Two Items for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

The following proved extremely popular last year when when we posted them on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, so I could not resist posting them again this year -- especially given that they tie in quite nicely with our ongoing call around the importance of familiarity with biblical typology, and how that familiarity can help to give us a richer and deeper picture, not only of Christ and salvation history, but also the sacred liturgy, particularly as it relates to Christ, the Divine Lamb, Calvary, the Old Covenant and God the Father.

Pertinent to today's feast is the typology of Mary as the Ark of the (New) Covenant, put together by Catholic author and apologist Steve Ray:

Mary the Ark As Revealed in Mary's Visit to Elizabeth


Inside the Ark


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Our second point of consideration for today's feast day comes on the heels of my consideration of the liturgical colour rose, and that is Gregor's consideration, made two years ago, about the special permission for the use of blue as a liturgical colour in certain parts of the world, including in Spain for today's feast.

Gregor provides various examples of these rare blue vestments in his 2009 piece, The Immaculate Conception: Liturgical Blue; here is one of them: