By Father Martin Diaz
Special to the Intermountain Catholic
SALT LAKE CITY - The feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary celebrates Mary as a person blessed by God from the first moment of her creation by her mother and father. The solemn declaration of this truth 150 years ago (1854 AD) attests to the Church, over time, understanding the fullness of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
In the first centuries of Christianity the understanding of Jesus as divine person and fully human become codified in the creeds of Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD). In the next century the Church understood Mary as the mother of God defined at the Council of Ephesus (431AD). About 100 years later the church began celebrating the birth of Mary. On Dec. 8, 1854, in the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX pronounced 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." (Catholic Encyclopedia)
Have you wondered why the feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated in December when it is so close to Christmas? The feast of the birth of Mary was celebrated on the eighth of September. This day was chosen because in those days the new year was celebrated on the first of September. The beginning of a new year draws people back to the beginning of creation. By placing the birth of Mary on the eighth day of the year, the church was celebrating the new creation that Jesus brought into the world. From there it is a quick jump backwards (nine months) to the eighth of December to celebrate the creation of Mary in the womb of her mother.
In the Holy Family, in the household of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, it is poor Joseph who is the only one whose humanity included sinning. Mary is conceived without the stain of original sin.
Mary did experience her humanity to the fullness of humanity; more than any of us can understand. Thinking of our irritations, frustrations and times of exhaustion; those times when life seems to be getting the better of us - we can understand that Mary experienced her humanity with its irritations and frustrations, albeit they did not get the better of her.
Our understanding of the conception of Mary leads into our understanding of the last days of Mary. It is possible that Mary died at the end of her life, but it is also possible that Mary fell asleep. In either case the body and soul of Mary were taken up into heaven; that is, she was assumed into heaven.
Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception is the patron saint of the United States. Dec. 8 is the feast day of the United States.
As a side note, Mary under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of the Americas. We in the United States have a second feast day in December on the 12th.
It is most appropriate that Mary as seen through her immaculate conception is the patron saint of the United States. Mary is the mother of all humanity in the new creation as Eve was the mother of all humanity in the first creation. The United States is essentially made up of people from all over the world. For as long as the United States welcomes the stranger and the foreigner into this land, so will this country will be a sign of the reign of God.
Father Martin Diaz is the pastor of Saint Terese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church in Midvale.
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