Mary's Savior 2

[sixpence]

So, recently I was thinking about the idea of the Immaculate Conception, and it all seemed to make sense... Mary is preemptively freed from original sin, by means of her Son... ok

The part that confused me was.... if one person could be preemptively freed from original sin at the time of conception, why not everyone? I understand that this "had to" happen to Mary as she was to be the bearer of Christ, but why not apply it to all people preemptively?

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='sixpence' timestamp='1292995000' post='2193909']
So, recently I was thinking about the idea of the Immaculate Conception, and it all seemed to make sense... Mary is preemptively freed from original sin, by means of her Son... ok

The part that confused me was.... if one person could be preemptively freed from original sin at the time of conception, why not everyone? I understand that this "had to" happen to Mary as she was to be the bearer of Christ, but why not apply it to all people preemptively?
[/quote]
This is a difficult question to answer b/c it requires knowing something of the mind of God that He has not revealed to us. If it were up to any one of us, I think we certainly would have chosen to give everyone saving grace in the manner that Mary received it. But, "His ways are not our ways, our thoughts are not His thoughts" (Isa 55:8). For whatever reason, it was not His will to do that. We can come up with reasons why, but I'm afraid these would be, at best, educate guesses and conjecture.

Duns Scotus says that, in saving man both by pulling him out of the pit of sin (as God does for all the rest of us) and by keeping one from falling in the pit (as He did for Mary), His salvific work is perfected. Usually this argument is used to provide the reasoning for the Immaculate Conception, but perhaps it could also be used to explain why God did not save all of us in the way that He saved Mary. Sin is no obstacle to the Lord. In saving us the way He has, He is shown to have full power over sin and death.

Undoubtedly, there are other responses that could be given. I hope mine helps.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic