Monday, December 8, 2025
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
We are a joyful community of disciples proclaiming the Good News and inviting all people to encounter the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."
(Genesis 3:15)
Full of Grace
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you". The Archangel Gabriel said this to Mary. What does it mean for Mary to be "full of grace"?
Today's Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception answers this question. When people hear "Immaculate Conception" they may think it's about Jesus' conception. The Immaculate Conception actually refers to the moment of Mary's conception in her mother's womb. It means that she was free from all stain of sin from the moment of her conception.
As the words engraved into the Miraculous Medal say: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." Mary is "full of grace." The Archangel Gabriel knew this and so do we because it has been infallibly taught by the Church.
Mary's Immaculate Conception is a gift God gave her for her mission. Much of her mission is mentioned in Genesis 3 which recounts the fall of Adam and Eve. Sin is bad news, however, even after this bad news, we get the first promise of the good news of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This good news is found in Genesis 3:15 when God says to the devil, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."
Here is Mary's mission: God has put "enmity" between the devil and "the woman". The woman is Mary. And she is the one God has chosen to crush the head of Satan by giving birth to the Savior and being in union with him. The victory belongs to God, through Jesus Christ. However, God permits Mary to crush the serpent because it’s more humiliating to the proud devil to be crushed by a humble, Immaculate woman, than by God himself.
Do I devote myself to the Mother of God by wearing the Miraculous Medal, praying the Rosary, or consecrating myself to her?
"O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."
Reflection by:
Mark DeSio is currently in his 8th year of seminary and will be a ordained a Deacon in April! Mark comes from a large Catholic family (is 1 of 6) and had the childhood dream of becoming a professional skateboarder. Mark attended Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Seminole (his home parish) and St. Petersburg Catholic for most of high school where he later taught theology after 4.5 years of seminary.
Before entering seminary the first time, Mark was studying to become a firefighter. It was during his second year of college that God called him to be a priest. Having an uncle who is a priest in the diocese (Fr. Gregg Tottle), Mark was inspired by his witness and that of the priests from his home parish as well as the holiness of life practiced by other parishioners, friends, and family. What attracted Mark to the priesthood the most was the desire to celebrate the sacraments and help bring souls to heaven. The opportunity to be an instrument of God’s mercy in the confessional is what fires him up the most!