On December 8, Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
“Immaculate Conception” does not refer to the conception of Jesus in Mary’s virginal womb, but to the sinless conception of Mary in her mother’s womb.
The feast honors the fact that God pre-redeemed Mary from the stain of Original Sin, so His Son could grow inside of and be nurtured after birth by a woman who had never, not for even one moment of her existence, been tainted by sin.
Mary does not want worship. When we turn to her in prayer, she always directs us to her Son.
This is why we elevate Mary to the highest place of all the Saints: not because of anything she did on her own, but because the relationship she had with our God was so intimate that it, by default, made her so selfless and special.
And if that’s what our God can do for Mary—lowly, unknown Mary from the backwoods of Nazareth—then just imagine what He will do for us as we draw closer and closer to Him.
Today, let us thank God for giving us the perfect example of what a real relationship with God looks like, and let us honor her selflessness by earnestly seeking her Son.
Source:
http://blessedisshe.net/immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/
