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.
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.
The Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8, is about how God’s grace has
been affecting the humans through Mary.
It is to refresh our hope for salvation with Mary being gratia plena (full of grace) to conceive the Son of God
so that the Logos-Theos (John 1:1) can makes his adventus in
human flesh, namely, making theophany in the human flesh of Jesus to dwell
among us (John 1:14). Putting himself amidst us, Jesus, being the Son of God,
the Christ, can save us, as his name, “Jesus” in Hebrew, ישוע (Yeshua),
means – God saves.
Based on John Duns Scotus’ argument, “Utrum Beata Virgo fuerit concepta in peccato originali”(whether the Blessed Virgin was conceived without a trace of the Original Sin) in his commentaries of Peter Lomberd’s Third Lecture, Lectura in Librum Tertium Sententiarum, Mary, as the Theotokos, had to be gratia plena ever since the moment when she was conceived in Ann’s womb for Logos-Theos to save us by coming to us in the human flesh. It means that Mary has to be preserved completely free from any stain of the Sin of Adam and Eve, from her conception, in order to serve God as the Theotokos - for her to say, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).
Based on John Duns Scotus’ argument, “Utrum Beata Virgo fuerit concepta in peccato originali”(whether the Blessed Virgin was conceived without a trace of the Original Sin) in his commentaries of Peter Lomberd’s Third Lecture, Lectura in Librum Tertium Sententiarum, Mary, as the Theotokos, had to be gratia plena ever since the moment when she was conceived in Ann’s womb for Logos-Theos to save us by coming to us in the human flesh. It means that Mary has to be preserved completely free from any stain of the Sin of Adam and Eve, from her conception, in order to serve God as the Theotokos - for her to say, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).
As to
solidify Scotus’ theological argument of the Immaculate Conception of Mary
further, Pope Pius IX established the theological doctrine of the Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ineffabilis Deus (1854). Based on this Pope Pius IX’s apostolic
constitution, the first reading for the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception
Mass, Genesis 3:9-15, 20, reminds us that God was already planning to bring the
humans, who had fallen with the sin of Adam and Eve, back to Him. By saying
these words to Satan, who defiled Adam and Eve, God had already elected a
woman, whose child will defeat Satan and his followers, so that the humans will
be saved completely.
I will put enmity between you and
the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while
you strike at their heel (Genesis 3:15).
Namely,
the defeat of Satan and his offspring by Mary’s reflects Revelation 20:7-10
toward the eschaton. For this God’s
salvific plan to be executed and complete, Mary was chosen to be conceived gratia
plena – without any trace of the Original Sin., being just as perfect as
Adam and Eve before being tempted by Satan, so that she can give the virgin
birth to the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
The Latin word for grace, gratia,
corresponds to חֵן (chen) in the Old
Testament Hebrew and ἔλεος (eleos) in
the New Testament Greek. In fact, ἔλεος (eleos) is a Greek translation of the Hebrew
word, חֵסֵד (chesed), which
characterizes the everlasting covenant love of God for us. חֵסֵד (chesed), חֵן (chen), and רחמים (rachamim) are closely related to one another in the Old
Testament, connecting God’s covenant love and mercy to what characterize God’s
grace.
Interestingly, the Hebrew word for
womb, רֶחֶם (rechem), is
etymologically connected with רחמים
(rachamim), which means mercy and connected to חֵסֵד (chesed), חֵן (chen), and ἔλεος (eleos). Therefore, Mary’s Immaculate Conception made her gratia plena, as Angel Gabriel said to
her, “εὗρες γὰρ χάριν παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ/ heures gar charin para to Theo” – “invenisti enim gratiam
apud Deum” –“ you are found in favor with God” (Luke 1:30), as reflected in the First Reading for this Marian
Solemnity. Because of this, Mary is the one to
conceive the Son of God, who is to be named Jesus in her womb (Luke 1:31)
through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35) though she remained virgin. See how God’s חֵן (chen) out of His חֵסֵד
(chesed) affected the רֶחֶם (rechem)
of the Immaculate Virgin Mary to incarnate Logos-Theos
to save us through Jesus so that God’s words in Genesis 3:15 will be perfectly
fulfilled at the time of Parousia, the
actual “Advent”, we are preparing for. And, this is, indeed, the רחמים
(rachamim) of God!
Deo gratia, quia Christus ex Immaculata Conceptio Mariae ! Laudamus
te! Benedicimus te! Adoramus te!
Glorificamus te! Amen!
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