THE ECCLESIOLOGY AND THE THEOLOGY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF MARY...........

This morning in my first blog column today, I referred to the, "sensus fidelium", - the Ecclesiology, or faith belief of the People of God, from the early Church forward, in Mary, the Blessed Mother, being conceived free from sin and pure, so as to be the ideal instrument to give birth to God's Son in human hisriry.  I also blogged about the dogma of the Catholic Church formally declared only just a century and a half ag, - the Theology behind our belief in the Immaculate Conception, as Catholic-Christians.   The popular belief and practice of the faithful in this regards existed for nearly two thousand years, when Pope Pius IX, declared the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in 1854, when he said, "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God...perserved immune from all stain of Original Sin".  The words of the current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, echo the dogmatic theology, teaching, and belief of the Catholic Church on this facet of our Faith, "In Mary Immaculate we contemplate the reflection of the Beauty that saves the world : the Beauty of God that shines on the Face of Christ.  In Mar, this beauty is totally pure, humble, free of all pride and presumption".  The Solemnity and Holyday of the Immaculate Conception occurs on December 8th, in the midst of the Advent Season, before the celebration of Christmas. although because it commemorates the stainless and spiritual conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her liturgical Birthday feast is on September 8th...........  May the Grace and Salvation God Imparts Allow Us To Be Freed And Forgiven Of All Our Sins,   Fr.  Troy