Posted on 12/05/2015 7:13:53 PM PST by Salvation
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."
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From: Baruch 5:1-9
A summing up, by way of conclusion
[5] Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height
and look toward the east,
and see your children gathered from west and east,
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that God has remembered them.
[6] For they went forth from you on foot,
led away by their enemies;
but God will bring them back to you,
carried in glory, as on a royal throne.
[7] For God has ordered that every high mountain
and the everlasting hills be made low
and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
[8] The woods and every fragrant tree
have shaded Israel at God’s command.
[9] For God will lead Israel with joy,
in the light of his glory,
with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.
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Commentary:
5:1-9. By way of recapitulation, the book ends with a new song of consolation,
the fourth in the book. It promises everlasting happiness, and the tone is escha-
tological. The new Jerusalem will be given a symbolic name that indicates not
only that she belongs to God but also her main features: she will be “peace of
righteousness” and “glory of godliness”, that is, just peace and glorious devotion.
Olympiodorus offers a spiritual interpretation: “Christ is our peace and our justice
and our glory, and the example of the piety with which we should live: we, too,
will receive those names from him” (”Fragmenta in Baruch”, 5, 4).
This passage has many parallels in the prophetical and Wisdom books — Is 40:
4-5; 49:18-22; 60:1-4; Jer 30:15-22; Ps 126; etc. But particularly intriguing is the
connexion between vv. 1-9 and the vision of the messianic Jerusalem in the Re-
velation to John 21:1-4, which St Irenaeus noticed in his “Adversus haereses”,
where he concludes: “No allegorical interpretation of this can be given: every-
thing is true and clear and defined, and God desires that it be so for the glory of
righteous men. God raises man from the dead and, when the Kingdom comes,
man will be brought to life with incorruptibility and made strong, and he will wel-
come in the glory of the Father. When everything has been renewed, he will tru-
ly live in the city of God” (5, 35, 2).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Philippians 1:3-6, 8-11
Thanksgiving and Prayer
[8] For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ
Jesus. [9] And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with
knowledge and all discernment, [10] so that you may approve what is excellent,
and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, [11] filled with the fruits of
righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
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Commentary:
3-5. “Your partnership”: in the original this reads “your communion”. In the New
Testament this term has a wide meaning, mainly denoting closeness of thought,
action and lifestyle. It is sometimes used in connection with collections made in
favor of the needy (cf. Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 9:13).
Despite the fact that the faithful at Philippi were in general people of modest
means and were themselves experiencing hardship (cf. 2 Cor 8:2), they never
spared any effort when others were in need, and always did what they could to
help the spread of the Church, by both almsgiving (cf. 2 Cor 8:3-4) and personal
commitment (cf. 2 Cor 8:5), prayer and help to the ministers of the Gospel, as
the Apostle knew from personal experience (cf. Phil 4:14-16).
St Paul recognizes their difficulties are due to their generous response to the de-
mands of the faith — a gift from God (cf. v. 29); that is why he continually prays
that they may always have the grace they need.
4. “With joy”: the Apostle’s joy is one of the outstanding features of this epistle;
the good spirit of the Philippians makes him particularly happy: the very thought
of them brings him joy. Further on, in 3:1, he tells them to rejoice in the Lord;
and in 4:4 he twice repeats this exhortation to a joy that comes from closeness
to the Lord (cf. notes on Phil 4:4; 4:5-7).
The same exhortation to true joy is very often to be found in early Christian wri-
tings: “Clothe yourself with cheerfulness, which always finds favor with God and
is acceptable to him. Take all your delight in this, for every cheerful man does
good, has good thoughts, and despises melancholy” (”The Pastor of Hermas”,
X, 3, 1).
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22) and a virtue intimately connected
with supernatural charity, from which it derives (cf. “Summa Theologiae”, II-II, q.
23, a. 4). It is a gift a soul in grace experiences, irrespective of its personal situa-
tion or circumstances. It comes from union with God and recognition of his loving
Providence towards all creation and especially towards his children. Joy gives
the Christian peace and objectivity in everything he does.
6. The Old Testament teaches that God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6; Ps 119:137). His faith-
fulness means that he always is true to his word, always keeps the promises he
makes to his people (cf. Deut 34:4); therefore man can abandon himself into
God’s hand without fear, for there he will find a safe refuge (cf. Ps 31:5-6). God,
who initiated the work of salvation by giving Christians the gift of faith and filling
them with sanctifying grace, will continue to enrich them with his grace until they
at last encounter Christ in heaven (cf. 1 Cor 1:4-9).
On the basis of this verse of Scripture, the Church’s Magisterium, in reaction to
the Pelagian heresy, taught that the beginnings of faith, as also increase of faith
and the act of faith whereby we believe, are all the result of grace and man’s free
response to that gift (cf. Second Council of Orange, can. 5). Centuries later, the
Council of Trent repeated this teaching: just as God began this good work, he
will bring it to completion, if we for our part cooperate (cf. “De Iustificatione”,
chap. 13).
By reflecting on this truth, St. Francis de Sales tells us, we shall come to realize
how much we ought to trust in God: “Our Lord is ever watchful of the actions of
his children; he gets them to walk ahead of him and gives them a helping hand if
they meet up with difficulty. He said as much through Isaiah: ‘For I, the Lord your
God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, Fear not, I will help you” (Is 41:
13). So, in addition to having good morale, we should put all our trust in God and
in his help, for, provided we don’t lose the state of grace, he will complete in us
the good work of our salvation which he has already begun” (”Treatise on the
Love of God”, 3. 4).
To this trust in divine help must be added a personal effort to respond to grace,
for, in the words of St. Augustine, “God who created you without your coopera-
tion will not save you without your cooperation” (”Sermon 169”, 13).
“The day of Christ Jesus”: see the note on 1 Cor 1:8-9.
8. “With all the affection of Christ Jesus”: St Paul is so identified with our Lord
that he can say that he has the same sentiments towards them as Christ has.
This supernatural love is quite compatible with human affection, but it raises it
on to a higher level. This entire epistle is an excellent proof of how the two kinds
of love — human and divine — interweave. Charity “joins closely to God those in
whom it reigns”, Leo XIII teaches, “and causes them to receive from God the life
of the soul and to live with him and for him. Love of neighbor has to go hand in
hand with charity and love of God, for (we must recognize that) all mankind share
in God’s infinite goodness and are made in his image and likeness” (”Sapientiae
Christianae”, 51-52).
Helping others is the surest sign of true love, for, writes St Teresa of Avila, “we
cannot be sure if we are loving God, although we may have good reasons for be-
lieving that we are, but we can know quite well if we are loving our neighbor. And
be certain that, the farther advanced you find you are in this, the greater the love
you will have for God; for so dearly does His Majesty love us that He will reward
our love for our neighbor by increasing the love which we bear to himself, and
that in a thousand ways” (”Interior Castle”, 5, 3, 8).
This love is the basis of apostolic effectiveness: “A sign of love will be the con-
cern to give the truth and to bring people into unity. Another sign of love will be a
devotion to the proclamation of Jesus Christ, without reservation or turning back”
(Paul VI, “Evangelii Nuntiandi”, 79).
9-11. “Discernment”: a deeply Christian view of things, which enables one to see
the events of everyday life in a supernatural light and therefore understand them
properly — very much the same idea as conveyed by the “wisdom” so often refer-
red to in the Old Testament.
Up to this point St Paul’s prayers and exhortations have had to do with steady
growth in charity. Since charity is a supernatural virtue, “one needs to ask God
to increase it, since God alone can bring that about in us” (St Thomas Aquinas,
“Commentary on Phil, ad loc.”). Growth in charity means our attaining greater
“knowledge” of God. “The lover”, St Thomas says, “is not satisfied with superfi-
cial knowledge of the beloved, but strives to gain an intimate knowledge of every-
thing pertaining to him, so as to penetrate his very soul” (”Summa Theologiae”,
I-II, q. 28, a. 2). Eagerness to know God brings one closer and closer to Jesus
Christ, in an effort to absorb his teachings and put into practice the saving truths
they contain — to act “with discernment”, knowing what is the best thing to do in
every situation.
A personal relationship with God through prayer, identification with Christ by fre-
quent reception of the sacraments, and the action of the Holy Spirit indwelling in
the soul in grace, give the Christian a special insight that enables him to distin-
guish good from evil in the concrete situations that arise. The gift of wisdom “al-
lows us to know God and rejoice in his presence; it enables us to judge accu-
rately the situations and events of this life [...].
“Not that the Christian should neglect to see all that is good in humanity, appre-
ciate its healthy joys or participate in its enthusiasm and ideals. On the contrary,
a true Christian will vibrate in unison with all the good he finds in the world. And
he will live in the midst of it with a special concern, since he knows, better than
anyone, the depth and the richness of the human spirit.
“A Christian’s faith does not diminish his spirit or limit the noble impulses of his
soul: rather it makes them grow with the realization of their true and authentic
meaning” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 133).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 3:1-6
The Preaching of John the Baptist
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Commentary:
1. The Gospel identifies very precisely the time and place of the public appea-
rance of John the Baptist, the Precursor of Christ, “Tiberius Caesar” was the se-
cond emperor of Rome, and the fifteenth year of his reign corresponds to A.D. 27
or 29, depending on which of the two possible calculations is correct.
“Pontius Pilate” was governor or “praefectus” of Judea from A.D. 26 to 36. His
jurisdiction also extended to Samaria and Idumea.
The “Herod” referred to here is Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great, who suc-
ceeded to part of his father’s territory with the title of tetrarch, not king. “Tetrarch”
indicated that he exercised his power in subordination to Roman authority. It was
Herod Antipas, who died in A.D. 39, who had St John the Baptist beheaded. On
the identity of the four Herods in the New Testament, see the note on Mt 2:1.
“Philip”, another son of Herod the Great and stepbrother of Herod Antipas, was
tetrarch in the territory mentioned here up to the year 34 B.C. He married Hero-
dias, who is spoken about in Mk 6:17-19.
2. The high priest at the time was “Caiaphas”, who held the position from A.D.
18 to 36. Annas, his father-in-law, was still so influential that he was considered
as the “de facto” head of Jewish religious and political life. That is why, when
Christ was arrested, he was first interrogated before Annas (Jn 18:12-24). St
Luke therefore is perfectly justified in calling him the high priest.
2-3. Here St Luke formally introduces St John the Baptist, who appears in his
gospel a number of times. When Christ praises the Baptist (cf. Mt 11: 7-9) he re-
fers particularly to his strength of will and his commitment to his God-given mis-
sion. Humility, austerity, courage and a spirit of prayer figure strongly in John’s
personality. So faithful was he to his mission of preparing the way for the Mes-
siah that Christ praises him in a unique way: he is the greatest of those born of
woman (cf. Mt 11:11), “a burning and shining lamp” (Jn 5:35). He burned with
love, and shone by the witness he bore. Christ “was the light” (Jn 1:9); the Bap-
tist “came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe
through him” (Jn 1:7).
John the Baptist appears on the scene preaching the need for repentance. He
prepares “the way of the Lord”. He is the herald of salvation: but his mission
does not go beyond that; he simply announces that salvation is coming. “Among
you stands one...who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worth
to untie” (Jn 1:27). He points Christ out: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (Jn 1:29, 36),
behold “the Son of God” (Jn 1:34); and he rejoices to see his own disciples leave
him to follow Christ (Jn 1:37): “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).
4-6. In the second part of the Book of Isaiah (chaps. 40-55), which is called the
“Book of the Consolation of Israel”, the Jewish people are told that they will once
again suffer exile and a new exodus in which their guide will be, not Moses, but
God himself; once again they will make their way through the desert to reach a
new promised land. St Luke sees the preaching of the Baptist, who announces
the arrival of the Messiah, as fulfilling this prophecy.
Because the Lord is imminent, people must prepare themselves spiritually, by
doing penance for their sins, to receive the special divine grace the Messiah is
bringing. This is what he means by levelling the mountains and making the Lord’s
path straight.
Every year in its Advent liturgy the Church proclaims the coming of Jesus Christ,
our Savior, exhorting every Christian to purify his or her soul by a new interior
conversion.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | Baruch 5:1-9 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 125:1-6 © |
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Second reading |
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Philippians 1:4-6,8-11 © |
Gospel Acclamation | Lk3:4,6 |
---|
Gospel | Luke 3:1-6 © |
---|
Pray for Pope Francis.
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We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
PLEASE JOIN US - Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?
There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.
December Devotion: The Immaculate Conception
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of December is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. The Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first moment of her conception, by a singular privilege of Almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior and hers, was preserved from all stain of original sin. This age-old belief of the Church was defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854 as an article of revealed truth.
Mary was in need of redemption and she was indeed redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. The manner of Mary's redemption, however, was unique. Instead of being freed from original sin after having contracted it, she was preserved from contracting it. This was a most fitting favor for the Mother of the Redeemer.
INVOCATION
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
The Immaculate Conception from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
To become the mother of the Savior, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace”. In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace.
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 in 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, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.
The “splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary is “enriched from the first instant of her conception” comes wholly from Christ: she is “redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son”. The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose her “in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love”.
The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God “the All-Holy” (Panagia), and celebrate her as “free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature”. By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long.
PRAYER OF POPE PIUS XII
This prayer, dedicated to Mary Immaculate, was composed by the Pope for the Marian Year (December 8, 1953-December 8, 1954), which was proclaimed to mark the centenary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty, and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into your arms, 0 Immacuate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary, confident of finding in your most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.
Though degraded by our faults and overwhelmed by infinite misery, we admire and praise the peerless richness of sublime gifts with which God has filled you, above every other mere creature, from the first moment of your conception until the day on which, after your assumption into heaven, He crowned you Queen of the Universe.
O crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths! O fragrant Lily of all holiness, captivate our hearts with your heavenly perfume! 0 Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin, which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of hell!
O well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart. Bend tenderly over our aching wounds. Convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed, comfort the poor and humble, quench hatreds, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity in youth, protect the holy Church, make all men feel the attraction of Christian goodness. In your name, resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that they are brothers, and that the nations are members of one family, upon which may there shine forth the sun of a universal and sincere peace.
Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around your altars: You are all-beautiful, O Mary! You are the glory, you are the joy, you are the honor of our people! Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
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Catholic Meditation: To the Immaculate Conception on this Election Day
Saint Bernadette of Lourdes (Sermon from 1934)
My visit to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
On Solemnity of Immaculate Conception - "In Mary Shines the Eternal Goodness of the Creator"
The Belief of Catholics concerning the Blessed Virgin: the Second Eve
Pope makes pilgrimage to Mary statue in Rome, marking the feast of the Immaculate Conception
Pope: Mary the Immaculate Conception... (text of BXVI speech)
"Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te" (The Immaculate Conception)
The Immaculate Conception — Essential to the Faith
"Who Are You, Immaculate Conception?"
TURKEY Ephesus: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception at Mary’s House
Coming Dec 8th. Feast of the "Immaculate Conception"
Why the Immaculate Conception?
Catholic Encyclopedia: Immaculate Conception (The Doctrine and Its Roots)
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]
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