Today is the observance in the Catholic church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. It's easy for us Protestants (and why don't we protest such a label?) to misunderstand just what's being celebrated. Until recently I'd thought they were simply recognizing that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Sprit. But it's really something else entirely. I don't claim to understand it, but it's more to the degree that Mary herself was conceived without original sin.
From today's liturgy:
Our Saviour permitted himself to be born of the Virgin Mary. Now, as we celebrate his coming, let us pray to him saying:
- May your mother intercede for us, O Lord.
You are the Sun of justice, and the immaculate Virgin is the dawn that heralded your rising: grant that we may always walk in the daylight of your coming.
You are the saviour of the world, and by your redeeming power you kept your mother free from original sin: make us too free of the stain of sin.
You are the redeemer of mankind, and you made the immaculate Virgin Mary into your dwelling-place and the treasury of the Holy Spirit: make us too into temples of your Spirit.
You are the King of kings, and you raised up your mother, body and soul, into heaven:
|keep our minds always on the things that are above.
Thoughts?
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1 comment:
Hmm, I had forgotten about that. Don't remember where I first learned it, but it is an interesting difference between catholocism and protestantism. Specifically, what I'm referring to is the idea of Mary being sinless, at least until after Christ's birth.
In the end it's not a detail that really matters. It would be similar to the difference between transubstantiation, and consubstantiation.
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