More than two thousand years ago, the Blessed Mother awaited the coming of our Lord with great love and longing. She totally concentrated the faculties of her mind and heart on him “who was to come.” The eternal Father had favored and endowed her so that she could become the Mother of his Son. She was consecrated entirely to God as a pure child, wholly given to him from the first moment of her life.
What a gift and grace Mary received, that at the very moment when her life began, she was enveloped by the divine, a tiny seed that would grow to carry the Life of the World. What a mystery we behold, that the mother was saved by her son before she was even born. What joy emanated from her as a child because she was filled with the source of true joy, her very God. Legend says that when she was taken to the temple as a little girl, she danced for joy that she could be so close to the one who had captured her heart. Unlike us, she could be constantly in the presence of God, for she carried his life in her soul, pure and untouched.
Mary must have sensed that she was different from other young women, somehow called and chosen for she knew not what. She remained alert and ready for the moment when God would reveal to her just how she could serve the coming Messiah. Her longing to surrender to the divine plan grew ever stronger.
Then an angel appeared. Gabriel greeted Mary as “full of grace” and “highly favored one”. In art, the angel is often depicted as kneeling before the all-holy one – an angel paying homage to a human being, turning the order of creation upside down. This handmaid of the Lord was at the same time the Queen of All Creation. When confronted with her salvific mission, she gave her free “yes” to the request to become the Mother of God, possible because she was the immaculate one, the one human being who never turned aside from God’s ways.
Mary: a model of purity for our times
We did not have the privilege of being born “immaculate” like Mary, but we seek to resemble her. The path to purity begins with a sincere relationship with God: praying with simplicity, asking for light to recognize what needs to be purified, and confidently surrendering everything that weighs us down, confuses us, or leads us astray. Purity is born when we allow God to cleanse our fears, heal our wounds, and order our affections.
Purity grows from daily choices. Just as Mary cultivated a vigilant and attentive heart, each person can learn to select what nourishes the mind and heart: gestures of kindness, truthful words, healthy relationships, and attitudes of humility. Purity is not untouchable perfection, but a path of coherence and inner peace.
When we look at the Immaculate Virgin, we recognize that Christian hope is not an abstract idea, but a living presence that accompanies us. Mary walks with us, leading us ever closer to Christ, showing us that holiness is a real, accessible, and everyday path. Her purity, far from distancing us, attracts us: it awakens in us the desire to start over, to trust again, to let God make all things new. Therefore, celebrating the Immaculate Conception is to renew the certainty that we do not walk alone—God acts in history, and Mary is his most luminous sign of that love that never gives up on us.
Let us pray together
Ave Maria, Immaculata, you are the masterpiece of the Triune God, the most beautiful fruit of redemption. You were elected and separated from the rest of humanity to become the spotless Mother of our Lord and Savior, the light of our hope. God the Father has blessed you with the fullness of all created beauty and has chosen you to be his child. To the incarnate Word, you were allowed to be a mother and companion in his work. As a vessel of the Holy Spirit, your soul radiated the divine, transforming the world around you. Be our light. Be our hope.