Chapter 3: The Immaculate Conception

After our discussion on Refuting The Attack on Mary by Father Mateo a few weeks ago we have been assigned to summarize one chapter each. Mine is Chapter 3: The Immaculate Conception. In this chapter the author, Father Mateo, refutes several accusations made by CRI on the subject of Mary's Immaculate Conception. In the first CRI writes that the translation gratia plena (Latin for full of grace) from kecharitomene (Greek), is wrong. Father Mateo shows us both linguistically and logically that this is not so. He explains that this form of kecharitomen used there does indicate a perfection of grace, although some other forms do not. Therefore the grace within Mary was perfect and she was full of it.

Next CRI says "By virtue of His divine nature and His virgin birth (through God rather then a son of Adam was his father), Christ dwells among us as One freed from Orignal Sin." CRI's statement implicates that Mary must also have been sinless or else her Son could not have been. Finally CRI alleges that Mary could not have been sinless or else Christ would not have been her Savior and that His power would somehow be diminished if there was one who did not need Him. But Mary was saved by Christ, saved from ever bearing the stain of sin, His grace was preventitive in her, in us it is a cure to a hurt already done.

"Mary's perfect fullness of grace was in God's plan necessary to what the protestant theoligian de Satge calls 'the awesome demands of her particular motherhood, without detatching that perfection from the grace that came by her son.'"