An Abbot's Reflection on the Meaning of the Immaculate Conception

(7 Dec 09-RV) Tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8th, the Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a solemn thanksgiving to God for the mysterious grace by which Mary, the virgin mother of God, was herself preserved from the stain of Original Sin. Traditionally on the 8th of December the Pope travels to Piazza di Spagna in the heart of Rome to lay a floral tribute on a statue of Mary Immaculate, which has watched over the city for over 150 years. Benedictine Abbot Timothy Wright offers this reflection on the eve of the celebration…