Next Wednesday is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

It's amazing the number of even 'good, practising Catholics' who confuse this dogma of faith (infallibly defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854) with the (as yet, undefined) doctrine of the virginal conception of Jesus.

As you all know, I'm sure, the Immaculate Conception relates to Mary being free from the first moment of her conception of all stain of original sin. Or to say the same thing positively, her soul was created in a state of grace by special divine favor--though always in virtue of the merits of Christ's redemptive Passion.

Oddly enough, St Thomas Aquinas considered the doctrine, fostered by the Franciscans, I think, to be dubious.

I guess a quick way to provide a rationale for the doctrine is to say that when we pray, 'Hail Mary, full of grace', we really, really, really mean the 'full of grace' part.

Immaculate Conception? I didn't, until I read this at EWTN:

POPE MARKS 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CONSECRATING THE CHURCH TO MARY


VATICAN CITY, Vatican, Dec. 08, 2004 (CNA) - Appearing in a good form on Wednesday, Pope John Paul presided over the 150th Anniversary of the Immaculate Conception and consecrated the Church tu Mary. The Pontiff reminded Catholics that the dogma proclaimed by Pope Pius IX is a central element of their faith.

The 84-year old Pope, flanked by lines of cardinals and bishops, highlighted the feast on its 150th anniversary and called for Catholics to renew their devotion to Mary for the "peace and salvation of all people".

"The Immaculate Conception is lighthouse for humanity in every time. At the start of the third millennium, it is the beacon to show us the way to believe and hope in God," the Pope told thousands of pilgrims gathered at St. Peter's square.

To you, Immaculate Virgin, chosen by God over all creature to be the advocate of grace and model of holiness for his people, I renew today in a special way the consecration of the whole Church," the Pope said.

Well, I knew that the dogma was defined in 1854 by Pius IX (as I stated in my initial post on this thread).

But it hadn't dawned on me until I read your post that 1854 is 150 years ago.

Had it done so, I would have celebrated the feast with greater gusto than I in fact did.