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    Many people often confuse the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception with the Incarnation. The Incarnation was the conception and birth of the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, through Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Immaculate Conception on the other hand is the belief that from the very first moment of Mary's existence she was saved by the grace of God and by the merits of Jesus Christ from the stain of Original Sin. The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception was formally declared in 1854, but this belief has been part of Christianity since the earliest times. 
  Many Protestants say God could not have saved Mary from the stain of Original Sin because the Bible says, "all have sinned and fall short the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). The Bible proclaims in Mary's own words that she had a savior. "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior " (Lk 1:46-47). Mary was saved in a very special way by our Lord. She was showered with all the blessings and gifts of Christ’s Redemption at the very moment of her existence. The Catholic Church has always understood that God transcends time and space and can do anything. In a dialogue between Jesus and His disciples about salvation this is made perfectly clear, “ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “ Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:25-27) We must be very careful not to put limits on what God can and cannot do.<p>
  Biblical support for Mary's Immaculate Conception is found in the gospel of Luke. “And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28) Gabriel addressed Mary in a most extraordinary manner using the title " full of grace" which means without sin rather than her proper name. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit reaffirms God’s gift to Mary by saying, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” (Luke 1:41). This parallel blessing makes it clear that Mary, just like Christ in His humanity, was free from the stain of Original Sin. 
  Catholics are always reminded of Elizabeth’s words and Mary’s Immaculate Conception every time they pray, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”