The Immaculate Conception with Attendant Angels Poster

The Catholic Church honors the Virgin Mary with the title of the Immaculate Conception, because from the first moment of her life within her mother's womb, she was preserved by God from the stain of original sin, and so in turn she could be the sinless mother of the sinless, incarnate God-Man Jesus Christ. Under this designation she is patroness of the United States of America, Brazil, Ireland, Korea, Portugal, Nicaragua, Spain and the Philippines. The iconography of the Immaculate Conception is derived from the vision of the "Woman Clothed with the Sun" in the Book of Revelation, and also includes her trampling on the serpent of Genesis. The inscriptions 'EVA' and 'AVE' above highlight her role in the undoing of Eve and Adam's sin. This particular illustration was commissioned as the art for a Christmas card commemorating the tenth anniversary of FAITH Catholic Publishing, headquartered in Lansing, MI, and which produces periodicals for 29 Catholic dioceses across the United States. It is reproduced here with their consent. Original art by Matthew Alderman. http://www.matthewalderman.com