About the Immaculate Conception
Feast Day: December 8
December 8 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This holy day is often misunderstood. It celebrates the conception of Mary, not Jesus. The Catholic Church teaches that through the grace of God, Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin, thus making her a worthy vessel for the Son of God.
The readings (see below) show how Mary’s fiat (“Let it be”) was an integral part of God’s plan for the salvation of the world.
Patron Saint
She is the patroness of the United States.
Mass Readings for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception:
- First Reading – Genesis 3:9-15, 20: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.”
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 98: “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.’
- Second Reading – Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.”
- Gospel – Luke 1:26-38: “Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
Quotes and Social Media Graphics
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For me, the Immaculate Conception is the feast of ‘passive action,’ the action that functions simply by the transmission through us of divine energy. Purity, in spite of outward appearances, is essentially an active virtue, because it concentrates God in us and on those who are subject to our influence.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
More resources
Why Do Catholics Pray to Mary and the Saints? A Lesson Plan
Why do Catholics pray to Mary and the saints? This lesson plan will help youth understand that it is like asking a friend to pray for you. And it points out that prayer is not the same as worship.
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in honor of her apparitions to St. Bernadette in Lourdes France.