What is the Immaculate Conception?

When the angel Gabriel comes to tell Mary about her miraculous child, he greets Mary as "full of grace." As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (490) states, "To become the Mother of the Savior, Mary 'was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.'"

In other words--my words--how could God the Son be a part of a person (as all babies are to their mothers) if that person had any sin? It is an impossiblity. Jesus is perfection, is holiness, is goodness. God the Father could not allow His Only Begotten Son to be attached to and enveloped in the womb of a sinner.

In 1858, Mary appeared to St. Bernadette 18 times near Lourdes, France over a period of 6 months. During these apparations, the local priest--skeptical of the veracity of these apparitions--asked Bernadette, who was 14 at the time, to ask the Lady's name. The first two times the Lady merely inclined her head. On the third request in the 16th apparation, the Lady stated, "I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION." Although Bernadette did not know the meaning, she ran to tell the local priest.

The Immaculate Conception is Mary, who was from the moment of conception without sin.

To read the full account of the apparitions click here or go to http://www.catholic.org/

Our Lady of Lourdes Rosary

by Full of Grace Rosary

This is my version of the rosary that Mary used at Lourdes as described by St. Bernadette:

"She has the appearance of a young girl of sixteen or seventeen. She is dressed in a white robe, girdled at the waist with a blue ribbon which flows down all along Her robe. She wears upon Her head a veil which is also white; this veil gives just a glimpse of Her hair and then falls down at the back below Her waist. Her feet are bare but covered by the last folds of Her robe except at the point where a yellow rose shines upon each of them. She holds on Her right arm a Rosary of white beads with a chain of gold shining like the two roses on Her feet."

September 8th the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary--Happy Birthday, Mary!