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In the Magnificat (Lk. 1:46-55), Mary's Hymn of Praise, she makes a prophecy "From this day all generations will call me blessed." This was at the Annunciation where the Angel Gabriel came to bring her the good news that she was to be the Mother of Jesus and that He would be the Messiah. There is no question that her prophecy is being fulfilled. Throughout history, Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother (by Jesus' own words from the Cross), has been revered from as early as the second Century by Christians. St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch who was reputed to have heard St. John the Apostle preach (martyred in 110 AD) stressed Mary's role as the virginal mother of Jesus. Then, St. Justin Martyr, the first Christian philosopher (100-165 AD) saw a parallel between the role of Eve and that of Mary, a fundamental theological insight.

St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons (140-202 AD) preached much on Mary. He wrote that "as Jesus parallels Adam, so Mary parallels Eve. Mary is the new Eve in God's new creation." (from: "All Generations Will Call Me Blessed," © 1999, Jim McManus, C.Ss.R., Crossroads Publishing Co.) Another intellectual who lived between 185-254 AD, Origin, understood the word "Behold your Son," to be significant. "Origin is saying that since Jesus was the only Son of Mary, if Jesus says John is her son he is saying that John in some way has become Jesus. Jesus and John are one; Jesus and his disciples are one." Because of this unity and identification Mary sees just her own Son in each of the disciples." (Ibid.)

St. Athanasius of Alexandria (295-373 AD) had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin and called her "Theotokos," the God bearer. St. Ambrose (339-397 AD) learned that he was not able to defend the divinity of Christ without at the same time preaching that Mary, the Mother of Christ, is truly the Mother of God. Ambrose saw Mary as the "Mother of the Church."

St. Jerome (347-420 AD) another great father of the Church, a renowned Scripture scholar staunchly defended the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mary. At about the same time, 353-430 AD, St. Augustine of Hippo was a great defender of Mary's virginity. There are others, throughout history, particularly the early history of the Church, who defended the special status of Mary in the life of Jesus and, indeed, in the life of the Church. Mary is the mother of the redeemer and of the redeemed. Slowly, the belief that Mary was conceived without Original Sin was circulated among the faithful and because of this grassroots groundswell the Magisterium began to study this idea. The Franciscan, Blessed Duns Scotus who died in 1308, found Mary "to have been preserved free from Original Sin" and that it was "a greater grace than to be set free from sin." On 8 December, 1854, Pope Pius IX, proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Let us pray the Rosary daily to honor our Mother conceived without sin!

Article written by Fred Schaeffer while in contemplative life/1999