Her New Name

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Genesis 3:9–15, 20; Ephesians 1:3–6, 11–12; Luke 1:26–38

In today’s Liturgy of the Word, we hear the famous conversation between God, our first parents who have just transgressed His commandment, and the serpent who deceived Adam and Eve. At the core of this dialogue is God’s pronouncement of judgment upon the serpent, spelling out its ultimate defeat: “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” (Gen. 3:15). This passage, known as the Protoevangelium (the first Good News), begins the search for the woman and her offspring, a theme that runs throughout the Old Testament.

In the heart of the Gospel, we encounter a Greek word, kecharitomene, which is almost impossible to fully translate into English. We are most familiar with it as “full of grace,” though some contemporary translations use “highly favored,” “truly blessed,” or even “beautiful with God’s beauty.” The root of this word is charis, meaning “grace.” The verb form used by the angel suggests that Mary had already been endowed with grace in the past, and that this grace defines her present state.

The second reading, from the letter to the Ephesians, includes a second occurrence of the phrase “to endow with grace.” We hear about God’s grace, which was bestowed on us through Jesus Christ. For us, this grace came at our baptism, when we were made holy and blameless before God. But what about Mary? In the Church’s teaching on the Immaculate Conception, declared by Pope Pius IX, we read: “In the first moment of her conception, by a unique gift of grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, Mary was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

Some theologians suggest that, with Gabriel’s greeting, Mary’s name was changed to “Full of Grace.” This insight may be confirmed by a mysterious event in history. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was declared in 1854, and four years later, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to an uneducated girl, Bernadette Soubirous, and introduced herself with the words: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This new name, “Full of Grace,” signifies that Mary is completely beautiful, inside and out, devoid of any evil, and incompatible with sin. In this way, Mary points to our own glorious future—a humanity freed from the stain of sin in God’s new creation.

Some scholars have said that Mary is the first truly liberated woman, though her liberation was not achieved through social activism, but by God’s grace. This grace preserved her from original sin and empowered her for her unique role in salvation history. As the angel declared, Mary was chosen to be the Mother of the Savior of the world. Her offspring, Jesus Christ, fulfilled the ancient prophecy we heard today—He crushed the head of the serpent through His death on the cross.

“O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.”