a protest against the war in the Gaza Strip, Israel's measures regarding food distribution and the forced displacement of Palestinians, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Observers around the world have grown weary of the images of starving children and desperate people gunned down while trying to collect bags of flour or boxes of food.
Kevin ClarkeJuly 24, 2025
A woman reads a book while sitting on the bank of a calm river, with mountains in the background. (iStock/swissmediavision)
After four decades in education, both secular and Catholic, I have witnessed teaching models come and go. The moment before us, however, is not a passing phase; it is a threshold.
Sarah GallagherJuly 24, 2025
The relics of Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, who are set to be canonized later this year, will be displayed in Rome for the Jubilee of Youth.
The Irish government “has done nothing to reduce the numbers of abortions…and seems not to care why women choose abortion, or what happens to them afterwards,” Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin and Achonry said.