The Father preserved Mary from sin because she was His daughter. The Son preserved her because she would be His mother. The Holy Spirit preserved her because she would be his spouse. “Mary alone merited to be both the Mother and the Spouse of God.” (St. Augustine)
“The Holy Spirit entered Mary and enriched her with graces above all creatures, making her Queen of heaven and earth.” (St. Anselm) From her immaculate body, the Spirit formed
Jesus’ immaculate body. “Mary is the resting place of the Holy Spirit by whose work she became the Mother of the Incarnate Word.” (St. Thomas)
The All-Beautiful Bride
Why would the Holy Spirit not make his bride as beautiful as she should be? “You are all beautiful, my love. There is no spot on you.” (Song 6:7)
Many saints teach that these words refer to Mary’s Immaculate Conception. “In you is no stain of mortal, venial or original sin.”
(Blessed Raymond)
The Spirit said, “My sister is a garden enclosed and a fountain sealed up.” (Song 6:12)
“In Mary no guile could enter and no deceit of the enemy prevail. She was always holy in mind and body.” (St. Sophriius)
“You are an enclosed garden. No sinner’s hand has ever stolen your flowers.” (St. Bernard)
Above All from the beginning, God loved Mary more than all the saints. He exalted her in sanctity.
Scripture says, “The Lord loves the gates of Zion above all the tabernacles of Jacob.” (Ps 134 6:1)
“Many daughters gather here, but you surpass them all. (Pr 31:29)
If Mary is above every saint and angel, then she must also be above the original justice of the angels and of Adam.
“There are young maidens without number but one is my dove, my perfect one, the only one of her mother.” (Song 6:7)
Among all the just souls, Mary alone is the perfect one.
Even before she became God’s mother, she was “full of grace.” “The saints receive grace partially. To Mary, all was given” (St. Sophnonus)
“Grace even made Mary’s flesh holy so she could clothe God’s word in it.” (St. Thomas)
From all this, I conclude that Mary was enriched at the moment of her conception. “At her conception the whole grace of the divinity overflowed into her.” (Peter of Celles)
“The Holy Spirit bore her off to himself. He possessed her before Satan could take possession.” (St. Peter Damian)
Conclusion
I have written at length because Mary, in her Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of our Redemptorist congregation. I wish to summarize my reasons. (Editor note: In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the infallible doctrine of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. When St. Alphonsus wrote, it was not yet defined).
I do not believe that Mary was included in Adam’s sin. I will quote some saints.
(1) “She is an uncorrupted Virgin, free by grace of every stain of sin.” (St. Ambrose)
(2) “She was remote from all stain of sin.” (St. Ephrem)
(3) “She was altogether excluded from the wrath of God’s sentence.” (St. Augustine)
(4) “Her soul was never in darkness.” (St. Jerome)
(5) “She shared in our nature, but not in our sin.” (St. Cyprian)
(6) “God formed the first Eve without sin and the second Eve without sin.” (St. Amphilochius)
(7) “The Virgin is called immaculate because she is corrupt in nothing.” (St. Sophronius)
(8) “The serpent never had access to this paradise of Mary.” (St. John Damascene)
(9) “The flesh of the virgin came from Adam but without the sin of Adam.” (St.Peter Damian)
(10) “Our Lady was full of preventive grace against the corruption of original sin.” (St.Bonaventure)
(11) “The Son of God would not take her flesh if she were stained by original sin.” (St.Bernardine)
Examples
A woman wanted her husband to go to confession but whenever she asked him, he would
beat her. A priest gave her a picture of Mary Immaculate. When she gave it to her husband, he
said, “When will you take me to confession?” He told the priest that as soon as he received the
picture, he felt his heart changed. So great was his desire for confession in the morning that the
night seemed endless.
In another town, a man had been hurt and wanted to take revenge. He even told the priest
that he did not come to Church because of his desire for vengeance. The priest gave him a
picture of Mary Immaculate. He immediately wanted to go to confession. However, when he
came the next day, he had changed his mind. A second time, the priest gave him yet another
picture. As soon as he took it he said, “Let’s move quickly on this confession.”
Prayer
O Mary, I thank God for preserving you from sin. I want the whole world to
acknowledge you as the “Dawn” filled with light and the “sealed garden” in which God delights.
You alone are the “white lily”, born among the thorns. O Mary, you are beautiful in God’s eyes.
So much do I want to praise you, that the moment when I finally will see you in heaven seems a
thousand years away.
The Glories of Mary, St Alphonsus M Liguori