Mary chose Bernadette to confirm the dogma of the Immaculate Conception

The Church proclaims that Mary is holy. But her holiness is unlike any other: she is the "Immaculate Conception", which means that she was actually preserved from original sin even in her mother's womb. Therefore, she was born and grew up and lived and died without committing a single sin. This is the meaning of the Immaculate Conception.

This declaration raised a lot of controversy. Many disagreed with the fact that Mary came into the world without the stain of original sin if she really was descended from Adam and Eve. But Pope Pius IX settled the matter by declaring the dogma of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1854: Mary is immaculate from the moment of her conception, "because of the merits of Jesus Christ her Son, the Redeemer of the human race."

While people were arguing over whether to defend or deny Mary's Immaculate Conception, four years after Pope Pius IX's proclamation, the Blessed Virgin herself confirmed it to a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous, in Lourdes, France, appearing to her and giving her name with this phrase: "I am the Immaculate Conception."

The poor 14-year-old girl had no idea what these big words from the mysterious lady meant. Thus, by this apparition and this little key phrase, Mary gave to the world, through Bernadette, the confirmation of the pontifical dogmatic declaration, shutting at the same time the mouth of deniers.

Mary is the "one filled with grace". To merit such a favor from God, a certain readiness was necessary: God filled Mary with his spiritual blessing in her Son Jesus, so that she would be immersed in love, holy, blameless, resplendent, without spot or wrinkle or defect, all beautiful. All these qualities, forming her unique physical, moral and spiritual portrait, reflect her holiness.

She made herself the "Handmaid of the Lord", perfectly docile to the Word of God (for she was free to refuse it), available, without any reluctance to the will of God for her. We are far from Mary's predispositions, but we try to follow her example! Being all holy, all pure, being the Mother of God, she can move the heart of God on our behalf when we pray to her!

Father Pascal Sorgho, Redemptorist religious, Diocese of Fada N'Gourma (Burkina Faso)

Homily of December 8, 2022 (excerpts)