Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 12-08-04, Solemnity, Immaculate Conception, Bld. Virgin Mary

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 12-08-04 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

December 8, 2004
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading I
Gen 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
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 II
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.


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.

[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady December 8

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)

Memorandum on the Immaculate Conception [Newman]

On The Feast of The Immaculate Conception, The Patroness of the US, We Must Pray For Our Country[Read only]

[Salvation]

From: Genesis 3:9-15, 20

Temptation and the First Sin (Continuation)

---

[9] But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
[10] And he said, "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." [11] He said, "Who told you
that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you not to
eat?" [12] The man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave
me fruit of the tree, and I ate." [13] Then the Lord God said to the woman,
"What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me,
and I ate." [14] The Lord said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly
you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. [15] I will
put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he
shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

[20] The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all
living.

---

Commentary:

3:7-13. This passage begins the description of the effects of the original
sin. Man and woman have come to know evil, and it shows, initially, in a
most direct way--in their own bodies. The inner harmony described in
Genesis 2:25 is broken, and concupiscence rears its head. Their friendship
with God is also broken, and they flee from his presence, to avoid their
nakedness being seen. As if his Creator could not see them! The harmony
between man and woman is also fractured: he puts the blame on her, and she
puts it on the serpent. But all three share in the responsibility, and
therefore all three are going to pay the penalty.

"The harmony in which they found themselves, thanks to original justice, is
now destroyed: the control of the soul's spiritual faculties over the body
is shattered: the union of man and woman becomes subject to tensions (cf.
Gen 3:7-16), their relations henceforth marked by lust and domination.
Harmony with creation is broken: visible creation has become alien and
hostile to man (cf. Gen 3:17, 19). Because of man, creation is now subject
'to its bondage to decay' (Rom 8:21). Finally, the consequence explicitly
foretold for this disobedience will come true: man will 'return to the
ground' (Gen 3:19), for out of it he was taken. 'Death makes its entrance
into human history' (cf. Roman 5:12)" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church",
400).

3:14-15. The punishment God imposes on the serpent includes confrontation
between woman and the serpent, between mankind and evil, with the promise
that man will come out on top. That is why this passage is called the
"Proto-gospel": it is the first announcement to mankind of the good news of
the Redeemer-Messiah. Clearly, a bruise to the head is deadly, whereas a
bruise to the heel is curable.

As the Second Vatican Council teaches, "God, who creates and conserves all
things by his Word, (cf. In 1:3), provides men with constant evidence of
himself in created realities (cf. Rom 1:19-20). And furthermore, wishing to
open up the way to heavenly salvation, by promising redemption (cf. Gen
3:15); and he has never ceased to take care of the human race. For he wishes
to give eternal life to all those who seek salvation by patience in
well-doing (cf. Rom 2:6-7)" ("Dei Verbum", 3).

Victory over the devil will be brought about by a descendant of the woman,
the Messiah. The Church has always read these verses as being messianic,
referring to Jesus Christ; and it was seen in the woman the mother of the
promised Savior; the Virgin Mary is the new Eve. "The earliest documents, as
they are read in the Church and are understood in the light of a further and
full revelation, bring the figure of a woman, Mother of the Redeemer, into a
gradually clearer light. Considered in this light, she is already
prophetically foreshadowed in the promise of victory over the serpent which
was given to our first parents after their fall into sin (cf. Gen 3:15)
[...]. Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert with Irenaeus in
their preaching: 'the knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's
obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by
her faith' (St Irenaeus, "Adv. haer." 3, 22, 4) Comparing Mary with Eve,
they call her 'Mother of the living' (St Epiphanius, "Adv. haer. Panarium"
78, 18) and frequently claim: 'death through Eve, life through Mary' (St
Jerome, "Epistula" 22, 21; etc.)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 55-56).

So, woman is going to have a key role in that victory over the devil. In his
Latin translation of the Bible, the "Vulgate", St Jerome in fact reads the
relevant passage as "she [the woman] shall bruise your head". That woman is
the Blessed Virgin, the new Eve and the mother of the Redeemer, who shares
(by anticipation and pre-eminently) in the victory of her Son. Sin never
left its mark on her, and the Church proclaims her as the Immaculate
Conception.

St Thomas explains that the reason why God did not prevent the first man
from sinning was because 'God allows evils to be done in order to draw forth
some greater good. Thus St Paul says, 'Where sin increased, grace abounded
all the more' (Rom 5:20); and the "Exultet" sings, '0 happy fault,...which
gained for us so great a Redeemer'" ("Summa Theologiae", 3, 1, 3 and 3; cf.
"Catechism of the Catholic Church", 412).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

Hymn of Praise

---

[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places, [4] even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. [5] He destined
us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the
purpose of his will, [6] to the praise of his glorious grace which he
freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

[11] In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all
things according to the counsel of his will, [12] we who first hoped
in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of
his glory.

---

Commentary:

3-14. Verses 3-14 are a hymn of praise to God for the plan of salvation
he has devised and brought to fulfillment in benefit of men and all
creation. It is written in a liturgical style of rhythmic prose,
similar to that in Colossians 1:15-20. In the Greek it is one long
complex sentence full of relative pronouns and clauses which give it a
designed unity; we can, however, distinguish two main sections.

The first (v. 3-10), divided into four stanzas, describes the blessings
contained in God's salvific plan; St Paul terms this plan the "mystery"
of God's will. The section begins by praising God for his eternal
design, a plan, pre-dating creation, to call us to the Church, to form
a community of saints (first stanza: vv. 3f) and receive the grace of
being children of God through Jesus Christ (second stanza: vv. 5f). It
then reflects on Christ's work of redemption which brings this eternal
plan of God to fulfillment (third stanza: vv. 7f). This section reaches
its climax in the fourth stanza (vv. 9f) which proclaims Christ as Lord
of all creation, thereby revealing the full development of God's
salvific plan.

The second section, which divides into two stanzas, deals with the
application of this plan--first to the Jews (fifth stanza: vv. 11f) and
then to the Gentiles, who are also called to share what God has
promised: Jews and Gentiles join to form a single people, the Church
(sixth stanza: vv. 13f).

Hymns in praise of God, or "eulogies", occur in many parts of Sacred
Scripture (cf. Ps 8; Ps 19; Dan 2:20-23; Lk 1:46-54, 68-78; etc.); they
praise the Lord for the wonders of creation or for spectacular
interventions on behalf of his people. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St
Paul here praises God the Father for all Christ's saving work, which
extends from God's original plan which he made before he created the
world, right up to the very end of time and the recapitulation of all
things in Christ.

