I just came from Mass in honor of the feast of the Immaculate Conception. I will soon head off to the airport to go to SF, for the Prop 8 trial. It is fitting that this trial take place on this feast day. I realize that many of my readers are not Catholic, and think such a feast is a lot of mumbo jumbo. But let me explain the vision behind the Immaculate Conception, and suggest why it offers a hopeful alternative to our current cultural morass.
The first point is the meaning of the feast itself. We celebrate Mary’s conception without the stain of original sin. We hold that original sin causes weakness of the will, darkness of the intellect and forgetfulness in the memory. Have you ever experienced any of those things, dear reader of any religion or no religion? Then you know what I’m talking about. The effects of original sin are part of the universal human condition.
Except for Jesus, the Son of God. And except for Mary, His mother, who, through a singular grace from God, was preserved from all stain of original sin, so that she could be a vessel worthy of her divine Son.
Why is this so important to us? It means that she is the New Eve: she has the same chance that Eve had to be completely obedient to the will of God. She never had to deal with the weakened will or darkened intellect or forgetful memory. She had the same chance to choose for God, and she did it.
This understanding of Mary’s situation preserves both the overwhelming power of God’s providence and the reality of human free will. There is no doubt from the text, or from tradition, that Mary could have told the Angel Gabriel to buzz off. But she didn’t. She chose for God, in that moment of the Annunciation, which was the conception of her Son, and always throughout the rest of her life.
(Those of you who think that Catholics just make this stuff up, consider this: it is literally inconceivable that a Greco-Roman god would sit patiently while a young girl made up her mind. Zeus would just take what he wanted, particularly where a woman was concerned. You have to at least give us this: this was a pretty peculiar thing to invent.)
Mary’s life story offers us an alternative to the willfulness of our time. She followed the will of God completely. That is how she became truly happy, how she discovered who she truly was, and how she found the deepest fulfillment possible.
Mary also offers an alternative to our views of the place of sexual activity in human life. Catholics, along with the Eastern Orthodox, famously hold that Mary was a virgin throughout her life. All Bible-believing Christians believe that both Jesus and St. Paul were lifelong celibates. Celibacy is not for freaks or losers. For some people, lifelong celibacy is their uniquely personal path to holiness. And those who choose that path have a position of esteem and respect within our community.
The Immaculate Conception surely is relevant to the drama of the Prop 8 trial. I don’t need to spell it out for you: you can figure it out for yourselves.
Oh, Mary, Patroness of the United States, look down upon our courtroom with love today. Your divine Son will surely give you whatever you ask of Him on this, the celebration of your conception. Please ask your divine Son, your Holy Spouse, and our Father, to shower us with every grace this day. Ask that our hearts and minds be opened to the holy will of God, and that all of us be pardoned for all our sins. Amen.
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