Most Protestants do not think much about Mary. They miss a lot! Catholics understand that Mary had to be The Most Perfect of Created Entities. We hope more Protestants think about Mary.
Jesus was both human and divine. His “Human Half” had to be so perfect that no sin could enter.
Pride led Adam and Eve to the sin that corrupted all but one of their children.
Catholic teaching is clear: Mary had to be conceived without Original Sin. There is no other way The M0ther of God could avoid passing that flaw to Her Son. The Immaculate Conception explains why Mary is The Most Perfect of Created Entities.
We have enough sense to value 24 carat gold more than 14, 18, or 23.99 carat gold. Mary is the human equivalent of the pure, 24 k gold. There are no cheap alloys destroying Her purity. We know that men cannot make absolutely pure 24 k gold. We know that God can.
Similarly, God has the power to provide perfect purity in Mary. How do we know He did? He told us so!
When His messenger approached Mary, He said “Hail, full of Grace. . .”
Catholics consider a glass, brim full, and a little more, with water. Nothing more can fit into it without breaking the molecular bonds of the miniscus layer that lets the water level rise very slightly above the rim of the glass . We imagine a piece of pure gold. It is “Full” of gold atoms and no other kind.
Since Mary is “Full” of Grace, there can be no room for sin.
God’s Word, “Full”, tells us that the “Human Half” of Jesus was not flawed by the sin that still destroys the unbaptized. There was no Original Sin corrupting His Perfect Being.
Since His “Human Half” had no flaws, neither did His Blessed Mother’s.
So, Catholics, repeating The Archangel Gabriel, still say “Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb, Jesus.”
We hope more Protestants think about Mary.