Immaculate Conception in the Advent Context

Immaculate Conception is a clear sign of God’s salvific plan at work during the time of darkness of absence of God’s messenger in Judea. This dark and empty era lasted for about 400 years between the presence of the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, and the advent of the Messiah on earth, Jesus, about 2, 000 years ago – except for a brief period of the Maccabean victory, symbolized with the menorah light of Chanukah, about 160 years before the coming of Jesus.

To prepare for the advent (coming) of the Messiah on earth in a human figure, God had to make certain preparation. And, Immaculate Conception of Mary was the first major step that God took in order to bring the Messiah in human flesh as blemishless sacrificial offering  in light of Yom Kippur. But, in order to make it the ultimate Yom Kippur to complete this sin offering sacrificial ritual once for all. It was the meaning of Good Friday. For the Messiah to be offered for our sins to be blemishless (Leviticus 17:1), he must be born without any influence of Original Sin, though he is to be born and to come into a form of human flesh (John 1:14). For this condition, the woman, who is chosen to make the Word becomes human flesh (John 1:14) must be completely free from any stein of Original Sin. Thus, Mary was already chosen by God, before Annunciation and even before her birth, to be conceived immaculately in Anna’s womb, though Anna and her husband, Joachim, had intercourse to bring Mary to this world. 

Theologically, human intercourse is considered as an act of bearing a stain of Original Sin, as Adam and Eve had their children, Cain and Abel, after they committed Original Sin and were evicted from Eden (Genesis 3:1-4:2).  Because of this, God had to take an action to keep Mary’s conception, which resulted from a human intercourse, free from any influence of Original Sin. And, this is Immaculate Conception, enabling Mary to be the very one to conceive Jesus in her womb, making the Word become flesh in her womb, and give virgin birth to the Son, Jesus, as the Messiah to suffer and to be sacrificed (Isaiah 52-53).

Though the sacrificial aspect of the Messiah invokes a dark impression, this is a critically important part of God’s salvific plan to bring His light to this world of darkness of perpetual sins, which was appeared as if God were absent from.  But, it is in this darkness of sin, which separates us from God, God forces Himself to come to us as the light of salvific hope. It is because God’s ultimate mission is to bring every faithful person into the Kingdom of God, as envisioned in the last three chapters of Revelation.

Because Mary was immaculately conceived, Mary is full of grace, meaning that she was absolutely free from stain of Original Sin, in spite of her parents, Anna and Joachim, had an intercourse, as Adam and Eve gave birth to Cain, who killed his brother, Abel, and Abel, who was killed by his brother, Cain.  Cain’s murder of his brother, Abel, has a symbolic meaning of how steins of Original Sin can be transmitted intergenerationally through intercourse. However, Immaculate Conception of Mary makes a shining exception so that Mary becomes able to conceive Jesus from the Holy Spirit that God impregnates her with the Son, Jesus, the sacrificial Messiah without any influence of Original Sin, even though he has to come in human flesh.

In other words, Immaculate Conception of Mary is to endure that Jesus can come into this world in human flesh without any blemish from stains of Original Sin.  After all, it is to ensure that the light of God in Christ (John 8:12) comes in the purest form, as white light.

That is why the liturgical color of Immaculate Conception Mass is white.

In celebrating Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary, we know that we are preparing for the coming (advent) of the purest light, the blemishless sacrificial Messiah, to shepherd us to the Kingdom of God.

In this Advent, let’s praise the Lord and give thanks to God for this wonderful work for our salvation! Halleluiah!! Also, we praise our theolokos and our spiritual mother, Mary!

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. ....

Hail, Mary! Full of grace, as you were conceived Immaculate, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou, amongst women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, the Messiah and the light!! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen!