Daily Feast 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. † 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 "The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord, they flourish in the courts of our God." Psalm 92:12-13 — Psalm 92:12-13 | St. Juan Diego St. Juan Diego (1474–1548) was a poor and humble peasant of the lowest class of Aztec Indians living in what is today Mexico. His native name was Cuauhtlatoatzin, meaning, "eagle that talks." He was baptized at the age of fifty by a Franciscan missionary priest and received the Christian name of Juan Diego. It was he to whom Our Lady appeared as a pregnant Aztec princess on December 9, 1531—at that time the feast of the Immaculate Conception—on the hill of Tepeyac, in present-day Mexico City, as he was on his way to Mass. To help Juan Diego prove to the bishop that she had truly appeared, the Virgin Mary miraculously left her image on his tilma. This image is now famously known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. St. Juan Diego's tilma still bears the image of Our Lady (miraculously, as the plant fibers normally disintegrate in 15-20 years) and it hangs in one of the most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites of the world, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Juan Diego was canonized in 2002 by Pope St. John Paul II as the first indigenous saint from the Americas. His feast day is December 9th. | 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: Luke 1:26-38 Hail, full of grace! (Luke 1:28) Today's feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary focuses our attention on the unique role that God planned for Our Lady. Because she was conceived free from the stain of original sin, Mary was shielded from all the effects of sin. Thus, she became the only person worthy of bearing the Son of God. When we think about the life of Mary, or any saint, we tend to focus on the heroic way that they said yes to God and to his plan for them. But today's feast tells us that long before any saint chooses to work with the Lord, he chooses to work with them! Through a combination of factors—like their family circumstances, their time in history, and the unique makeup of their character—God perfectly equips them with everything they need to respond to him. Of course, in addition to her Immaculate Conception, other elements in Mary's life helped prepare her to say yes to the angel's invitation. Her parents, who also were saints, provided a model of a holy family life. Living in the small village of Nazareth, she learned humility and simplicity. And her God-given, openhearted disposition helped her learn the virtues of trust and compassion that she would need to fulfill her vocation. God has chosen you, too, and he has equipped you with everything you need to fulfill his calling. In fact, he formed you with this calling specifically in mind, and he has filled you with his grace so that you can carry it out. Isn't that one of the most encouraging things you can imagine? Has God called you to parenthood? Look back over your life and see how he has prepared you. Has he called you to a specific work of service in the Church? How did he lay the groundwork for you to receive that call? What about your job, your friendships, or your role in your community? Your heavenly Father has seen it all, he has equipped you, and he promises to give you everything you need to fulfill that calling! "Lord, I say yes to the plan that you have prepared for me!" Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Psalm 98:1-4
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Click to hear Audio | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"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........" end Gospel quote, word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron:
"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 definitive Temple, 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 from Bishop Barron.
The last verse of the Gospel ends today with:
"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." Mother Mary embodies the word, makes it incarnate with the words "Thy Kingdom Come, They Will Be Done".
She had been praying to assist in the anticipated coming of the Messiah. There is reason to believe that she, like Saint John the Baptist, belonged to a pure group of Jews called the Essene sect of Jews, of Israel. They were constantly living apart, purifying themselves, and to be set apart means to be holy in the early languages. They were getting ready for the coming of the Messiah, they knew He was coming, and they lived a life of being made ready for His coming.
This life for a young girl, to be so pure and wanting the Messiah to be one with her, is amazing. And then an angel appears that makes an announcement that changes the world in many ways.
Yes, He announces the Messiah to a virgin that does not have relations, is consecrated to the temple. But, even more deep, is how the announcement starts: HAIL FULL OF GRACE!
Nobody in the world, or the whole bible has ever been greeted like that. Only Mother Mary. Why? Because, She Is.
She is indeed full of grace until today. And it will always be "until today". Because in the "forever now", it remains as it is true and always.
Always then, full of grace, from the onset, from the beginning of time, someone set apart to usher in the body, the Body of Christ.
A complete reverse and new image of Eve, from the dawn of creation.
To undo, what we have done, with grace.
Do you want to live in grace? Then, we too should pray true, "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, on earth, as it is in Heaven".
Today we celebrate the conception, the holy conception of Mother Mary. It is a day we are supposed to go to Mass of Obligation.
But do we feel the obligation as a burden? Or an honor to celebrate such an amazing solemnity?
Pray with me:
"Hail Mary, Immaculate Mary, pray for us sinners both now and forever. " |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 85:2 2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
