†Quote of the Day
"Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother; for the more she is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son."
–St. Bernard of Clairvaux †Today's Meditation
"But as great as was St. Paul's devotion to our Lord, much greater was that of the Blessed Virgin: because she was his mother, and because she had him and all his sufferings actually before her eyes, and because she had the long intimacy of thirty years with him, and because she was from her special sanctity so unspeakably near him in spirit. When, then, he was mocked, bruised, scourged, and nailed to the Cross, she felt as keenly as if every indignity and torture inflicted on him was struck at herself. She could have cried out in agony at every pang of his. This is called her compassion, or her suffering with her Son, and it arose from this that she was the 'Vessel of Devotion' unlike any other."
—St. John Henry Newman, p. 155 An Excerpt From
A Year with Mary †Daily Verse
"Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Rather, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good."
–Romans 12:19-21 | Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the infallibly defined dogma of the Catholic Church that "God freely chose Mary from all eternity to be the Mother of his Son. In order to carry out her mission she herself was conceived immaculate. This means that, thanks to the grace of God and in anticipation of the merits of Jesus Christ, Mary was preserved from original sin from the first instant of her conception" (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church). Chosen by God to be the Mother of the Savior and the "New Eve," Mary Immaculate is a type of the Church and the perfect model of holiness for all Christians. Mary under this title is the patroness of the United States of America, and the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation. | St. Patapios St. Patapios (4th c.) was born in Thebes, Egypt. His parents were prominent Christians, and his father was the governor of the region. Patapios was well-educated by the best tutors, and his learning awakened in him a desire to shun the world and its materialism and seek a life of asceticism. Inspired by the manner of life of the Church Fathers, Patapios became a desert hermit upon his father's death. He later moved away to live in a cave near Corinth, and then sailed to Constantinople to live as a simple monk in the Monastery of Blachernae. There he fasted, prayed, and performed miracles until his death at the age of 83. In the early 20th century, a local priest planning renovations discovered his relics after the saint appeared to him in a dream and informed him where they were located. His relics were found the next day holding a large wooden cross on his chest and a parchment scroll bearing his name. St. Patapios' feast day is December 8th. | Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading 1 Gn 3:9-15, 20 After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?"
He answered, "I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself."
Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"
The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me--
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."
The LORD God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?"
The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it." Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel." The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living. Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds. Reading 2 Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved. In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ. Alleluia See Lk 1:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
| Daily Meditation: Matthew 7:21, 24-27 Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. (Matthew 7:24) Earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, and wildfires. We've all seen images of such extreme weather events. And while not all of us have had firsthand experience of such disasters, we've all had to endure the inevitable "storms" of life. Difficulties like chronic illness, unemployment, complicated family relationships, and addictions can surely feel like a torrential downpour or an overpowering wind. We might even find ourselves asking, Where is Jesus in all of this? But if we have built our lives on Jesus, then he is our solid foundation. So even if we don't feel his presence amid the turbulence and uncertainty, we need to do as he says in today's Gospel—we need to listen to his words and act on them (Matthew 7:24). That's true before a storm hits, but it's also important when we are right in the middle of one. One of the best ways to put Jesus' advice into practice when we are experiencing trials is to spend more time in prayer. No doubt, it's harder to pray when we are anxious and discouraged. But as we sit with the Lord and persevere, he may point us to a word in Scripture that we can hold onto. He may gently show us areas in our lives that need to change. He may also shift our perspective on a particular issue, increasing our ability to handle it more peacefully. In all these ways, we are listening to the Lord's words and then acting on them. Jesus assures us that we will not collapse amid storms if we have set ourselves solidly on the rock of his love and mercy. So when these storms of life threaten to overtake you, try to regain your footing. Allow the Lord to remind you that you have built your foundation on him, your rock and safety. He is full of mercy and compassion; he knows full well your situation. So turn to him, and feel the stable ground of his love beneath your feet. "Lord Jesus, you are the rock of my salvation! Help me to cling to you in every storm." Isaiah 26:1-6
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:
Audio English | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel....."_ end of verse.
. . . This is how the words translate from spanish to english:
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
between your descendants and theirs;
and her offspring will crush your head,
while you will try to bite her heel."
Sounds a little different right? Because in the english it said "He will strike at your head" but in the spanish it said "her offspring will crush your head."
Did you get the picture the first time you heard it?
Words matter. What did you get out of the words? Because it speaks about a woman and then it said "he will strike at your head.
It speaks clearly for someone in tune deeply with theology. The church, we are the church, are that woman. And so what God our Father does with Mother Mary is a direct reflection on what He has intended to do with us all. Through her, and her Son, the serpent's head will be crushed. It is the best way to kill a serpent, and this is how it will always be. Think of the many images we see of Mother Mary, pregnant, and with the serpent at her feet. The serpent awaits but she comes to defeat. It happens often in exorcisms, Mother Mary shows up and demons flee. How? Why? Purity. She is immaculate. She is purely His. Evil can't stand this in their face, it is actually unbearable! Wouldn't you like to shine like that? | We pray today:
"The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds......." end of psalm. | In the Gospel today we heard:
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus....." end of Gospel verse. | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception—the truth that Mary, through a special grace, was preserved free from original sin from the first moment of her conception. Were this not the case, the angel would not have referred to her at the Annunciation as kecharitomene (full of grace). Why would God do such a thing? And wouldn't this imply that Mary does not need to be redeemed?
The traditional answer is that God wanted to prepare a worthy vessel for the reception of his Word. Just as the Holy of Holies in the temple was kept pure and inviolate, so the true Ark of the Covenant, which is Mary herself, should all the more be untrammeled.
Bl. John Duns Scotus explained that Mary is indeed redeemed by the grace of her Son, but since that grace exists outside of time, it can be applied in a way that transcends the ordinary rhythms of time. Therefore, Mary, by a kind of preemptive strike, was delivered by Christ's grace from original sin. . . . ." end quote Bishop Barron.
Today is a holy day of obligation. As faithful Catholics, we are to go to Mass today, for this Mass is in memory and in honor for Blessed Mother. It is a thanksgiving to God. An offering to God our Father. An offering of thanksgiving. Jesus sacrificed Himself once and for always so that through Him, and forever, our prayers and salvation would be mitigated through Him. He is King.
ArchAngel Gabriel said to our Blessed Mother Mary:
"He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
Honor Thy Father, and Thy Mother.
Thy Father is in Jesus. Thy Mother is God's mother. However that works, that is His Mother conceived without original sin. And this is a gift from God to all humanity. She is a pure vessel given to all of us to reverse the effects of Eve, the original sin in all of us. And so this day is actually tremendous. This gift is amazing. Mother Mary is amazing. There are no words to describe Mother Mary and our relationship with her fortifies our relationship with Christ our Lord. What is your relationship like with our Blessed Mother? She loves beyond measure. She has grace beyond comprehension. What she does is inexplicable. In a few more days, we will celebrate her in our Lady of Guadalupe, where her mere appearance converted millions of souls and saved millions of souls. And she still does today. How does she do it? She directs all traffic, all children to God their Father, our creator, our everything. And this is how we are to be, like Mother Mary, shining beacons of God's light, caring for the world like nobody else can with God's grace, and living a life of purity. Pray with me:
(an exerpt from the Divine Praises prayers)
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be Her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be Her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, Her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints. |  Click To Hear | Random Bible Verse 1
Revelation 22:20 20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
