VATICAN CITY, DEC 8, 2006 (VIS) - At midday today, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square below.
The Immaculate Conception, said the Pope, "is one of the most beautiful and popular feasts of the Blessed Virgin. ... Mary not only committed no sin, but was even spared that shared heritage of humankind which is original sin. And this was because of the mission for which God had always destined her: that of being the Mother of the Redeemer."
Pope Benedict went on to explain how the biblical foundation for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception is to be found in the words the angel directed to the young girl from Nazareth: "'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.' Full of grace," the Pope added, "is Mary's most beautiful name, a name God Himself gave her in order to indicate that she was always, and will always be, the beloved, the elect, the one chosen to accept the most precious gift: Jesus, 'the incarnate love of God'."
The Holy Father emphasized how Mary's humility was a reason for her being chosen. "God," he said, "was attracted by Mary's humility," and the Virgin "thus became the Mother of God, image and model of the Church, chosen from among peoples to receive the blessing of the Lord and transmit it to the entire human family."
"This 'blessing'," the Pope added, "is none other than Jesus Christ. He is the source of the grace with which Mary was filled from the very first instant of her existence. She welcomed Jesus with faith, and with love she gave Him to the world. This is also our vocation and our mission, the vocation and the mission of the Church: to welcome Christ into our lives and to give Him to the world, 'that the world may be saved through Him'."
ANG/IMMACULATE CONCEPTION/... VIS 20061211 (340)
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