YOUCAT Question n. 83 - Part I. What does the “Immaculate Conception of Mary” mean?
(Youcat
answer) The Church believes that “the most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the
first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty
God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race,
preserved immune from all stain of original sin” (dogma of 1854).
A deepening through CCC
(CCC 488)
"God sent forth his Son", but to prepare a body for him (Gal
4:4; Heb 10:5), he wanted the free
co-operation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the
mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in
Galilee, "a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house
of David; and the virgin's name was Mary" (Lk 1:26-27): The Father of
mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of
the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of
death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life (LG 56; cf. LG
61).
Reflecting and meditating
(Youcat comment) Belief in the
Immaculate Conception has existed since the beginning of the Church. The
expression is misunderstood today. It is saying that God preserved Mary from
original sin from the very beginning. It says nothing about the conception of
Jesus in Mary’s womb. By no means is it a devaluation of sexuality in
Christianity, as though a husband and wife would be “stained” if they conceived
a child.
(CCC Comment)
(CCC 487)
What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about
Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.
(CCC 489 a) Throughout the Old Covenant the mission of many holy women prepared for that of Mary. At the very
beginning there was Eve; despite her disobedience, she receives the promise of
a posterity that will be victorious over the evil one, as well as the promise
that she will be the mother of all the living (Cf. Gen 3:15, 20). By virtue of
this promise, Sarah conceives a son in spite of her old age (Cf. Gen 18:10-14;
21:1-2).
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