by M. Francis Mannion<\/span><\/p>\n On December 8, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Since Mary is the model of the Church and of Christian life, Marian feasts celebrate not only the person of Mary, but also the dignity of the Church and of all the baptized. This point may not seem immediately obvious, until we realize that the Solemnity originated in early Christian theology and poetry about the Church.<\/span><\/p>\n Paul\u2019s Letter to the Ephesians was a typical starting point for such reflection. Paul describes, for instance, the Church, the New Israel, the Bride of Christ as \u201cglorious, with no speck or wrinkle, but holy and faultless\u201d (5:27).<\/span><\/p>\n In the same Letter, God\u2019s people are described as having received \u201cevery spiritual blessing in the heavens\u201d (1:12) They were chosen \u201cbefore the world began, to be holy and blameless in his sight, to be full of love\u201d (1:4). The community of believers \u201cwas predestined to praise his glory by being the first to hope in Christ\u201d (1:12).<\/span><\/p>\n The writings of Hugo Rahner and of then-Cardinal Ratzinger (in his beautiful little book, \u201cDaughter Zion\u201d) point out that early Christian theology and preaching developed the image of the \u201cimmaculate Church\u201d in a very extensive way. This theme found expression in some of the most beautiful and lyrical writings of the early Fathers. The Church\u2014and Christians themselves\u2014were celebrated as immaculate, because of the dignity of baptism.<\/span><\/p>\n Eventually, this language was applied to the person of Mary. The \u201cimmaculate\u201d Church and the \u201cimmaculate\u201d Christian came to be symbolized in Mary Immaculate. This is why the scripture readings for the Solemnity can be read as referring to Mary, to the Church, and to all the baptized.<\/span><\/p>\n This sort of talk can make us uncomfortable nowadays. We are shy of any language that seems to idolize the Church\u2014not least in view of the scandals of the last few decades, and more recently the child-abuse scandals. We are right to point out the Church\u2019s faults and to insist that the Church is anything but the community of the perfect.<\/span><\/p>\n Yet, as John Macquarrie, the distinguished Anglican theologian, pointed out, we need today a \u201cnew resurgence of pride\u201d in what the Church fundamentally is. This is not the same thing as arrogance or triumphalism. Rather, such pride comes from the recognition that while the Church and its people are far from perfect, they bear \u201chidden glory\u201d and represent \u201cthat part of humanity where God is seeking to manifest his purpose for all mankind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The fact is, despite all its faults and the sins of its people, Christianity is the arena of God\u2019s liberating and sanctifying love. For all its imperfection, the Church has produced great saints, and has ennobled the human enterprise.<\/span><\/p>\n Without Christ and the liberating gospel proclaimed and lived\u2014no doubt imperfectly\u2014the world would be a very different place. This explains why the story of the Fall\u2014the opposite of a redeemed world\u2014is included among the readings of the Immaculate Conception. <\/span><\/p>\n What is underlined is that the world of Adam and Eve is an enslaved, dead-end, dehumanizing world. By contrast, the world of Christ, embodied and symbolized in Mary and the whole baptized community, leads to a new humanity truly free and truly ennobled.<\/span><\/p>\n The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, then, is not merely an esoteric feast of historical interest, but a contemporary celebration of the dignity of all who call themselves \u201cChristian.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Msgr. Mannion is pastor emeritus of St. Vincent de Paul parish, Salt Lake City. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The writings of Hugo Rahner and of then-Cardinal Ratzinger (in his beautiful little book, \u201cDaughter Zion\u201d) point out that early Christian theology and preaching developed the image of the \u201cimmaculate Church\u201d in a very extensive way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,3125],"tags":[2713,1727,2714],"class_list":["post-22830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-liturgical-year","category-viewpoint","tag-hugo-rahner","tag-immaculate-conception","tag-joseph-ratzinger"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/em>By permission of <\/em>The Intermountain Catholic, Salt Lake City.<\/em><\/p>\n