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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
re: Mary's Grace /sept 14	Claire	Friday, September 24, 2004
Question: Hello Br. Ignatius, If I may, could I add the following of what I tell my children and others that ask why God wouldn't create us all sinless as He did Mary? Mary could have sinned if she so desired to. Just because she was conceived immaculately, it didn't take away her free will or her opportunities to sin if she chose to. For as we recall, Adam and Eve were created without sin, yet given free will and "walked with God" in the Garden of Eden. However, unlike Mary, they chose to sin. She chose not to sin. We must remember that God did create the original humans without the stain of any sin (yet they fell into sin anyways as do we at times). And once we are baptized we are also without the stain of sin and given God's graces to resist the temptation to sin. However, unlike Mary, we chose to commit numerous sins. I could be wrong, but I think that Rachel's question also asked along these lines? Thank you, and God bless you, from Claire :-)
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Claire: You almost have it. Except for Mary and Jesus, we all have the stain of Original Sin -- even after Baptism. That is why it is so hard for us to choose to resist temptation and sin -- the stain of Original Sin gives us a sinful inclination. Baptism does not remove the "stain" of original sin, it removes the "penalty" of original sin. If our souls were like a shirt that was seriously stained, baptism washes the shirt clean, but the stain is still there. The stain remover will not come until the resurrection. Because Mary was without the stain of original sin in the first place, her "inclination" toward sin was not there. While she still had free will, her will was more perfected and not contaminated by the "inclination" to sin that we experience. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

re: Mary's Grace /sept 14

Claire

Friday, September 24, 2004

Question:

Hello Br. Ignatius,

If I may, could I add the following of what I tell my children and others that ask why God wouldn't create us all sinless as He did Mary?

Mary could have sinned if she so desired to. Just because she was conceived immaculately, it didn't take away her free will or her opportunities to sin if she chose to. For as we recall, Adam and Eve were created without sin, yet given free will and "walked with God" in the Garden of Eden. However, unlike Mary, they chose to sin. She chose not to sin.

We must remember that God did create the original humans without the stain of any sin (yet they fell into sin anyways as do we at times). And once we are baptized we are also without the stain of sin and given God's graces to resist the temptation to sin. However, unlike Mary, we chose to commit numerous sins.

I could be wrong, but I think that Rachel's question also asked along these lines?

Thank you, and God bless you,
from Claire :-)

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Claire:

You almost have it. Except for Mary and Jesus, we all have the stain of Original Sin -- even after Baptism. That is why it is so hard for us to choose to resist temptation and sin -- the stain of Original Sin gives us a sinful inclination.

Baptism does not remove the "stain" of original sin, it removes the "penalty" of original sin. If our souls were like a shirt that was seriously stained, baptism washes the shirt clean, but the stain is still there. The stain remover will not come until the resurrection.

Because Mary was without the stain of original sin in the first place, her "inclination" toward sin was not there. While she still had free will, her will was more perfected and not contaminated by the "inclination" to sin that we experience.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum