The Immaculate Conception: Our Hope and Victory By on December 07, 2025

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The Immaculate Conception and its significance in Catholic faith video

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The Immaculate Conception: Our Hope and Victory

Introduction to the Feast

A very happy feast day to everybody. We get to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother. Right after the sermon we're going to recite those who would like to. It's certainly not obligatory. The consecration of ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, through the Blessed Virgin Mary. By the form of the total consecration by St. Louis de Montfort. So everyone who would like to partake in that is more than welcome to. There are sheets in the vestibule if you didn't see them before. No mad dashes, but again, it's a thing that you're welcome to do. However, it is something that the church puts a lot of importance behind. And so there are 33 days of preparation. If you haven't done those 33 days of preparation, well then, you can do 33 days of... ...prospiration, as it were, after the fact. But the idea is that this is something that you're supposed to do consciously and completely. It's something that you are giving yourself wholly and entirely to our Lord Jesus Christ, in service to His Blessed Mother. So it's again not something that I'm, by any stretch of the imagination, obliging anybody to do. But it is something that you should think out. And... ...perform as willingly and as completely as possible. It's only fitting that we talk about the total consecration or the enslavement of ourselves to our Blessed Mother because that is exactly what we owe her. When we think about the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, it's one of the most magnificent things that we can possibly even think of because it is something so enormous. It's something so unbelievably extraordinary. Throughout all of history, all of human history, only two... ...only one person was conceived without any stain of sin. Our Blessed Lord does not count because He is God. Sin cannot actually touch Him in any way, shape, or form. So therefore, He is liberated by the mere fact of His second nature. Through the hypostatic union, His divinity protects His humanity, as it were. But when it comes to Our Lady, it was not necessary... ...it was not necessary that she be conceived immaculately, but God, in all His wisdom, saw that it was fit that she should be conceived absolutely free of sin. So from the very first instant of her conception, there was not a single stain of sin upon her soul. She was absolutely free from that stain of sin. And it's one of the most remarkable miracles that our Lord was able to grant to any single soul. He actually withheld time in the conception of Our Lady. Because she was born, of course, well before the crucifixion and death of our Lord. Grace could only come back into the world thanks to the crucifixion of our Lord. And as a result, the only way that she could receive the grace that she received, and to be free from original sin, is if the grace of the cross was unbounded. The grace of the cross applied before the cross actually took place. We are supposed to understand with this, just the immensity of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. How much He preferred her above everybody else. That He gave her such a singular grace, such a singular devotion, that He was able to withhold the normal strains of time and history, that even the effects of original sin upon our nature were suspended in her, by granting her the grace of the cross decades before the crucifixion ever happened. Forty years before the crucifixion ever happened. That is such an extraordinary thing. We should never fail to think about it. We should never fail to contemplate it, and really ruminate about just how generous our Lord was, not just with her, to grant her that singular grace, but with ourselves. Because now we have such a mother ourselves as well. But also it is something that should grant us true hope. It was the first, she is the first glimpse of hope in this world. After the fall of Adam and Eve, the world was dominated by sin. And while there are truly remarkable examples of grace, of virtue in the history of the Old Testament, nothing compares to the, nothing that they were able to do or offer, is anything in comparison to what grace is. The true life of sanctifying grace, which could only come about because of the crucifixion and death of our Lord. Which could only come about because of her triumph over sin. She won. Her conception is the first great victory of grace after original sin. Her conception is the first real victory of God in this world. Again, apart from the single, the singular exceptions throughout the Old Testament. The only true, the true great first victory of God in this world is the Immaculate Conception. She won that grace by his crucifixion and death. And he granted her that grace out of his extreme love for her as his mother. And also because it was the most extraordinary and most essential necessity that no stain of sin be able to even touch our Lord in any way, shape or form. So she from whom he would derive all of his humanity needed to be as free from sin as possible as well. And she is completely free from all sin. So therefore she stands as a beacon before us as the greatest example of a victory over sin. Because she was so perfectly united to God. She was united in her humanity because she gave her humanity to Christ. She was united in grace because she chose him wholly and entirely. Not only was she free from original sin from the moment of her conception, but her entire life she was perfectly united to the will of God. So much so that we cannot say that there is any true separation except by nature between herself and God. She is not God. But she is as perfectly united to God as any creature can be. And that is a second victory for her and for us. Because now that gives us hope. Now we can be united to God through her intercession. As Saint Louis de Montfort insisted, Adiesum per Maria. To Jesus, but through Mary. And we can never sing the praises of this tremendous grace that is granted to her highly enough. This is why the church seems to put more emphasis on this feast. Of Our Lady than any other. Because this is the victory and the hope that we need to be able to overcome all crosses and trials. This is the feast that is going to signal for us victory even as we struggle for any sort of success. This is the feast day that is going to give us hope. This is why the church creates a certain indult and allows us to be able to use her color, blue, on this feast day. And this feast day alone. No other day of the year. This is why there are so many things that the church does to focus so much on the Immaculate Conception. Because it is the source of all of our hope. We know that we will win. We know that we will win the final victory. Because she has already won it. We know that the power of sin is gone because she has conquered it. We know that grace comes into this world because she brings it. And we know that grace comes into this world because she brings it. We can have confidence in our salvation. While still having to work it out through fear and trembling as Saint Paul says. We can have confidence in our salvation because she offers it. We can trust in her completely. So each day with all the battles that we have to fight. Each difficulty that we may have. Each complication that we have. Each fear that runs into our lives. Each frustration and difficulty that we may confront. All of these things are overcome by her. She is truly our hope. And she is where we must put all of our hope. Because we go to Jesus through her. That is why the Protestants. The first thing that they attack when they leave the church. Was the Blessed Virgin Mary. That is why the devil will try to cast a shadow upon her as much as he possibly can. That is why her role in our salvation is so denigrated in our day and age. Because the world, the flesh and the devil cannot abide our great hope and our great victory. Who is our lady. She is the one we must turn to. Our Lady. I want to thank everybody. The choir and the service to be able to come in on a weekday. It means a lot. It means a lot that there is going to be an extra dedication to our lady in this way. So that we could have a high mass in her honor. I want to thank people who set up so very beautifully. I won't call you out by name because you know who you are. But it is very beautifully done. Because we should give as much respect and as much honor to our lady as possible. Especially on this feast day. Not because we are so talented and capable of doing this. But because it is only right. Because she is truly our queen and our mother. And she is truly the Immaculate Conception. That is how she introduced herself to St. Bernadette at Lourdes. I am the Immaculate Conception. Before it was even defined as a doctrine of the church. That is how she defined herself. That is who she is. She is the Immaculately Conceived. But more she is the Immaculate Conception itself. She is our victory. Each and every day. In the slog of our daily life. Each and every battle that we fight for our own soul. Each and every sorrow we may feel. Or triumph we may win. She is the one who brings it to us. Of her there can never be enough. As St. Bernard says. De Maria Nunca Satis. About Mary there is never enough. And we can never have enough confidence in her. She brings us victory. And the world hates her for it. And it will always try to go against her. And the darkness will try to overwhelm her. And hide her away from us. Which is why she stands upon the moon. She is clothed in the sun. And her garment wears the stars. She brings all light to us. Because she brings light into this world. The light. Which as St. John says. Which the darkness cannot comprehend. And the darkness cannot understand. Cannot overcast it. The light of Christ. The light of truth. Only comes through her. The light of grace. Only comes through her. And our devotion to her can never be strong enough. We must give ourselves wholly and entirely to the service of God. But it comes through service to her. She is our victory. If we wish to enjoy heaven. We must turn and offer our gift to her. The gift of nature. And we must give ourselves wholly and entirely to the service of God. Whole and entire. Not holding anything back. Because that is how she lived her life. The grace of the Immaculate Conception was not in vain. Because she united herself perfectly to the will of God. Every instant of her life. And may that be said of our lives. That we united ourselves to her intention. Day in and day out. Perfectly and entirely. It is the only way we can save our souls. And that is the only way we can save our souls. She is our hope. She is our victory. Let us proclaim it. And let us follow her. And let us faithfully serve her in this life. So that we can be eternally united with her in heaven. Ave Maria Purissima. Father and Son of the Holy Ghost. Amen.