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PAGE 6—THE BULLETIN.. November 23, 1959 i MEANING OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IS EXPLAINED BY NOTED SCHOLAR The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D. C., was dedi cated on Friday, November 20, Father Carroll has written this article on the meaning of the Immaculate Conception. Father Carroll teaches dog matic theology at the Catholic University of America and is president of the Mariological Society of the United States. By Father Eamon R. Carroll, O, Carm. (N.C.W.C. News Service) The word “redemption” us ually means a liberation. God became man to liberate us from the slavery of sin. The redemp tion of Christ is first made ef fective in us when baptism frees us from the original sin. Through the centuries of ever- deepening awareness in the Church of the Blessed Virgin’s freedom from original sin, a ma jor problem was the considera tion that to be truly redeemed she must have been at least for a fleeting instant stained with original sin. Since our Lady is a true hu man being, a descendant of Adam, and since Christ is the one and only Redeemer of all men, some of the greatest minds of the medieval Church, saints among them, could not accept Mary’s immunity from original sin. They regarded the Immacu late Conception as incompatible with the truth that Christ died to save all men without excep tion. The credit goes to the Eng lish Franciscan Duns Scotus for advancing the solution that Our Lady’s freedom from original sin is an anticipated redemp tion. Ail others are delivered from sin already contracted. (l^orcL en 3 ICE CREAM ALBANY, GEORGIA ()3esl IAJla/i ed FIRST STATE BANK ALBANY, GA. Member Federal Deposit' Insurance Corporation Mary however forms a unique, liberative. She is even more in debted to her Son, Christ the Redeemer, than are the rest of men, bee a us e the merits of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice prevented sin from ever touch ing her. For the Blessed Virgin, as for all men, the sole Saviour is Christ the Redeemer; there is no other source of salvation for any human being. If one asks how the Blessed Virgin could be saved before her Son re deemed mankind, the answer is that in God’s all-seeing eterni ty past and future are one vast present. God allowed the future sufferings and death of Christ to take their saving effect at the very instant of our Lady’s conception. It was in considera tion of the foreseen merits of Christ that Mary was kept from incurring original sin. The Im maculate Conception was a sin gular grace, given to no other, something unique in the annals of God’s dealings with man kind. It was a privilege, a gra cious exception to the common law. Why did God so singularly endow our Lady? Why did He make her so privileged a per son from the very start? The answer must be sought in God’s eternal decree by which He chose to restore man to divine friendship by the redemptive death of the God-Man. The Im maculate Conception is not an isolated mystery, standing all alone with no relationship to the rest of the truths of the Faith. Just as it is impossible to understand the meaning of the Immaculate Conception with out accepting the doctrine of original sin, so our Lady’s se lection and exemption from in herited sin is part of the total mystery of God’s becoming man. Pope Pius IX stated: “God by one and the same decree established the origin of Mary and the incarnation of divine Wisdom.” In early centuries Christian writers spoke of Mary as the “new Eve.” The deadly disobe dience of the first Eve led to man’s downfall; the life-bring ing obedience of the new Eve helped restore, mankind. In God’s plan of redemption the Mother of the Saviour was to share her Son’s struggle and ultimate victory over Satan. Unless Mary were immune from all stain of sin complete victory over Satan would be impossible to imagine. Only a person im maculately conceived could crush the head of the serpent. In the Blessed Virgin the sad pattern of human history re serves itself —• Christ, the new Adam, takes over the headship of the race of the redeemed. The Mother of Christ is the first of the redeemed. The plan of redemption was set in mo tion with our Lady’s Immacu late Conception. Her preserva tive redemption was both the first effect of Christ’s coming and a sign of the divine de sign for all men. What God ac complished for our Lady through the Immaculate Con ception in view of the foreseen merits of Christ her Son and Redeemer He accomplishes for the rest of men through the grace of Christ in baptism. Both Mary’s preservative and our liberative redemptions de pend on the merits of Christ her Son. It is Christ who is the point of reference, and it is the grace of the redemption which is the measure of the glory of the Immaculate Conception. It is because of her vocation to be Mother of the Redeemer that our Lady’s Immaculate Concep tion is of vital importance to all men. As St. Pius X phrased it: the Blessed Virgin “was ex empt from original sin because she was to be the mother of Services For D. F. Badger ATLANTA—Funeral Services for Daniel Francis Badger were held November 18th at the Sa cred Heart Church, Rev. John Emmerth officiating. Survivors are his mother, Mrs. H. S. Badger; sister, Mrs. Kathleen B. Caudel, both of At lanta; and brother, Harry L. Badger, New York City. Sculpture High on Shrine Wall Christ; and she was the mother of Christ in order that the hope of everlasting happiness might be revived in our souls.” Funeral Services For John W. Hudson ATLANTA—Funeral services for John Wesley Hudson were held November 10th at the Sa cred Heart Church, Rev. John Emmerth officiating. Survivors are a daughter, Mrs. A. J. Purdy, East Point; mother, Mrs. Louise B. Hudson, Atlanta, brothers, J. E. Hudson, Atlanta, and H. H. Hudson, Seneca, South Carolina. A great many more people would be egotistical if they didn’t run into positive proof or their unimportance occasional ly. OwTstmgs Stcrmp—Down Undei From Sydney, Australia, comes this special Christmas postage stamp, depicting the Star of Bethlehem lighting the way for the Magi. It is issued by the Australian post office in five-pence denomination (about five cents in U. S. currency). It is one of the few postage stamps ever issued by any country to commemorate Christmas. (NC Photos) THE ALBANY HERALD “South Georgia's Reading Habit" Radio Station WALB 1590 KILOCYCLES W ALB-TV CHANNEL 10 “The Window of South Georgia” THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF ROME GEORGIA Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation This depiction of “Mary, Immaculate Queen of the Universe 1 ' is on the outer wall of the north apse of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D. C. The com* position, 25% feet high and 12 feet wide, is some 60 feet above the ground. It is expected to become one of the best known art works in America. Ivan Mestrovic is the artist who '.ruled it. Photo by Reni. (NCWC) > Pays To Know Yaur IJ5, state FARM Aaost / ? /) n 1 / DOUG STEPHENS INSURANCE SERVICE Auto © Life • Fire 125 Trinity Place (/Jed VUisheS .3ram DR. 3-4424 j m ^4***** BRIGATON DIVISION OF INTERIORS ANTIQUES GIFTS Burlington Industries, Inc. 47 West Paces Ferry Rd. CE. 7-3940 Atlanta, Ga. SHANNON, GA.