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The
Immaculate Conception
Feast Day December 8
Trace in our actions the lines of her love,
in our hearts her readiness of faith.
Prepare once again a world for Your Son
Who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
~From the
Immaculate Conception Prayer
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On the Immaculate
Conception
From the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 56
“[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)”. |
Homily, Pope
Benedict XVI
December 8, 2007, The Angelus, St Peter's Square
For this
reason, the liturgy has us celebrate ...the Solemn Feast of the Immaculate
Conception of Mary: the mystery of God's grace that enfolded her from the
first instant of her existence as the creature destined to be Mother of the
Redeemer, preserving her from the stain of original sin. Looking at her, we
recognize the loftiness and beauty of God's plan for everyone: to become
holy and immaculate in love, in the image of our Creator.
To reach Jesus, the true light, the sun that dispels all the darkness of
history, we need light near us, human people who reflect Christ's light and
thus illuminate the path to take. And what person is more luminous than
Mary? Who can be a better star of hope for us than she, the dawn that
announced the day of salvation? |
About the Feast
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 solemnly proclaimed: “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.”
~From
American Catholic
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Hymn
Immaculate Mary, your
praises we sing
Who reigns now with Christ, our Redeemer and King.
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!
In heaven the blessed your glory proclaim
On earth we, your children, invoke your fair name.
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! |
Immaculate Conception
Prayer
Father,
Mary had a faith that Your Spirit prepared
and a love that never knew sin,
for You kept her sinless
from the first moment of her conception.
Trace in our actions the lines of her love,
in our hearts her readiness of faith.
Prepare once again a world for Your Son
Who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever.
Amen. |
Prayer of St Ephraem
O
Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from your sublime heights
turn your eyes of pity on my. Filled with confidence in your goodness and
knowing full well your power, I beg you to extend to me your assistance in
the journey of life, which is so full of dangers for my soul. In order that
I may never be a slave of the devil through sin, but may ever live with my
heart humble and pure, I entrust myself wholly to you. I consecrate my heart
to you forever, my only desire being to love your divine Son, Jesus. Mary,
none of your devout servants has ever perished; may I, too, be saved. Amen.
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