One of my favorite aspects of Catholicism is the attention and reverence given to Mary. It wasn’t until recently that I learned this is unique to Catholicism, that not all branches of Christianity give her much attention. This surprised me, because celebrating Mary has such beautiful masses and beautiful songs, and it is always worthwhile to honor mothers.
This brings me to another thing I did not realize until quite late. Immaculate Conception is not about Mary’s virgin conception of Jesus. Rather, it is the conception of the Virgin Mary herself, that she was born without original sin. This is what defined the rest of her life as “immaculate.” It’s impossible to imagine what a life free of sin looks like, especially as a mother. The idea of flawless action and unwavering goodness does not jive with the end of the day mental inventory of mothering. What did I do that for? Why didn’t I stop and listen? Did I really say that!? Maybe, Mary also had bad days and terrible moments and the whole idea of her being Immaculate is more about honoring the love that moms feel. The love that, no matter how we might screw up, burns constantly and fiercely in harmony with our flaws.
Today was our Immaculate Conception Mass led by the fifth grade, in which Mary, her immense commitment to God, her virtue, and motherhood are celebrated. During Advent, it’s hard to separate Mary from the story of Jesus’s birth, but this day is about her. If it weren’t for her immaculate conception, she could not have borne the Son of God. We can aspire to be perfect like Mary and take comfort in her resolute grace. I think of her as kind, generous, she must have a sense of humor, but above all, I’m hoping she’s forgiving. For when we fall short, it’s nice to be able to count on a mom.