Immaculate Conception

Saint Anne conceiving the Virgin Mary
Douai, Musée de la Chartreuse

What do we mean by the Immaculate Conception?

• From the Latin word "Immacula" means "without any stain".


• This Doctrine states that from the very beginning of her origin, Mother Mary was previledged to be out of "original sin" or it's "stain".


• Mary was "preserved" from original sin from the first instant of her conception. (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church#96; see also CCC#487-492,508)
  
  

Biblical Basis of Immaculate Conception (Old Testament)

• The first book of the Bible that is "Genesis", after the fall of Adam and Eve; God mentions another "woman" that her offspring will strike or crushed the head of the serpent (Satan)
  

Let us read Genesis 3:15

Genesis 3:15 (New International Version)

15 And I will put enmity between you (Serpent) and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

• Here, it is clear that God was speaking about the "Savior", whom He plans to send, and that savior was none other than "Jesus". The woman who is mentioned in that passage is "Mary" because "the Savior" our Lord Jesus, is her offspring..




• In Gen.3:15 talks about the word "Enmity". Let us read our dictionary what the said word means.

'Dictionary.com'
en⋅mi⋅ty  /ˈɛnmɪti/
Show Spelled Pronunciation [en-mi-tee] Show IPA
Use enmity in a Sentence

–noun, plural -ties. a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.

• If God put enmity between the woman and the serpent this means that Mary is "free from original sin" because she is the Mother of the Savior.




• If we believe that Jesus is God and we all know that God is Perfect(Mat.5:48) and there's nothing stain of sin in Him, it is rightfully that Mary is also "free from original sin" because she bears in her womb the "Holy of Holies"

In the Old Testament, God placed his presence on the Ark. The Ark was made up of pure gold.

Let us read Exodus 25:11-21

Exodus 25:11-21 (King James Version)

11And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
13And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
14And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
15The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

• If the Ark is pure because the Lord of Host DWELLED in it... Then, Mary is also pure!

What will happen if someone will touch or hold the Ark in UNWORTHY manner?

Let us read 2 Samuel 6:7

2 Samuel 6:7 (King James Version)

7And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

• The Ark of God is Holy and Pure. This shows that the Ark is "UNDEFILED", this also shows that defiled people are NOT WORTHY to touch or to hold the Ark of God UNWORHTILY.
  

If the Ark of God is UNDEFILED, therefore Mary is also UNDEFILED so that she would become WORHTY to bear the "Son of the Most High." (Lk.1:35)

Biblical Basis of Immaculate Conception (New Testament)

Is there a Biblical evidence that Mary is Immaculate in the New Testament?

Yes!. When Angel Gabriel greeted or salutes Mary at the annunciation...

Let us read the Gospel of Luke 1:28

Luke 1:28 Douay-Rheims
28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

• The word "Full of Grace" is used only twice in the Bible and this refers to Jesus in the Gospel of John 1:14 and Mary in the Gospel of Luke 1:28

Let us read the Gospel of John 1:14

John 1:14 (King James Version)

14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

• The original greek word that being used in Luke 1:28 is "Chaire Kecharitomene"

The Angel Gabriel, addressing the Virgin of Nazareth after the greeting, chaire, "Rejoice", calls her Kecharitomene, "full of grace". The words of the Greek text, chaire and Kecharitomene, are deeply interconnected: Mary is invited to rejoice primarily because God loves her and has filled her with grace in view of her divine motherhood! (Pope John Paul II, General Audience May 8, 1996)

Kecharitomene: this term addressed to Mary seems to be the proper way to describe the woman destined to become the mother of Jesus. Lumen gentium appropriately recalls this when it affirms: "The Virgin of Nazareth is hailed by the heralding angel, by divine command, as 'full of grace'" (Lumen gentium, n. 56).

• The said verse above (Lk.1:28) proves that Mary is conceived without original sin because she is full of grace.
  
• Even St. Paul wrote to the Romans 3:23 that "All have sinned and fall short of God." Mary is EXEMPTED because God preserves her to be pure and worthy to bear the Son of God our Lord Jesus.

If Mary is NOT EXEMPTED from the original sin , Jesus our Savior is also a sinner!.

Let me quote what Martin Luther said about Immacualte Conception:

"The infusion of Mary's soul was effected without original sin...from the first moment she began to live she was free from all sin." (Martin Luther, Sermon: On the Day of the Conception of the Mother of God)