As we have just heard in the gospel,

the angel Gabriel comes to Mary and says to her,

rejoice, O highly favored one, the Lord is with you.

It seems to me that rejoicing is a logical consequence of being with God, of being close to God.

And that is why when St. Jose Maria was asked, what is the best thing in the world?

He answered, there is nothing better in the world than to be in the state of grace.

And it's true because being in the state of grace is being with God and we are happy with God.

If so, then our lady is the greatest creature that has ever been created.

Because for her

there was not even a single

instant moment in her life

in which she was not

fully in the state of grace

she was conceived without original sin.

She was conceived with sanctifying grace.

That is the mystery that we are celebrating tonight on the eve of her feast day,

the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which was solemnly declared a dogma

of the Catholic Church by Blessed Pope Pius 9th on December 8, 1854.

She was conceived without original sin in view of the merits of her son who died for all.

I think more than having been conceived without something, she was conceived with the favor of God sometimes the expression was conceived without

sin sounds like something is missing and it's not in fact she was clothed as we as sings in the antiphon of today's Mass, for he clothed

me in the garment of salvation and robed me in the cloak of justice like a bride adorned

...