God bestowed upon the Blessed Virgin Mary the privilege and the singular grace to preserve her from original sin. He infused into her soul sanctifying grace from the very instant of conception in the womb of her mother, St Anne. Through this, Mary who was to be the mother of the Son of God was conceived in a state of holiness. Jesus was born of a virgin. The Holy Spirit would come upon Mary and the Child would be conceived solely by a miraculous deed of God. As a result Jesus would be 'holy' - free from all taint of sin.

Mary's humble and godly life pleased God. She submitted herself completely to God's will and trusted His message. Mary's blessings not only brought her great joy but also suffering and pain, for her Son would be rejected and crucified. Yes, in this world God's calling will always involve blessings and sufferings, joy and sadness, success and disappointments.

Hence, let us ask Mary to intercede for us. To enable us to follow her example in sexual purity, love for God, faith in His word and a willingness to obey the Holy Spirit.