We too should always have this same attitude of praise of the Lord.
"Our entire life on earth should take the form of praise of God, for
the never-ending joy of our future life consists in praising God, and
no one can become fit for that future life unless he train himself to
render that praise now" (St Augustine, "Enarrationes in Psalmos",
148).

Praise is in fact the most appropriate attitude for man to have towards
God: "How can you dare use that spark of divine intelligence--your
mind--in anything but in giving glory to your Lord?" ([St] J. Escriva, "The
Way", 782).

3. St Paul blesses God as Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because it is
through Christ that all God's blessings and gifts reach us. God's
actions in favor of man are actions of all three divine Persons; the
divine plan which the Apostle considers here has its origin in the
Blessed Trinity; it is eternal. "These three Persons are not to be
considered separable," the Eleventh Council of Toledo teaches, "since
we believe that not one of them existed or at any time effected
anything before the other, after the other, or without the other. For
in existence and operation they are found to be inseparable" ("De
Trinitate" Creed, "Dz-Sch", 531).

In the implementation of this divine plan of salvation, the work of
Redemption is attributed to the Son and that of sanctification to the
Holy Spirit. "To help us grasp in some measure this unfathomable
mystery, we might imagine the Blessed Trinity taking counsel together
in their uninterrupted intimate relationship of infinite love. As a
result of their eternal decision, the only-begotten Son of God the
Father takes on our human condition and bears the burden of our
wretchedness and sorrows, to end up sewn with nails to a piece of wood"
([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 95).

St Paul describes as "spiritual blessings" all the gifts which the
implementation of God's plan implies, gifts which are distributed by
the Holy Spirit. When he speaks of them as being "in the heavenly
places" and "in Christ", he is saying that through Christ who has risen
from the dead and ascended on high we too have been inserted into the
world of God (cf. 1:20; 2:6).

When man describes God as "blessed" it means he recognizes God's
greatness and goodness, and rejoices over the divine gifts he has
received (cf. Lk 1:46, 68). Here is what St Thomas Aquinas has to say
about the meaning of this passage: "The Apostle says, 'Benedictus'
[Blessed be the God ...], that is, may I, and you, and everyone bless
him, with our heart, our mouth, our actions--praising him as God and as
Father, for he is God because of his essence and Father because of his
power to generate" ("Commentary on Eph.", 1, 6).

Sacred Scripture very often invites us to praise God our Lord (cf. Ps
8:19; 33; 46-48; etc.); this is not a matter only of verbal praise: our
actions should prove that we mean what we say: "He who does good with
his hands praises the Lord, and he who confesses the Lord with his
mouth praises the Lord. Praise him by your actions" (St Augustine,
"Enarrationes in Psalmos", 91, 2).

4. As the hymn develops, the Apostle details each of the blessings
contained in God's eternal plan. The first of these is his choice,
before the foundation of the world, of those who would become part of
the Church. The word he uses, translated here as "chose", is the same
one as used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to refer to
God's election of Israel. The Church, the new people of God, is
constituted by assembling in and around Christ those who have been
chosen and called to holiness. This implies that although the Church
was founded by Christ at a particular point in history, its origin goes
right back to the eternal divine plan. 'The eternal Father, in
accordance with the utterly gratuitous and mysterious design of his
wisdom and goodness,... 'predestined (the elect) to be conformed to
the image of his Son in order that he might be the first-born among
many brethren' (Rom 8:29). He determined to call together in a holy
Church those who believe in Christ. Already present in figure at the
beginning of the world, this Church was prepared in marvelous fashion
in the history of the people of Israel and in the Old Alliance.
Established in this last age of the world, and made manifest in the
outpouring of the Spirit, it will be brought to glorious completion at
the end of time" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 2).

God's choice seeks to have us become "holy and blameless before him".
In the same way as in the Old Testament a victim offered to God had to
be unblemished, blameless (cf. Gen 17:1), the blameless holiness to
which God has destined us admits of no imperfection. By the very fact
of being baptized we are made holy (cf. note on 1: 1), and during our
lifetime we try to grow holier with the help of God; however, complete
holiness is something we shall attain only in heaven.

The holiness with which we have been endowed is an undeserved gift from
God: it is not a reward for any merit on our part: even before we were
created God chose us to be his: "'He chose us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy.' I know that such
thoughts don't fill you with pride or lead you to think yourself better
than others. That choice, the root of your vocation, should be the
basis of your humility. Do we build monuments to an artist's
paintbrush? Granted the brush had a part in creating masterpieces, but
we give credit only to the painter. We Christians are nothing more than
instruments in the hands of the Creator of the world, the Redeemer of
all men" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 1).

"He destined us in love": the loving initiative is God's. "If God has
honored us with countless gifts it is thanks to his love, not to our
merits. Our fervor, our strength, our faith and our unity are the
fruit of God's benevolence and our response to his goodness" (St John
Chrysostom, "Hom. on Eph, ad loc".).

God's election of Christians and their vocation to holiness, as also
the gift of divine filiation, reveals that God is Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8);
we have become partakers of God's very nature (cf. 2 Pet 1:4), sharers,
that is, in the love of God.

"He destined us in love", therefore, also includes the Christian's love
of God and of others: charity is a sharing in God's own love; it is the
essence of holiness, the Christian's law; nothing has any value if it
is not inspired by charity (cf. 1 Cor 13:1-3).

5. The Apostle goes on to explore the further implications of God's
eternal plan: those chosen to form part of the Church have been given a
second blessing, as it were, by being predestined to be adoptive
children of God. 'The state of this people is that of the dignity and
freedom of the sons of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as
in a temple" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium, 9).

This predestination to which the Apostle refers means that God
determined from all eternity that the members of the new people of God
should attain holiness through his gift of adoptive sonship. It is
God's desire that all be saved (cf. 1 Tim 2:4) and he gives each person
the means necessary for obtaining eternal life. Therefore, no one is
predestined to damnation (cf. Third Council of Valence, "De
Praedestinatione", can. 3).

The source of the Christian's divine sonship is Jesus Christ. God's
only Son, one in substance with the Father, took on human nature in
order to make us sons and daughters of God by adoption (cf. Rom 8:15,
29; 9:4; Gal 4:5). This is why every member of the Church can say: "See
what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of
God; and so we are" (1 Jn 3:1).

What is involved here is not simply formal adoption, which is something
external and does not affect the very person of the child. Divine
adoption affects man's entire being, it inserts him into God's own
life; for Baptism makes us truly his children, partakers of the divine
nature (cf. 2 Pet 1:4). Divine sonship is therefore the greatest of
the gifts God bestows on man during his life on earth. It is indeed
right to exclaim "Blessed be God" (v. 3) when one reflects on this
great gift: it is right for children openly to acknowledge their father
and show their love for him.

Divine filiation has many rich effects as far as the spiritual life is
concerned. "A child of God treats the Lord as his Father. He is not
obsequious and servile; he is not merely formal and well-mannered: he
is completely sincere and trusting. God is not shocked by what we do.
Our infidelities do not wear him out. our Father in heaven pardons any
offense when his child returns to him, when he repents and asks for
pardon. The Lord is such a good father that he anticipates our desire
to be pardoned and comes forward to us, opening his arms laden with
grace" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 64). See the notes on Jn
1:12.

6. The gift of divine filiation is the greatest expression of the glory
of God (cf. note on 1:17 below), because it reveals the full extent of
God's love for man. St Paul stresses what the purpose of this eternal
divine plan is--to promote "the praise of his glorious grace". God's
glory has been made manifest through his merciful love, which has led
him to make us his children in accordance with the eternal purpose of
his will. This eternal design "flows from 'fountain-like love', the
love of God the Father [...]. God in his great and merciful kindness
freely creates us and, moreover, graciously calls us to share in his
life and glory. He generously pours out, and never ceases to pour out,
his divine goodness, so that he who is Creator of all things might at
last become 'everything to everyone' (1 Cor 15:28), thus simultaneously
assuring his own glory and our happiness" (Vatican II, "Ad Gentes",
2).

The grace which St Paul speaks of here and which manifests the glory of
God refers first to the fact that God's blessings are totally unmerited
by us and include the grace-conferring gifts of holiness and divine
filiation.

"In the Beloved": the Old Testament stresses again and again that God
loves his people and that Israel is that cherished people (cf. Deut
33:12; is 5:1, 7; 1 Mac 6:11; etc.). In the New Testament Christians
are called "beloved by God" (1 Thess 1:4; cf. Col 3:12). However, there
is only one "Beloved", strictly speaking, Jesus Christ our Lord--as God
revealed from the bright cloud at the Transfiguration: "This is my
beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Mt 17:5). The Son of his
love has obtained man's redemption and brought forgiveness of sins (cf.
Col 1:13ff), and it is through his grace that we become pleasing to
God, lovable by him with the same love with which he loves his Son. At
the Last Supper, Jesus asked his Father for this very thing--"so that
the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as
thou hast loved me" (Jn 17:23). "Notice", St John Chrysostom points
out, "that Paul does not say that this grace has been given us for no
purpose but that it has been given us to make us pleasing and lovable
in his eyes, now that we are purified of our sins" ("Hom. on Eph, ad
loc.").

11-14. The Apostle now contemplates a further divine blessing--the
implementation of the "mystery" through the Redemption wrought by
Christ: God calls the Jews (vv. 11f) and the Gentiles (v. 13)
together, to form a single people (v. 14). Paul first refers to the
Jewish people, of which he himself is a member, which is why he uses
the term "we" (v. 12). He then speaks of the Gentile Christians and
refers to them as "you" (v. 13).

11-12. The Jewish people's expectations have been fulfilled in Christ:
he has brought the Kingdom of God and the messianic gifts, designed in
the first instance for Israel as its inheritance (cf. Mt 4:17; 12:28;
Lk 4:16-22). God's intention in selecting Israel was to form a people
of his own (cf. Ex 19:5) that would glorify him and proclaim to the
nations its hope in a coming Messiah. "God, with loving concern
contemplating, and making preparation for, the salvation of the whole
human race, in a singular undertaking chose for himself a people to
whom he would entrust his promises. By his covenant with Abraham (cf.
Gen 15:18) and, through Moses, with the race of Israel (cf. Ex 24:8),
he did acquire a people for himself, and to them he revealed himself in
words and deeds as the one, true, living God, so that Israel might
experience the ways of God with men. Moreover, by listening to the
voice of God speaking to them through the prophets, they had steadily
to understand his ways more fully and more clearly, and make them more
widely known among the nations (cf. Ps 21:28-9; 95:1-3; Is 2:1-4; Jer
3:17)" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 14).

St Paul emphasizes that even before the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the just of the Old Testament acted in line with their belief
in the promised Messiah (cf. Gal 3:11; Rom 1:17); not only did they
look forward to his coming but their hope was nourished by faith in
Christ as a result of their acceptance of God's promise. As later
examples of this same faith we might mention Zechariah and Elizabeth;
Simeon and Anna; and, above all, St Joseph. St Joseph's faith was
"full, confident, complete", Monsignor Escriva comments. "It expressed
itself in an effective dedication to the will of God and an intelligent
obedience. With faith went love. His faith nurtured his love of God,
who was fulfilling the promises made to Abraham, Jacob and Moses, and
his affection for Mary his wife and his fatherly affection for Jesus.
This faith, hope and love would further the great mission which God
was beginning in the world through, among others, a carpenter in
Galilee--the redemption of mankind" ("Christ Is Passing By", 42).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: Luke 1:26-38

The Annunciation and Incarnation of the Son of God

---

[26] In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city
of Galilee named Nazareth, [27] to a virgin betrothed to a man whose
name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
[28] And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is
with you!" [29] But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and
considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. [30] And
the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. [31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and
bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. [32] He will be great,
and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give
to Him the throne of His father David, [33] and He will reign over the
house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there will be no end."
[34] And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no
husband?" [35] And the angel said to her, "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. [36] And
behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a
son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. [37]
For with God nothing will be impossible." [38] And Mary said, "Behold,
I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your
word." And the angel departed from her.

---

Commentary:

26-38. Here we contemplate our Lady who was "enriched from the first
instant of her conception with the splendor of an entirely unique
holiness; [...] the virgin of Nazareth is hailed by the heralding
angel, by divine command, as `full of grace' (cf. Luke 1:28), and to
the heavenly messenger she replies, `Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
be it done unto me according to thy word' (Luke 1:38). Thus the
daughter of Adam, Mary, consenting to the word of God, became the
Mother of Jesus. Committing herself wholeheartedly to God's saving
will and impeded by no sin, she devoted herself totally, as a handmaid
of the Lord, to the person and work of her Son, under and with Him,
serving the mystery of Redemption, by the grace of Almighty God.
Rightly, therefore, the Fathers (of the Church) see Mary not merely as
passively engaged by God, but as freely cooperating in the work of
man's salvation through faith and obedience" (Vatican II, "Lumen
Gentium", 56).

The annunciation to Mary and incarnation of the Word constitute the
deepest mystery of the relationship between God and men and the most
important event in the history of mankind: God becomes man, and will
remain so forever, such is the extent of His goodness and mercy and
love for all of us. And yet on the day when the Second Person of the
Blessed Trinity assumed frail human nature in the pure womb of the
Blessed Virgin, it all happened quietly, without fanfare of any kind.

St. Luke tells the story in a very simple way. We should treasure
these words of the Gospel and use them often, for example, practising
the Christian custom of saying the Angelus every day and reflecting on
the five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.

27. God chose to be born of a virgin; centuries earlier He disclosed
this through the prophet Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). God,
"before all ages made choice of, and set in her proper place, a mother
for His only-begotten Son from whom He, after being made flesh, should
be born in the blessed fullness of time: and He continued His
persevering regard for her in preference to all other creatures, to
such a degree that for her alone He had singular regard" (Pius IX,
"Ineffabilis Deus," 2). This privilege granted to our Lady of being a
virgin and a mother at the same time is a unique gift of God. This was
the work of the Holy Spirit "who at the conception and the birth of
the Son so favored the Virgin Mother as to impart fruitfulness to her
while preserving inviolate her perpetual virginity" ("St. Pius V
Catechism," I, 4, 8). Paul VI reminds us of this truth of faith: "We
believe that the Blessed Mary, who ever enjoys the dignity of
virginity, was the Mother of the incarnate Word, of our God and Savior
Jesus Christ" ("Creed of the People of God", 14).

Although many suggestions have been made as to what the name Mary
means, most of the best scholars seem to agree that Mary means "lady".
However, no single meaning fully conveys the richness of the name.

28. "Hail, full of grace": literally the Greek text reads "Rejoice!",
obviously referring to the unique joy over the news which the angel is
about to communicate.

"Full of grace": by this unusual form of greeting the archangel reveals
Mary's special dignity and honor. The Fathers and Doctors of the
Church "taught that this singular, solemn and unheard-of-greeting
showed that all the divine graces reposed in the Mother of God and that
she was adorned with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit", which meant
that she "was never subject to the curse", that is, was preserved from
all sin. These words of the archangel in this text constitute one of
the sources which reveal the dogma of Mary's Immaculate Conception (cf.
Pius IX, "Ineffabilis Deus"; Paul VI, "Creed of the People of God").

"The Lord is with you!": these words are not simply a greeting ("the
Lord be with you") but an affirmation ("the Lord is with you"), and
they are closely connected with the Incarnation. St. Augustine
comments by putting these words on the archangel's lips: "He is more
with you than He is with me: He is in your heart, He takes shape within
you, He fills your soul, He is in your womb" ("Sermo De Nativitate
Domini", 4).

Some important Greek manuscripts and early translations add at the end
of the verse: "Blessed are you among women!", meaning that God will
exalt Mary over all women. She is more excellent than Sarah, Hannah,
Deborah, Rachel, Judith, etc., for only she has the supreme honor of
being chosen to be the Mother of God.

29-30. Our Lady is troubled by the presence of the archangel and by the
confusion truly humble people experience when they receive praise.

30. The Annunciation is the moment when our Lady is given to know the
vocation which God planned for her from eternity. When the archangel
sets her mind at ease by saying, "Do not be afraid, Mary," he is
helping her to overcome that initial fear which a person normally
experiences when God gives him or her a special calling. The fact that
Mary felt this fear does not imply the least trace of imperfection in
her: hers is a perfectly natural reaction in the face of the
supernatural. Imperfection would arise if one did not overcome this
fear or rejected the advice of those in a position to help--as St.
Gabriel helped Mary.

31-33. The archangel Gabriel tells the Blessed Virgin Mary that she is
to be the Mother of God by reminding her of the words of Isaiah which
announced that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, a prophecy which
will find its fulfillment in Mary (cf. Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 7:14).

He reveals that the Child will be "great": His greatness comes from His
being God, a greatness He does not lose when He takes on the lowliness
of human nature. He also reveals that Jesus will be the king of the
Davidic dynasty sent by God in keeping with His promise of salvation;
that His Kingdom will last forever, for His humanity will remain
forever joined to His divinity; that "He will be called Son of the Most
High", that is that He really will be the Son of the Most High and will
be publicly recognized as such, that is, the Child will be the Son of
God.

The archangel's announcement evokes the ancient prophecies which
foretold these prerogatives. Mary, who was well-versed in Sacred
Scripture, clearly realized that she was to be the Mother of God.

34-38. Commenting on this passage John Paul II said: "`Virgo fidelis',
the faithful Virgin. What does this faithfulness of Mary mean? What
are the dimensions of this faithfulness? The first dimension is called
search. Mary was faithful first of all when she began, lovingly, to
seek the deep sense of God's plan in her and for the world. `Quomodo
fiet?' How shall this be?, she asked the Angel of the Annunciation
[...]."

"The second dimension of faithfulness is called reception, acceptance.
The `quomodo fiet?' is changed, on Mary's lips, to a `fiat': Let it be
done, I am ready, I accept. This is the crucial moment of
faithfulness, the moment in which man perceives that he will never
completely understand the `how': that there are in God's plan more
areas of mystery than of clarity; that is, however he may try, he will
never succeed in understanding it completely[...]."

"The third dimension of faithfulness is consistency to live in
accordance with what one believes; to adapt one's own life to the
object of one's adherence. To accept misunderstanding, persecutions,
rather than a break between what one practises and what one believes:
this is consistency[...]."

"But all faithfulness must pass the most exacting test, that of
duration. Therefore, the fourth dimension of faithfulness is
constancy. It is easy to be consistent for a day or two. It is
difficult and important to be consistent for one's whole life. It is
easy to be consistent in the hour of enthusiasm, it is difficult to be
so in the hour of tribulation. And only a consistency that lasts
throughout the whole life can be called faithfulness. Mary's `fiat' in
the Annunciation finds its fullness in the silent `fiat' that she
repeats at the foot of the Cross" ("Homily in Mexico City Cathedral",
26 January 1979).

34. Mary believed in the archangel's words absolutely; she did not
doubt as Zechariah had done (cf. 1:18). Her question, "How can this
be?", expresses her readiness to obey the will of God even though at
first sight it implied a contradiction: on the one hand, she was
convinced that God wished her to remain a virgin; on the other, here
was God also announcing that she would become a mother. The archangel
announces God's mysterious design, and what had seemed impossible,
according to the laws of nature, is explained by a unique intervention
on the part of God.

Mary's resolution to remain a virgin was certainly something very
unusual, not in line with the practice of righteous people under the
Old Covenant, for, as St. Augustine explains, "particularly attentive
to the propagation and growth of the people of God, through whom the
Prince and Savior of the world might be prophesied and be born, the
saints were obliged to make use of the good of matrimony" ("De Bono
Matrimonii", 9, 9). However, in the Old Testament, there were some who,
in keeping with God's plan, did remain celibate--for example, Jeremiah,
Elijah, Eliseus and John the Baptist. The Blessed Virgin, who received
a very special inspiration of the Holy Spirit to practise virginity, is
a first-fruit of the New Testament, which will establish the excellence
of virginity over marriage while not taking from the holiness of the
married state, which it raises to the level of a sacrament (cf.
"Gaudium Et Spes", 48).

35. The "shadow" is a symbol of the presence of God. When Israel was
journeying through the wilderness, the glory of God filled the
Tabernacle and a cloud covered the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus
40:34-36). And when God gave Moses the tablets of the Law, a cloud
covered Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:15-16); and also, at the Transfiguration
of Jesus the voice of God the Father was heard coming out of a cloud
(Luke 9:35).

At the moment of the Incarnation the power of God envelops our Lady--an
expression of God's omnipotence. The Spirit of God--which, according
to the account in Genesis (1:2), moved over the face of the waters,
bringing things to life--now comes down on Mary. And the fruit of her
womb will be the work of the Holy Spirit. The Virgin Mary, who herself
was conceived without any stain of sin (cf. Pius IX, "Ineffabilis
Deus") becomes, after the Incarnation, a new tabernacle of God. This
is the mystery we recall every day when saying the Angelus.

38. Once she learns of God's plan, our Lady yields to God's will with
prompt obedience, unreservedly. She realizes the disproportion between
what she is going to become--the Mother of God--and what she is--a
woman. However, this is what God wants to happen and for Him nothing
is impossible; therefore no one should stand in His way. So Mary,
combining humility and obedience, responds perfectly to God's call:
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done according to
your word."

"At the enchantment of this virginal phrase, the Word became flesh"
([St] J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", first joyful mystery). From the
pure body of Mary, God shaped a new body, He created a soul out of
nothing, and the Son of God united Himself with this body and soul:
prior to this He was only God; now He is still God but also man. Mary
is now the Mother of God. This truth is a dogma of faith, first
defined by the Council of Ephesus (431). At this point she also begins
to be the spiritual Mother of all mankind. What Christ says when He is
dying--`Behold, your son..., behold, your mother" (John
19:26-27)--simply promulgates what came about silently at Nazareth.
"With her generous `fiat' (Mary) became, through the working of the
Spirit, the Mother of God, but also the Mother of the living, and, by
receiving into her womb the one Mediator, she became the true Ark of
the Covenant and true Temple of God" (Paul VI, "Marialis Cultus", 6).

The Annunciation shows us the Blessed Virgin as perfect model of
"purity" (the RSV "I have no husband" is a euphemism); of "humility"
("Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord"); of "candor" and "simplicity"
("How can this be?"); of "obedience" and "lively faith" ("Let it be done
to me according to your word"). "Following her example of obedience to
God, we can learn to serve delicately without being slavish. In Mary,
we don't find the slightest trace of the attitude of the foolish
virgins, who obey, but thoughtlessly. Our Lady listens attentively to
what God wants, ponders what she doesn't fully understand and asks about
what she doesn't know. Then she gives herself completely to doing the
divine will: `Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to
me according to your word'. Isn't that marvellous? The Blessed
Virgin, our teacher in all we do, shows us here that obedience to God
is not servile, does not bypass our conscience. We should be inwardly
moved to discover the `freedom of the children of God' (cf. Romans
8:21)" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 173).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

Advent 2004: Symbols, Meanings, Facts, Calendar

Reflections for Advent and Christmas, [November 28, 2004 - January 9, 2005]

[Salvation]

FEAST OF THE DAY

The feast of the Immaculate Conception has a long history in the
Catholic Church. It was first celebrated in the Eastern Church, and
was widespread there by the seventh century. Over the next century
it spread to the West and gained wide popularity. In the eleventh
century, the feast changed from being the Conception of Mary to the
Immaculate Conception. The feast became a feast of the universal
Church in 1854 by the decree of Pope Pius IX.

This feast celebrates the fact that Mary was conceived without sin,
and from the first moment of her life Mary was a pure, spotless
vessel created as a special tool of God. Unlike many theological
dogmas, this fact was developed more by the Faithful and their
devotion to the Blessed Mother than by theologians.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

Mary gave to the wold the Life that renews all things and she was
enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role. It is no wonder,
then, that the usage prevailed among the holy Fathers whereby they
called the mother of God entirely holy and free from all stain of sin,
fashioned by the Holy Spirit into a kind of new substance and new
creature. Adorned from the first instant of her conception with the
splendors of an entirely unique holiness, the Virgin of Nazareth is, on
God's command, greeted by an angel messenger as "full of grace".
To the heavenly messenger she replies: "Behold the handmaid of the
Lord, be it done to me according to thy word." - Constitution on the
Church, (56)


TODAY IN HISTORY

1854 Pope Pius IX proclaims Immaculate Conception in his apostolic
letter, "Ineffabilis Deus."
1869 20th Roman Catholic ecumenical council, Vatican I, opens in
Rome
1941 US enters WW II


TODAY'S TIDBIT

Many people confuse today's feast as the celebration of Jesus'
conception. This is celebrated on the feast of the Annunciation on
March 25, nine months before Christmas. Today's feast celebrates
Mary's conception by Joachim and Anne. Her birthday is nine
months from now on September 8.


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for all expectant mothers.

[Salvation]

Oops--Mary gave to the world the Life that renews all things and she was
enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.

[Salvation]

 

PRAYER TO THE
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

O God,  who by the Immaculate Conception 
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, 
we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain, 
so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession,  to come unto You. 
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,  Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
God, world without end. 

Amen.

First, recite the Prayer to the Immaculate Conception. 
Then, recite the appropriate prayer of each of the nine days.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

 

---

 
Day One

O most Holy Virgin, who was pleasing to the Lord and became His mother, immaculate in body and spirit, in faith and in love, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, who by your blessed Immaculate Conception, from the first moment of your conception did crush the head of the enemy, receive our prayers as we implore you to present at the throne of God the favor we now request...
(State your intention here...) 
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. 
Amen.

---

Day Two

O Mary, ever blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Queen of angels and of saints, we salute you with the most profound veneration and filial devotion as we contemplate your holy Immaculate Conception, We thank you for your maternal protection and for the many blessings that we have received through your wondrous mercy and most powerful intercession. In all our necessities we have recourse to you with unbounded confidence. O Mother of Mercy, we beseech you now to hear our prayer and to obtain for us of your Divine Son the favor that we so earnestly request in this novena...
(State your intention here...) 
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. 
Amen.

---

Day Three

O Blessed Virgin Mary, glory of the Christian people, joy of the universal Church and Mother of Our Lord, speak for us to the Heart of Jesus, who is your Son and our brother. O Mary, who by your holy Immaculate Conception did enter the world free from stain, in your mercy obtain for us from Jesus the special favor which we now so earnestly seek... 
(State your intention here...) 
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.
 Amen.

---

Day Four

O Mary, Mother of God, endowed in your glorious Immaculate Conception with the fullness of grace; unique among women in that you are both mother and virgin; Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ, we ask you to look down with a tender heart from your throne and listen to our prayers as we earnestly ask that you obtain for us the favor for which we now plead... 
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

---

Day Five

O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, did prepare a fitting dwelling for your Son, we beseech you that as by the foreseen death of your Son, you did preserve her from all stain of sin, grant that through her intercession, we may be favored with the granting of the grace that we seek for at this time... 
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

---

Day Six

Glorious and immortal Queen of Heaven, we profess our firm belief in your Immaculate Conception preordained for you in the merits of your Divine Son. We rejoice with you in your Immaculate Conception. To the one ever-reigning God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one Person, one in nature, we offer thanks for your blessed Immaculate Conception. O Mother of the Word mad Flesh, listen to our petition as we ask this special grace during this novena...
(State your intention here...) 
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

---

Day Seven

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, and my mother, from the sublime heights of your dignity turn your merciful eyes upon me while I, full of confidence in your bounty and keeping in mind your Immaculate conception and fully conscious of your power, beg of you to come to our aid and ask your Divine Son to grant the favor we earnestly seek in this novena... if it be beneficial for our immortal souls and the souls for whom we pray.
(State your intention here...)  
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

---

Day Eight

O Most gracious Virgin Mary, beloved Mother of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, intercede with him for us that we be granted the favor which we petition for so earnestly in this novena...O Mother of the Word Incarnate, we feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. O Glorious Mother of God, in memory of your joyous Immaculate Conception, hear our prayers and obtain for us our petitions.
(State your intention here...)  
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

---

Day Nine

O Mother of the King of the Universe, most perfect member of the human race, "our tainted nature’s solitary boast," we turn to you as mother, advocate, and mediatrix. O Holy Mary, assist us in our present necessity. By your Immaculate Conception, O Mary conceived without sin, we humbly beseech you from the bottom of our heart to intercede for us with your Divine Son and ask that we be granted the favor for which we now plead... 
(State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.


Recite the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

[Salvation]

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Lord, have mercy on us Christ, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us Christ, hear us Christ, graciously hear us God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us God the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy on us God the Holy Spirit, ... Holy Trinity, one God, ... Holy Mary, pray for us Holy Mother of God, pray for us Holy Virgin of virgins, ... Mother of Christ, ... Mother of Divine Grace, ... Mother most pure, ... Mother most chaste, ... Mother inviolate, ... Mother undefiled, ... Mother most amiable, ... Mother most admirable, ... Mother of good counsel, ... Mother of our Creator, ... Mother of our Saviour, ... Virgin most prudent, ... Virgin most venerable, ... Virgin most renowned, ... Virgin most powerful, ... Virgin most merciful, ... Virgin most faithful, ... Mirror of justice, ... Seat of wisdom, ... Cause of our joy, ... Spiritual vessel, ... Vessel of honour, ... Singular vessel of devotion, ... Mystical rose, ... Tower of David, ... Tower of ivory, ... House of gold, ... Ark of the covenant, ... Gate of heaven, ... Morning star, ... Health of the sick, ... Refuge of sinners, ... Comforter of the afflicted, ... Help of Christians, ... Queen of Angels, ... Queen of Patriarchs, ... Queen of Prophets, ... Queen of Apostles, ... Queen of Martyrs, ... Queen of Confessors, ... Queen of Virgins, ... Queen of all Saints, ... Queen conceived without original sin, ... Queen assumed into heaven, ... Queen of the most holy Rosary, ... Queen of Peace, ... Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Grant we beseech Thee, O Lord God,  that we, Thy servants,  may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body:  and, by the glorious intercession of the blessed Mary, ever Virgin,  be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal gladness.  Through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

 

[Askel5]

December 8

---

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

---

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask:
Let me understand how your Immaculate Conception should affect me.

The Idea:
When I recall that Mary was free from the moment of her conception from all stain of original sin, I understand what is said-but does this have any effect on my life? Mary is my mother. She was conceived immaculate because of her divine Son-but her motherhood of me is also affected by her sinlessness.

When I came into the world, I was dead to real life, sanctifying grace. At Baptism I was "born" to this life and, in a sense, Mary became the Mother of this life of mine. Does it mean nothing to me that my mother is completely without sin? A child naturally resembles its mother; at birth the resemblance is slight, because the child has hardly begun to live-but the resemblance grows as the child grows older, and soon it begins to imitate and acquire even the habits and mannerisms of its mother.
How should I resemble Mary? In her sinlessness.

When we want to get a picture of Mary, we think of the words of the Apocalypse: "A woman clothed with the sun"; the meaning is clear if we remember that "darkness" stands for sin, and "light" for sinlessness -- Mary, the supremely sinless, immaculate one.

My Personal Application:
My response to this mother of mine will be, first, to keep all darkness, stain, sin, out of my life. But most importantly, I will imitate this sun-clad mother and her Son -- the Light of the world -- in living my act of consecration to her, and by heeding the call to apostolic action: "So let your light shine before men that they may see your good works"

I Speak to Christ: Lord, I thank you for giving me this great gift-your Immaculate Mother. Fill my soul with this light which is really life so that I may ever more and more be like your Immaculate Mother.

Thought for Today:
“0 Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

---

Daily Sodality Readings

[Askel5]

---

Pope Blessed Pius IX instituted this solemnity when he proclaimed as dogma the truth of Mary's Immaculate Conception on December 8,1854, formally affirming the traditional belief of the Church that she was conceived free from the stain of original sin. This feast has been celebrated in the East and also in many places in the West since the eighth century.

Mary's freedom from sin is the most beautiful fruit of the work of redemption accomplished by her Son. Chosen as Mother of the Savior, Mary received the benefits of salvation from the moment of her conception. Christ came to take away the sin of the world; he did not allow that sin to contaminate Mary. In her sanctity, then, our Blessed Mother is a model for all Christians. We should seek her intercession in our own struggles with sin.

Mary is the patroness of the United States under the title of Immaculate Conception.

---

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	She Was Almost Invisible, but She Gave Birth to Him!
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph. D.
Date:	Wednesday, December 8, 2004

Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Ephesians 1:3-6 11-12; Luke 1:26-38

As we look across the span of recorded history, we find the exploits of leaders, scholars, adventurers, inventors, and explorers whose achievements changed forever the world that we live in. And we wonder how they rose to greatness, as often as not from humble beginnings. More often than not, our wonderings go unanswered, because there is rarely a useful record of their formative years, and even less useful records of those invisible people who did the forming and shaping of their intellects and their souls.

The feast we mark today celebrates that simple peasant girl whose heart was so open to God that she gave birth to God's only Son, whom she then tended and guided for the many years that followed. What an extraordinary privilege that was, and with what grace Mary lived up to her special calling at every moment. At the very first moment of it all, she said to the angel, "I don't understand how this can be, but my answer to God is 'Yes.'" And so it was all her life long.

That is why we celebrate this and all the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because she, a human being just like us, had both the ability and the willingness to say "Yes" to God at every moment. In doing that, she made the right home and formed the right heart in God's Son and her son, Jesus.

Mary is the almost-invisible woman in the Gospels, but her gift to Jesus was beyond calculation. The gifts that we have to give will in the long run also be almost entirely invisible except to those who can read the fine lines of cause and effect from generation to generation.
Give your gift as Mary did. History may never notice, but God will, and so will many of His children.

 

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, December 08, 2004 Meditation Genesis 3:9-15, 20 No matter what else we may say about today, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is first and foremost a celebration of the Father’s perfect plan. It is a recognition that even Mary’s conception was carefully planned so that she could become a perfect vessel for the Son of God. Just think: From all eternity, God had planned that he would bring his Son into the world through a woman whom he would preserve from original sin. Imagine how intricately God must have worked in Mary’s life so that she could play her part! Do you believe that God created you with as much care and love as he did Mary? He did! Do you believe that he is as proud of you and what he has called you to do as he is of Mary? He is! Everything about your life has been carefully attended to so that you could fulfill your destiny, and God is always with you to help you. None of us is just a random occurrence. We have not been left here to evolve alone. Every one of our lives fits into a master plan, something we can learn about and embrace as we spend time in prayer and Scripture. Parts of this plan are common to all of us. For example, we know that God wants us to be holy and full of love and praise for him (Ephesians 1:4-6). But each of us is designed to fulfill these callings in our own unique way. Mary was destined to take up a particular role in salvation history. And it is no different for you. You were uniquely created to play a vital role in his kingdom. Seek God in prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and selfless giving. As you do, he will show you what part he has called you to play. And don’t worry—what the Father intends for you to do with your life, he will empower you to do. Only you can fulfill your role, and he will provide the grace you need to carry out his plans. Seek him and trust the Holy Spirit to help you accomplish all that God needs you to become. “Almighty Father, how mysterious and inscrutable are your ways! I want to fulfill your plan for my life. Lead me to trust more fully in you as you work through me to bring about your kingdom.”

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Wednesday, December 8, 2004 >>

Immaculate Conception

Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

Psalm 98
Luke 1:26-38

View Readings

THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

“Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens!” —Ephesians 1:3

Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters accuse Catholics of complicating the faith. Catholics insist on the hierarchical Church, the deposit of the faith, the Magisterium, the liturgical year, and several other complex systems. Then we bring up Mary, and, if that’s not enough, we speak of her Immaculate Conception, the virgin-birth of her Son, Jesus, her assumption into heaven, and her roles as mediatrix and queen of heaven. We seem to complicate our complications. Actually, we are letting the all-holy, triune God lavish His riches on us.

Mary is the quintessential example of spiritual richness. She has always been astoundingly rich in holiness, purity, and power. She truly is the queen of heaven and earth with all the riches accompanying queenship. Mary is the example of what the Lord has in store for us. He wants to make us immaculate through repentance and then take us up to heaven where we will reign forever with Him. Then we will be rich beyond all measure and imagining.

Today’s celebration of Mary’s Immaculate Conception brings up “immeasurably more than we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). Let God be God, and enrich us in a most mysterious way.

Prayer: Father, I rejoice that You are a God way beyond my understanding.

Promise: “Mary said: ‘I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.’ ” —Lk 1:38

Praise: “How deep are the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!” (Rm 11:33) Praise You, Lord, for Mary’s obedient response to Your plan for salvation.

[annalex]

Lk 1:26-38
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
26	And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth,	in mense autem sexto missus est angelus Gabrihel a Deo in civitatem Galilaeae cui nomen Nazareth
27	To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary.	ad virginem desponsatam viro cui nomen erat Ioseph de domo David et nomen virginis Maria
28	And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.	et ingressus angelus ad eam dixit have gratia plena Dominus tecum benedicta tu in mulieribus
29	Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.	quae cum vidisset turbata est in sermone eius et cogitabat qualis esset ista salutatio
30	And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.	et ait angelus ei ne timeas Maria invenisti enim gratiam apud Deum
31	Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus.	ecce concipies in utero et paries filium et vocabis nomen eius Iesum
32	He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.	hic erit magnus et Filius Altissimi vocabitur et dabit illi Dominus Deus sedem David patris eius
33	And of his kingdom there shall be no end.	et regnabit in domo Iacob in aeternum et regni eius non erit finis
34	And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?	dixit autem Maria ad angelum quomodo fiet istud quoniam virum non cognosco
35	And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.	et respondens angelus dixit ei Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi ideoque et quod nascetur sanctum vocabitur Filius Dei
36	And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren.	et ecce Elisabeth cognata tua et ipsa concepit filium in senecta sua et hic mensis est sextus illi quae vocatur sterilis
37	Because no word shall be impossible with God.	quia non erit inpossibile apud Deum omne verbum
38	And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.	dixit autem Maria ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum et discessit ab illa angelus

[Coleus]

December 08, 2004

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Old Calendar: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This year, 2004, marks the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX's solemn definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. As Our Lady Immaculately Conceived is the patroness of the United States of America, this is a holyday of obligation in the United States.

Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed on December 8, 1854: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin." — Catechism of the Catholic Church

 

Immaculate Conception of Mary
"Tota pulchra es! O Mary, thou art all fair, unstained by original sin" (1st Ant. at Vespers; All.). This cry of admiration, which the Church puts on our lips, expresses the feelings of fallen man before the spotless purity of our Lady. From all eternity God had chosen Mary to be the Mother of the Word Incarnate; He therefore decked her in holiness, preserving her from all stain and making her a worthy dwelling for His Son. The Blessed Virgin's perfect redemption which, from the moment of her conception, preserved her from original sin cannot, therefore, be dissociated from our redemption by Christ; and so, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, coming in the course of Advent, heralds the splendours of the Incarnation of the Redeemer.

Pope Pius IX in his bull Ineffabilis Deus of December 8, 1854, declared the Immaculate Conception to be an infallible teaching of the Church as well as "a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful that the Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception was, by a unique privilege and grace of Almighty God in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, preserved exempt from all stain of original sin." The stain of original sin was excluded from her soul, not removed from it. Many confuse the meaning of this dogma, thinking it refers to Mary's conception of the immaculate Jesus. That is the Incarnation, which we celebrate on the Solemnity of the Annunciation on March 25. This dogma of the Immaculate Conception, on the other hand, refers to St. Anne's conception of Our Immaculate Lady in her womb.

Patron: United States.

Symbols: crown and monogram; lily; enclosed garden; crown of stars; glass (symbol of purity) lily often placed in a vase of transparent glass; lily of the valley.

Things to Do:

• The dogma of the Immaculate Conception lends itself to fruitful meditation and should be taught to children. The doctrine of original sin, the sin of Adam and its effects on the human race, is a good beginning for study. For the best explanation of the teachings of the Church on this, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 386-412. Also you might read Pope Piux IX's bull, Ubi Primum (On The Immaculate Conception) proclaiming the Immaculate Conception as a dogma of Faith. Other reading from the Catholic Culture Library:
  • Apostolic Constitution The Immaculate Conception (Ineffabilis Deus) by Pius IX;
  • Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum (On The Immaculate Conception) by Pius X;
  • Fulgens Corona (Proclaiming A Marian Year To Commemorate The Centenary Of The Definition Of The Dogma Of The Immaculate Conception) by Pope Pius XII;
  • On Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary (Marialis Cultus) by Pope Paul VI;
  • Immaculate Conception Defined by Pius IX by Pope John Paul II;
  • John Duns Scotus: Champion of the Immaculate Conception by Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.;
  • The Message of the Virgin of Lourdes by Bishop Donald Montrose, D.D.;
  • The Immaculate Conception by Abbot Gueranger
• Mary as the Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the United States. Visit or take a virtual tour of the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, America's patronal church.
• This day would also be appropriate for parents to plan their approach on family sex education, as it is the privilege and duty of parents to teach their own children in this area.
• Make a Mary candle for the feast of the Immaculate Conception. See Celebrating for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception for details and other ideas.
• Prepare an all white meal for dinner and then discuss with your children the dogma of the Immaculate Conception with the visual aids of dinner showing the purity and the stainlessness of Mary's soul. Read Teaching the Immaculate Conception and Advent and the Immaculate Conception for discussion ideas.

  Ideas for dinner:

  Appetizers: Rice crackers and white cheeses;
  Soups: cream soups, such as clam chowder, pototo soup, cream of celery;
  Main Course: chicken breasts, pasta with alfredo sauce;
  Side Dishes: mashed potatoes, white rice, cauliflower with (or without) white cheese sauce, white bread (with crusts removed), white corn;
  Dessert: White cake with white icing, meringue kisses, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, white chocolate.

• The special treat for this feast is Moravian Spritz, or gingerbread cookies, loaded with fine, aromatic spices. These are mixed on the vigil, December 7. Or make your favorite gingerbread cookie. Perhaps for this solemnity the family could make a gingerbread house or Gingerbread Bowls.
• Today, plant a Immaculate Conception Rose Bush. But during this winter season, now is also a good time to plan a Mary Garden. Flower Theology by John Stokes, website Mary's Gardens and the book Mary's Flowers, Gardens, Legends and Meditations by Mary's Gardens Associate, Vincenzina Krymow are good beginnings for planning your garden.
• No room for a garden? No time to nurture nature? Read Flowers for the Fairest by Daniel Foley to read about flowers appropriate for Our Lady, and purchase a small bouquet or a few flowers...real or silk to display for feasts of Mary.

Prayers: » Advent Wreath Prayers I » Advent Wreath Prayers II » Readings and Hymns for the Immaculate Conception » Roman Ritual Blessing Before and After Meals: Advent (2nd Plan) more » December Devotion: The Immaculate Conception » Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe » Christmas Anticipation Prayer » Litany of the Immaculate Conception » Table Blessing for the Feasts of the Mother of God » Novena to the Immaculate Conception

Activities: » A Single Branch Three Roses Bore » Ave Maria Dear » Ave Maris Stella » Beautiful, Glorious more » Behold a Branch is Growing » Cut-outs and Shadow Boxes » Feasts of Mary in the Family » Mary Garden » Salve Regina » Stella Matutina » 'Tis Said of Our Dear Lady » Virgin Blessed, Thou Star the Fairest » What is a Nameday? » Advent and the Year of the Eucharist » Family and Friends of Jesus Scrapbook Album » Advent — The Immaculate Conception » Celebrating for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception » Celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the Home » Celebrating the Feasts of the Blessed Virgin » Feasts of Our Lady in the Home » Immaculate Conception » Immaculate Conception Rose Bush » Mary Candle I » Mary Candle II » Nameday Ideas for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception » Teaching the Immaculate Conception

Recipes: » Christmas Gingerbread Bowls » Crown Cake » Moravian Spice Cookies Collect: Father, You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation of Christ would bring by His death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

December 8

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

 

A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the eleventh century it received its present name, the Immaculate Conception. In the eighteenth century it became a feast of the universal Church.

In 1854 Pius IX gave the infallible statement: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

It took a long time for this doctrine to develop. While many Fathers and Doctors of the Church considered Mary the greatest and holiest of the saints, they often had difficulty in seeing Mary as sinless—either at her conception or throughout her life. This is one of the Church teachings that arose more from the piety of the faithful than from the insights of brilliant theologians. Even such champions of Mary as Bernard and Thomas Aquinas could not see theological justification for this teaching.

Two Franciscans, William of Ware and Blessed John Duns Scotus, helped develop the theology. They point out that Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work. Other members of the human race are cleansed from original sin after birth. In Mary, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the outset.

Comment:

In Luke 1:28 the angel Gabriel, speaking on God’s behalf, addresses Mary as “full of grace” (or “highly favored”). In that context this phrase means that Mary is receiving all the special divine help necessary for the task ahead. However, the Church grows in understanding with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led the Church, especially non-theologians, to the insight that Mary had to be the most perfect work of God next to the Incarnation. Or rather, Mary’s intimate association with the Incarnation called for the special involvement of God in Mary’s whole life. The logic of piety helped God’s people to believe that Mary was full of grace and free of sin from the first moment of her existence. Moreover, this great privilege of Mary is the highlight of all that God has done in Jesus. Rightly understood, the incomparable holiness of Mary shows forth the incomparable goodness of God.

Quote:

“[Mary] gave to the world the Life that renews all things, and she was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.

“It is no wonder, then, that the usage prevailed among the holy Fathers whereby they called the mother of God entirely holy and free from all stain of sin, fashioned by the Holy Spirit into a kind of new substance and new creature. Adorned from the first instant of her conception with the splendors of an entirely unique holiness, the Virgin of Nazareth is, on God’s command, greeted by an angel messenger as ‘full of grace’ (cf. Luke 1:28). To the heavenly messenger she replies: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word’ (Luke 1:38)” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 56).