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It's there, as long as you are not expecting to find the words, any more than you will find Trinity and many other terms which even non-Catholic Christians take for granted.

Lets start with what it means. To be immaculate conceived means to be free from the guilt of Adam's sin and sanctified in body and soul from the first moment of existence. This is hardly an impossibly thing. By baptism every Christian has sin forgiven and grace given, so forgiveness and grace we take for granted. Jesus, in his human nature, was certainly conceived without original sin. Adam and Eve were created by God in perfect integrity, with His grace, His Divine Life, infused into their souls at their first moment of their existence. So, it is hardly impossible that Mary was immaculate conceived. The question is, was she? Lets look at the evidence.

As I have already alluded, the Old Testament sets the stage. The book of Genesis tells us how God created Adam and Eve and placed them in paradise. It tells us how they disobeyed God and lost the gifts that He gave them. From one moment to the next they went from being naked and not ashamed to being naked and ashamed (Gen 2:25, 3:10). This change reflected the loss of the innocence which was God's gift of grace brought about in them at their creation. This loss, which is communicated to their descendants, Christians call Original Sin -- to be conceived without God's grace within, subject to weakness of intellect and will, the rebellion of the passions, as well as, sickness and death (Romans 5:12ff, 1 Cor. 15:22ff). It also places all mankind as subjects of Satan, since whoever sins belongs to him (1 John 3:8) and we have all sinned (Romans 5:12).

What then of Mary? If all have sinned is she not numbered among them? A short answer would be that Christ would have to be too, since the text does not say "all but Christ." We take His exemption for granted, of course, because elsewhere in Scripture it is clear that He is God, the sinless one. We have to consider, then, in the total biblical context, whether we can say that there is evidence of Mary's exemption, too. Indeed, there is.

Consider again the Old Covenant, which prepares the way for Christ by types and figures which foreshadow the mysteries of the Christian economy of salvation. In the Old Covenant, the Word of God is the Torah, represented at its heart by the Ten Commandments, the two tablets, which out of reverence for God's Word, and at His command, were placed in a wooden Ark, upon which the glory of God descended in a visible fashion to indicate God's Presence with His People. The Tablets are types of the Eternal Word, the Son of God, who pitched His tent among us at the Incarnation (John 1:14), as the Meeting Tent was pitched in the midst of Israel. The Tablets, of course, were kept in the Ark out of the sight of men. The Ark itself was designed by God. It was holy by virtue of the Tablets within. No man could touch it unbidden, and one man died for doing so even with a good intention (1 Chr. 3;10).

The Ark is a type of Mary, who bore the Son of God into this world. And like the Ark, Mary was established by God in holiness and preserved untouched by man (a Virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ). How could the Son of God come into the world in any other way? Since He took His flesh from Mary alone, how could He enter a vessel of sin, subject to the kingdom of Satan? The Church maintains He did not, since it would insult His holiness to claim so, and it is implicit in the carefully prepared and unified economy of the Old and New Testament that He did not. Rather, the Father prepared an Ark worthy of His Son, free from the moment of conception from sin and subjection to God's enemy. He did this not for her honor, but for His honor. And He accomplished Her preservation from both original and personal sin by His grace, granted in virtue of the Son's merits foreseen from eternity. For God, who exists outside time, what could be easier.

There is, finally, a New Testament text which sums this up quite well. Elizabeth says to Mary that she is "blessed among women." In Aramaic or Hebrew this is saying that she is the most blessed of all women. This is then parallelled with the blessedness of the fruit of her womb, Jesus, the Son of God (Lk. 1:42). This should lead us back to Genesis where the story began. In Genesis we have a man and a woman who draw down God's curse upon them (Gen. 3), subjecting themselves and their descendants to the Kingdom of Satan. In Luke, we find a man and a woman who draw down God's blessing, and restore the fallen order of the human race. This is why the Fathers of the Church often speak of Mary as the New Eve. It is the consequence of her role in salvation. But back to the text. Mary is blessed among woman, which would include Eve. Eve was created in justice, but lost it. If Mary was conceived in original sin and then committed personal sins, as, sadly, many Christians maintain, then she is not greater than Eve. However, if like Eve she was created/conceived in grace, but unlike Eve she never lost it through personal sin, then the text is fulfilled, she IS greater than all women. She becomes in the spiritual order "the mother of all the living" (Gen. 3:20), which is what the Fathers and the Catholic Church maintain the Scriptures teach.

Pope celebrates feast of Immaculate Conception with prayers for peace

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

ROME (CNS) -- Blessing a basket of roses placed at the foot of a statue honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary and her immaculate conception, Pope John Paul II prayed for peace.

"In these times marked by uncertainties and fears for the future fate of our planet," the pope said Catholics turned to Mary with trepidation, but also with trust.

"Hear the cry of pain of the victims of the wars and many forms of violence which are bloodying the earth," the pope prayed Dec. 8.

"Clear away the darkness of sadness and solitude, of hatred and vengeance," he continued. "Open the minds and hearts of all to trust and forgiveness."

Surrounded by thousands of Romans and tourists at the Marian statue in a square near the Spanish Steps in the city center, the pope arrived in a plastic-topped popemobile, then was wheeled on a chair to the foot of the statue.

The pope said the 2003 celebration of the feast of the Immaculate Conception marked the beginning of observances of the 150th anniversary of the solemn declaration of the dogma.

On Dec. 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed that Mary was conceived without original sin.

Repeatedly referring to Mary as "queen of peace," the pope prayed that she would help humanity obtain the gift of peace from God: "peace in their hearts and families, within communities and among peoples, peace especially for those nations where fighting and dying continue."

Pope John Paul prayed that Mary once again would give the world Jesus, the source of true peace.

Earlier in the day, the pope prayed the Angelus with visitors gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"If Christ is the day which does not know dusk, then Mary is its splendid dawn of beauty," he told the visitors bundled up against cold winds on a bright, sunny day.

Pope John Paul said, "The human mind cannot pretend to understand" the great mysteries of Mary being preserved from all sin and giving birth to the Son of God.

"It is faith which reveals to us that the Virgin's immaculate conception is the pledge of salvation for every human creature in pilgrimage on earth," he said.

Bump for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 8 December 2004.

Blessed be the great mother of God, Mary most holy.

Blessed be her immaculate conception.

Blessed be her glorious assumption.

PRAYER TO THE
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

O God, who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession, to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.

Amen.

First, recite the Prayer to the Immaculate Conception.
Then, recite the appropriate prayer of each of the nine days.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9

Day One
O most Holy Virgin, who was pleasing to the Lord and became His mother, immaculate in body and spirit, in faith and in love, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, who by your blessed Immaculate Conception, from the first moment of your conception did crush the head of the enemy, receive our prayers as we implore you to present at the throne of God the favor we now request...
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.
Amen.

Day Two
O Mary, ever blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Queen of angels and of saints, we salute you with the most profound veneration and filial devotion as we contemplate your holy Immaculate Conception, We thank you for your maternal protection and for the many blessings that we have received through your wondrous mercy and most powerful intercession. In all our necessities we have recourse to you with unbounded confidence. O Mother of Mercy, we beseech you now to hear our prayer and to obtain for us of your Divine Son the favor that we so earnestly request in this novena...
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.
Amen.

Day Three
O Blessed Virgin Mary, glory of the Christian people, joy of the universal Church and Mother of Our Lord, speak for us to the Heart of Jesus, who is your Son and our brother. O Mary, who by your holy Immaculate Conception did enter the world free from stain, in your mercy obtain for us from Jesus the special favor which we now so earnestly seek...
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.
Amen.

Day Four
O Mary, Mother of God, endowed in your glorious Immaculate Conception with the fullness of grace; unique among women in that you are both mother and virgin; Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ, we ask you to look down with a tender heart from your throne and listen to our prayers as we earnestly ask that you obtain for us the favor for which we now plead...
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Five
O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, did prepare a fitting dwelling for your Son, we beseech you that as by the foreseen death of your Son, you did preserve her from all stain of sin, grant that through her intercession, we may be favored with the granting of the grace that we seek for at this time...
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Six
Glorious and immortal Queen of Heaven, we profess our firm belief in your Immaculate Conception preordained for you in the merits of your Divine Son. We rejoice with you in your Immaculate Conception. To the one ever-reigning God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one Person, one in nature, we offer thanks for your blessed Immaculate Conception. O Mother of the Word mad Flesh, listen to our petition as we ask this special grace during this novena...
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Seven
O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, and my mother, from the sublime heights of your dignity turn your merciful eyes upon me while I, full of confidence in your bounty and keeping in mind your Immaculate conception and fully conscious of your power, beg of you to come to our aid and ask your Divine Son to grant the favor we earnestly seek in this novena... if it be beneficial for our immortal souls and the souls for whom we pray.
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Day Eight
O Most gracious Virgin Mary, beloved Mother of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, intercede with him for us that we be granted the favor which we petition for so earnestly in this novena...O Mother of the Word Incarnate, we feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. O Glorious Mother of God, in memory of your joyous Immaculate Conception, hear our prayers and obtain for us our petitions.
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

Day Nine
O Mother of the King of the Universe, most perfect member of the human race, "our tainted nature’s solitary boast," we turn to you as mother, advocate, and mediatrix. O Holy Mary, assist us in our present necessity. By your Immaculate Conception, O Mary conceived without sin, we humbly beseech you from the bottom of our heart to intercede for us with your Divine Son and ask that we be granted the favor for which we now plead...
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Recite the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

The Rosary in 7 steps