Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds. — Psalm 98:1

Mass Readings: Genesis 3:9-15,20 / Ephesians 1:3-6,11-12 / Luke 1:26-38 

Conceived without Sin 

The reason the Immaculate Conception of Mary means so much to me is that it tells us the truth about who we are. Sometimes you’ll run into people who say, “She has to be a sinner! She’s human! Being sinful is what makes us human!” 

Nonsense. Sin is what destroys our humanity, not what makes us human. To be sure, sin is normal for our fallen race. But it’s never natural. In preserving Mary from sin, God was showing us the truth that Jesus means to save us all completely from sin. When we get to heaven, we will have lost our sinfulness, but not our humanity. Like Jesus and His greatest disciple — Mary — we will finally be able to be fully human without the sin that constantly hinders us in this life. 

Prayer: Mother Mary, pray that we can be freed from sin and live life to the full.