Usually, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, but since that date was a Sunday, the observance of this Solemnity has been transferred to today. This Solemnity takes place during the annual observance of the liturgical season of Advent, a time of waiting for the approaching celebrations of Christmas.
To help us understand the meaning of this celebration, we can look at the words that the Holy Father, Pope Francis spoke yesterday in his weekly Angelus address. Speaking about the meaning of the Immaculate Conception, he said: we are told that something has already been accomplished, in the person and in the life of the Virgin Mary. Today we consider the beginning of this fulfillment, which took place before the birth of the Mother of the Lord. In fact, her immaculate conception leads us to the precise moment when Mary's life began to palpitate in her mother's womb: already the sanctifying love of God was present, preserving her from the contagion of evil that is a common heritage of the human family (Pope Francis, Angelus greetings, 8 December 2019).
Today, we celebrate the Church's long-held belief in the fact that the Virgin Mary was herself conceived without sin, in order to prepare her for her sacred role as the bearer of the Son of God. Like the Angel Gabriel, we too can speak the words that convey our love for her: Hail full of grace! The Lord is with you (Lk 1:28).
Have a great day.
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