The Light of the Immaculate Conception

Happy Feast Day!

Today is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception. Normally, we would all go to church together as a family once my husband came home, seeing as it is a Holy Day of Obligation. However, COVID restrictions in my state have come back again and once more it’s hard to go to mass. Perhaps you are in a similar situation as well and cannot attend mass either.

And so, I wanted to make sure that I showed you all this picture…

Immaculate Conception, by Diego Velázquez, c. 1618-19. National Art Gallery, London, United Kingdom.
Immaculate Conception, by Diego Velázquez, c. 1618-19. National Art Gallery, London, United Kingdom.

It’s Mary, the Immaculate Conception. But this one is a little different. In most of them, the backdrop is heaven and she seems infused with a Heavenly light. But in this case, though she is set in the sky, the sky looks dark and stormy. Except around her! Around her mantle, light seems to peek open the sky. It is almost as if to say that she will help us get to that light… that light, of course, being the light of Christ!

And so, in the middle of what are some pretty dark times, let us ask Mary to wrap us in her mantle, now and always.

And may she always show us the path to the light of Christ!

Karina Tabone

Karina Tabone is a wife, mother of four, author, blogger, and lover of Christian artwork. She's the author of the Illustrated Rosary series, which pairs every prayer of the Rosary with beautiful religious artwork. She likes also milkshakes, sunshine, and mystery novels. Follow her on Twitter at @illustr_prayer.

Leave a Reply