Posted on 12/07/2004 5:48:23 PM PST by Land of the Irish
The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady December 8
Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
Our Lady was conceived without original sin. She had a perfect purity, with no bad inclinations. Therefore, she had a great facility to correspond entirely with the grace of God at every moment. Natural and the supernatural grandeur merged together in her soul in a profound and extraordinary harmony. Above all others creatures, she had the highest notion of the sanctity of God and His correspondent glory. She also had the clear notion of what Creation owes to that glory. She knew, and knows, how all created beings should glorify God.
To show that Our Lady smashes all heresies, statues of the Immaculate Conception present her crushing the head of the serpent.
As a consequence, she also had a profound horror of the opposite of good, which is evil. She had a great intransigence to such evil, a complete rejection of it in its least forms and a strong combativeness against it. This is the reason Holy Scripture refers to Our Lady as “terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata,” as terrible as an army set in battle array. The Church also says that it is she alone who smashes all heresies. To celebrate this fact, in statues of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady is crushing the head of the serpent.
The feast of her Immaculate Conception is, then, in many senses, the commemoration of her purity, her intransigence, and her combativeness.
Let us look more closely at what intransigence is. When a person has a very clear notion of what is good and an understanding of the highest expressions of this good, this person knows that the opposite is bad. It is not a theoretical knowledge, like that of a scientist who analyzes a specimen in a laboratory, but rather a knowledge that comes hand in hand with a great love for good. The person naturally recognizes the opposite of such good, which is evil, and hates evil with an intensity proportionate to the magnitude of his love for the good.
Since he loves the highest ideals that good represents, he cannot tolerate the opposite of that good, because he clearly sees the evil that exists in it. He rejects evil not only in its ensemble, but in each of its parts. He rejects evil not only when it is very intense, but when it barely appears. This is intolerance or intransigence.
The human spirit is constituted in such a way that when a man hates evil, he increases and perfects his love for the good. In a certain way the presence of something that he rejects reinforces his conviction of, and his love for the good. The human psychology is so established that such contrast makes a person more acutely aware of how the good is good. For instance, we love our counter-revolutionary vocation more when we can see concretely how the revolutionaries hate it. Seeing this, we receive a confirmation that we are taking the right position.
What is combativeness? Combativeness is a consequence of intransigence. It is to make a deliberate decision to destroy the evil that opposes the glory of God. It is a calm deliberation followed by the utilization of every means one has at his disposal to achieve that goal. It is not a fleeting resolution to fight during one single episode when evil is attacking good, but it is a permanent determination applied to all aspects of evil and throughout the life of a person. The person does not rest until evil is destroyed.
A true combativeness does not rest until evil is reduced to ashes. In Portugal there was an expression regarding evil that was applied in different ways in old Portuguese Law: Evil shall be reduced to ashes by fire. If a man committed a horrific crime, he received the sentence of capital punishment: his body was burned, and his ashes dispersed either in the air or water. This was the application of that axiom.
Here I am not advocating this punishment be applied to this or that person in this or that present day State. I am taking it as a general principle to apply to the fight of ideas and institutions. A bad man can be killed, and he is gone. But who can kill a bad idea or destroy a revolutionary conspiracy that strives to prevent God from receiving the glory He deserves and Holy Mother Church from exerting her mission on earth? For this fight we need a true combativeness that reduces the Revolution and its cohorts to ashes by fire. This kind of intransigence and combativeness were two attributes of Our Lady that were consequences of the privilege of her Immaculate Conception.
What should we ask Our Lady on this feast day? We should ask for a great love of God and a high understanding of His glory, which will, as a natural consequence, give us a great intransigence and combativeness.
I remember that St. Therese of Lisieux used to lament that she could not be a warrior and fight with a sword against the enemies of God. This is the soul of a saint. She desired to fight for God in all place and all times. This is how we should be. Let us ask Our Lady for the purity and combativeness proper to sanctity so that we might be her true sons and daughters.
Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira The Saint of the Day features highlights from the lives of saints based on comments made by the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. Following the example of St. John Bosco who used to make similar talks for the boys of his College, each evening it was Prof. Plinio’s custom to make a short commentary on the lives of the next day’s saint in a meeting for youth in order to encourage them in the practice of virtue and love for the Catholic Church. TIA thought that its readers could profit from these valuable commentaries.
The texts of both the biographical data and the comments come from personal notes taken by Atila S. Guimarães from 1964 to 1995. Given the fact that the source is a personal notebook, it is possible that at times the biographic notes transcribed here will not rigorously follow the original text read by Prof. Plinio. The commentaries have also been adapted and translated for TIA’s site.
Do you have a lunch hour? Perhaps you might. If you're sincere in wanting to do this hour, a way might be found. With God, all things are possible.
A few years ago, my father was diagnosed with advanced cancer and given 3 mos. to live (by several different doctors). I did this hour for him, in addition to the other things I prayed for. I was blessed to have my dad with me for 2 1/2 more years, not 3 months. I believe part of the reason he proved all the doctors wrong was this Hour of Grace.
If a door opens, I'll walk through it. Thanks for posting this.
You are most welcome, my FRiend!
Funny that you attempt to "correct" the thinking the original Christians (i.e. Catholics) from your perspective of cheap-after-market-Christianity (i.e. Protestantism.)
Go away, degrading the mother of Jesus will get you nowhere.
" Go away, degrading the mother of Jesus will get you nowhere."
Amen, Pio!
Mary's Immaculate Conception: A Memorable Anniversary
Ineffabilis Deus: 8 December 1854 (Dogma of the Immaculate Conception)
Why do we believe in the Immaculate Conception?
John Paul II goes to Lourdes; reflections on the Immaculate Conception
Your Praises We Sing--on the Dogma of the Proclamation of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8th
Eastern Christianity and the Immaculate Conception (Q&A From EWTN)
From the Angelus (a prayer said by many Catholics three times a day):
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.
"Seriously Protestants are just people to lazy to be Catholic."
"cheap-after-market-Christianity (i.e. Protestantism.)"
"Someone's imagination gone wild"
Very nice, guys. I'm sure any "lurkers" out there are feeling the love of Jesus in this thread.
"This is a Catholic section. I don't think you should comment on it."
It's a public board, guys. As far as the board rules go, no post is immune from comment as long as the comment doesn't involve "profanity, personal attacks, racism, or violence", correct? (and aimhigh, your "imagination gone wild is out-of-line, IMO). So, if you post something concerning RC doctrine, expect us pesky Prots to pipe up. Scripture DEMANDS that we test all doctrines against Scripture. Yes, I realize the RCC considers Tradition to be equal with Scripture- but certainly it can't CONTRADICT scripture- and that is one of the areas we can debate vigorously (but always civily). I'll tell you what, I can't speak for all Protestants on this board, but if you put "CATHOLICS ONLY" in the subject of a topic, I won't respond. That will signal to me (and others) that you are unwilling and/or unable to debate the merits of your post. Fair enough? Again, we have to keep in mind there are "lurkers" out there to be won to Christ. Mean-spirited posts will never do that. End of rant.
A blessed Christmas to all!
BUMP
I'll concede that. My apologies.
Considering the number of negative Catholic responses I've seen to Protestant postings, it's interesting that Catholics think that their doctrines can't be debated.
Since the IC is -- Catholic dogma insists -- a prior application of the foreseen merits of the crucified Christ, what we are really glorifying is Christ's salvific work perfectly exemplified in his mother.
You think it's Satanic to praise and celebrate the salvific work of Christ?
Catholic doctrine can be debated, but I have no idea why any Protestant would want to debate this one. You think God can't make a sinless Jewish girl? Does his omnipotence have limits, then?
The scriptures say that ALL have sinned, except Christ who was without sin. Why send a savior if sinners (Mary's parents) can have sinless offspring? Sin is passed down through the male seed, not the woman's seed. For Jesus to be born without sin didn't require a sinless mother.
Paul is using hyperbole. Babies haven't sinned, but still need a savior. Ditto for Mary.
Why send a savior if sinners (Mary's parents) can have sinless offspring?
Because they can't do so on their own, but only through the merits of Christ. (Did you even read what I wrote?)
Sin is passed down through the male seed, not the woman's seed.
Unbiblical Protestant misunderstanding. Original sin isn't a "thing" that is "passed down"; it's the lack of a thing that should have been passed down.
For Jesus to be born without sin didn't require a sinless mother.
I agree, but we never said otherwise.
You can take a hike too.
Come debate anytime...you'll be blown right out of the water by my more eloquent and educated brothers...smear Christian Doctrine as Satanic and you'll get me.
There is no Salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church..put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Did I order him not to comment? No. I merely suggested he not comment. There is a difference.
As your tagline states "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus"!
"Somehow you forgot to quote the person who denounced the IC as Satanic.
You can take a hike too.
Come debate anytime...you'll be blown right out of the water by my more eloquent and educated brothers...smear Christian Doctrine as Satanic and you'll get me.
There is no Salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church..put that in your pipe and smoke it."
Yes, I overlooked the "satanic" remark. Consider it rebuked.
I will not "take a hike", because I do so enjoy debating pleasant folks like you!
I agree that you and your brothers are "eloquent and educated", and might I add humble!
I understand the RCC's position that salvation is confined to the RCC. If that is true, you're "good to go". Myself and fellow Prots, then, are doomed to hell. May I commend you on an excellent job of trying to bring us back into the fold!
May God bless you and yours, and have a joyous Christmas!
That may be Pio's position, but it's not the position that the Church takes. God judges you on what you willfully do that is wrong, and if your Protestantism is an honest effort to serve him, heaven is not closed to you. On the other hand, if (for instance) you believe Catholicism is true but stay a Protestant so you don't have to resign your country-club membership ... uh-oh.
There will be many good and righteous Protestants in heaven, and many false-brethren "Catholics" in hell. But once they get to heaven, all the Prots are certainly part of the "Catholic" (=universal) church, and none of those in hell are part of it any longer.
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