Here is the official teaching of the Catholic Church:
"The Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin." ( "Ineffabilis Deus", Pope Pius IX, December 8, 1854).
I can see no problem in this teaching, is it impossible for God to preserve the Virgin Mary from sin for the greatest purpose of salvation? This kind of query comes from those who claimed to be biblical Christians who dislike the Virgin Mary instead of honoring for being the mother of our Savior Jesus Christ. If they do believe in the bible sincerely and faithfully I am quite sure they will appreciate and love the mother of Jesus Christ, like those some Lutheran brethren who have gone back to the arms of the Virgin Mary. What is our basis of believing the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary? I would like to share my knowledge about the matter in a layman's point of view (because I am not a theologian) it's my strong desire to help that compels to do this. For me it is as this...let's open our bible to Hebrews 10:5 "Therefore, when CHRIST came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a BODY YOU PREPARED FOR ME." In this verse Christ revealed to us that his Father had prepared a body for him..let me emphasize the word "prepared". God has prepared the incarnation of his son, why there was a need of such preparation? It is easy for God to destroy Satan and his power and it is very easy for him to become a human being without being born by a woman. What was the possible problem in the incarnation of Christ that it need a preparation? We read in Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to ALL MEN, because ALL SINNED." So the problem was that sin has entered humanity and also death along with it. if Christ will become man like he will be infected with sins and in that disqualify himself as the Savior of mankind since he himself is a sinner. The Virgin Mary was chosen beforehand by God to be the mother of God. Was the Virgin Mary included in a sinful human race? The apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, "10.As it is written:There is NO ONE righteous, NOT EVEN ONE. 21. for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:10, 21. So this is our Catholic belief about the Virgin Mary: "Mary BELONGED to the sinful human race. She therefore stood IN NEED OF REDEMPTION. The fact that she did not actually incur original sin is NOT DUE to HER action BUT CHRIST'S......Christ ALONE is the Redeemer of ALL. MARY then, WAS REDEEMED BY HIM. Her redemption , however, like the rest of her role in God's plan was UNIQUE. Christ's did not take away His mother's sin, for she had none, rather by His redemptive mercy He KEPT HER from incurring sin, so that she was conceive without original sin and was guarded by his grace against falling into sin" ("Teaching of Christ", Ronald Lawler, OFM, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, Indiana, 1976, p.235). I hope that this teaching is clear to us, Mary was without sin because CHRIST HAS PRESERVED HER FREE FROM SIN BEFORE SHE WAS PUT IN HER MOTHER'S WOMB - this is in view of the incarnation of Christ. Mary was redeemed by Christ like us, the only difference was the manner how we were redeemed. Her redemption is more on preserving her free from sin so that the son that will be born from her would be without sin also - so there was a really need for preparation. To enlighten us more on this matter let us take a look on Job14:1, 4 "1. Man born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble...4. Who CAN BRING WHAT IS PURE FROM THE IMPURE? NO ONE". Can we get something clean from what is filthy? This verse connotes that if the Virgin Mary is IMPURE the son that will be born to her is also IMPURE, isn't it? This is the very reason why the Virgin Mary was redeemed by her Son before she was conceived in her mother's womb. How is it possible to sanctify Mary inside the womb of her mother? We can be assured a positive response to that, let's read Jeremiah 1:5 "BEFORE I formed you in the WOMB I knew you, BEFORE you were BORN I SANCTIFIED YOU, a prophet to the nations I appointed you." Is it impossible for God to sanctify the woman that will give birth to his only son? If God has sanctified Jeremiah in his mother's womb before he was born, it is not a big thing for God to do the same to the Virgin Mary. but HOW CAN WE BE SURE that the Virgin Mary was without sin? It's simple, let's read Matthew 12:33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad, FOR A TREE IS RECOGNIZED BY ITS FRUIT." do you believe what that verse says? Well, can you recall a part of a Catholic prayer "Hail Mary" which says.."...and blessed is the FRUIT OF YOUR WOMB, JESUS". Jesus Christ is fruit of the womb of the Virgin Mary..." and as we have learned from Job14:4 "who can bring what is PURE from the IMPURE? NO ONE." do you believe what this verse says? What kind of fruit is JESUS who was born of the Virgin Mary? the answers are loud and clear read in Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was WITHOUT SIN." and also read 1 John 3:5 "But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. AND IN HIM IS NO SIN." Anong klaseng bunga si Jesus Christ ? Jesus is WITHOUT SIN - the FRUIT OF MARY'S WOMB IS WITHOUT SIN - so therefore, this means that MARY IS ALSO WITHOUT SIN because they both have the same flesh and blood...WHY?...the Virgin Mary conceived without the intercession of man. Subalit kapag nagpumilit pa rin sila at sasabihin nila na: "HINDI NAMAN MABABASA SA BIBLIA NG LETRA POR LETRA NA SI MARIA AY WALANG KASALANAN KAYA HINDI SILA MANINIWALA" Ang isasagot natin sa kanila ay NGA-NGA...God bless you my friends, I hope that this humble contribution of mine may help you to enhance your Catholic faith as we growth in love, grace and mercy of the Almighty God.
"The Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin." ( "Ineffabilis Deus", Pope Pius IX, December 8, 1854).
I can see no problem in this teaching, is it impossible for God to preserve the Virgin Mary from sin for the greatest purpose of salvation? This kind of query comes from those who claimed to be biblical Christians who dislike the Virgin Mary instead of honoring for being the mother of our Savior Jesus Christ. If they do believe in the bible sincerely and faithfully I am quite sure they will appreciate and love the mother of Jesus Christ, like those some Lutheran brethren who have gone back to the arms of the Virgin Mary. What is our basis of believing the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary? I would like to share my knowledge about the matter in a layman's point of view (because I am not a theologian) it's my strong desire to help that compels to do this. For me it is as this...let's open our bible to Hebrews 10:5 "Therefore, when CHRIST came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a BODY YOU PREPARED FOR ME." In this verse Christ revealed to us that his Father had prepared a body for him..let me emphasize the word "prepared". God has prepared the incarnation of his son, why there was a need of such preparation? It is easy for God to destroy Satan and his power and it is very easy for him to become a human being without being born by a woman. What was the possible problem in the incarnation of Christ that it need a preparation? We read in Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to ALL MEN, because ALL SINNED." So the problem was that sin has entered humanity and also death along with it. if Christ will become man like he will be infected with sins and in that disqualify himself as the Savior of mankind since he himself is a sinner. The Virgin Mary was chosen beforehand by God to be the mother of God. Was the Virgin Mary included in a sinful human race? The apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, "10.As it is written:There is NO ONE righteous, NOT EVEN ONE. 21. for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:10, 21. So this is our Catholic belief about the Virgin Mary: "Mary BELONGED to the sinful human race. She therefore stood IN NEED OF REDEMPTION. The fact that she did not actually incur original sin is NOT DUE to HER action BUT CHRIST'S......Christ ALONE is the Redeemer of ALL. MARY then, WAS REDEEMED BY HIM. Her redemption , however, like the rest of her role in God's plan was UNIQUE. Christ's did not take away His mother's sin, for she had none, rather by His redemptive mercy He KEPT HER from incurring sin, so that she was conceive without original sin and was guarded by his grace against falling into sin" ("Teaching of Christ", Ronald Lawler, OFM, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, Indiana, 1976, p.235). I hope that this teaching is clear to us, Mary was without sin because CHRIST HAS PRESERVED HER FREE FROM SIN BEFORE SHE WAS PUT IN HER MOTHER'S WOMB - this is in view of the incarnation of Christ. Mary was redeemed by Christ like us, the only difference was the manner how we were redeemed. Her redemption is more on preserving her free from sin so that the son that will be born from her would be without sin also - so there was a really need for preparation. To enlighten us more on this matter let us take a look on Job14:1, 4 "1. Man born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble...4. Who CAN BRING WHAT IS PURE FROM THE IMPURE? NO ONE". Can we get something clean from what is filthy? This verse connotes that if the Virgin Mary is IMPURE the son that will be born to her is also IMPURE, isn't it? This is the very reason why the Virgin Mary was redeemed by her Son before she was conceived in her mother's womb. How is it possible to sanctify Mary inside the womb of her mother? We can be assured a positive response to that, let's read Jeremiah 1:5 "BEFORE I formed you in the WOMB I knew you, BEFORE you were BORN I SANCTIFIED YOU, a prophet to the nations I appointed you." Is it impossible for God to sanctify the woman that will give birth to his only son? If God has sanctified Jeremiah in his mother's womb before he was born, it is not a big thing for God to do the same to the Virgin Mary. but HOW CAN WE BE SURE that the Virgin Mary was without sin? It's simple, let's read Matthew 12:33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad, FOR A TREE IS RECOGNIZED BY ITS FRUIT." do you believe what that verse says? Well, can you recall a part of a Catholic prayer "Hail Mary" which says.."...and blessed is the FRUIT OF YOUR WOMB, JESUS". Jesus Christ is fruit of the womb of the Virgin Mary..." and as we have learned from Job14:4 "who can bring what is PURE from the IMPURE? NO ONE." do you believe what this verse says? What kind of fruit is JESUS who was born of the Virgin Mary? the answers are loud and clear read in Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was WITHOUT SIN." and also read 1 John 3:5 "But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. AND IN HIM IS NO SIN." Anong klaseng bunga si Jesus Christ ? Jesus is WITHOUT SIN - the FRUIT OF MARY'S WOMB IS WITHOUT SIN - so therefore, this means that MARY IS ALSO WITHOUT SIN because they both have the same flesh and blood...WHY?...the Virgin Mary conceived without the intercession of man. Subalit kapag nagpumilit pa rin sila at sasabihin nila na: "HINDI NAMAN MABABASA SA BIBLIA NG LETRA POR LETRA NA SI MARIA AY WALANG KASALANAN KAYA HINDI SILA MANINIWALA" Ang isasagot natin sa kanila ay NGA-NGA...God bless you my friends, I hope that this humble contribution of mine may help you to enhance your Catholic faith as we growth in love, grace and mercy of the Almighty God.
I
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