Sr. Edith Selzler on the Immaculate Conception of . . . Mary :
The title of the feast has sometimes led to confusion about who was being immaculately conceived, many thinking it was Jesus through Mary’s virginity. Not so; it was Mary herself, being conceived without the effects of original sin from which Jesus saves us all. She received this gift of salvation “retroactively,” so to speak, therefore being born without stain or any touch of the unsanctified. This concept troubles those who would say that the Gospels and other scriptures say nothing of this, that it is a concoction by fervent devotees of Mary. However, there is a great deal of biblical support for why God would do such a thing for this one human person.
