The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:26-29
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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is Wednesday, December 8th, 2021.
Holy Day Of Obligation in 2021. Mass is celebrated at 6:30PM.What is the Immaculate Conception?
The Immaculate Conception refers to the dogma that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of Original Sin in preparation for becoming the Mother of God, the Son Jesus Christ.Before the creation of the world, God the Father chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the Mother of his Son, Jesus Christ. The Archangel Gabriel announced to her that she was "full of grace" (Luke 1:29)—or God's "favored one," as in some Scripture translations—indicating her unique worthiness to conceive the Son of God; she "was enriched by God with the gifts which befit such a role" (LG 56). From the very beginning the Church has believed not only that the Blessed Virgin Mary was a virgin but also that she was not conceived with any stain of Original Sin into which everyone is conceived after the sin of Adam and Eve. This unique privilege enabled her to fulfill perfectly her unique mission as the Mother of God. God the Father blessed the Mother of his Son 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" (Bl. Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus [1854]: DS 2803). (Cf. CCC 966)
The Church has celebrated the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a feast since perhaps as early as the fifth century, and it was made a Holy Day of Obligation in 1708.
-Didache Bible
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When did the Immaculate Conception become dogma of the Church?
This ancient belief was solemnly proclaimed on December 8, 1854, by Bl. Pius IX in the bull Ineffabilis Deus, which declared the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary a dogma of the Faith. As if to affirm the solemn proclamation, she appeared to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes four years later, identifying herself: "I am the Immaculate Conception." The Church marks December 8 as the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
Is the Blessed Virgin Mary without sin?
Due to the absence of any stain of or effects of Original Sin, the Blessed Virgin Mary did not suffer from any of the disordered passions that can lead to sin and thus remained sinless all her life. Whenever the Church teaches that all people have sinned, it has always been careful to exclude the Mother of God, who enjoyed this special privilege of God in anticipation of the merits of Christ. (Cf. CCC 493, 508)
-Didache Bible
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Who is Mary to you personally? What is her place in your life?
Gospel Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron, Luke 1:26-38
Friends, today’s Gospel shows how Mary became the mother of all the members of the Body of Christ.
From the cross, Jesus pronounced this word to St. John: "Son, behold your mother." He was giving Mary not only to John, but through John to the whole Church. Mary would be the mother of all the beloved disciples of Jesus up and down the centuries.
Then we recall that, at the Annunciation, the angel declared to the maiden of Nazareth: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God." The two persons required for the Incarnation were, in other words, the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother.
Now we can make the connection: in becoming the mother of Christ, Mary, by extension, would become mother of all of those members of Christ’s Mystical Body across space and time. Just as the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother were required to bring about the Incarnation in history, so those same two agents are required to bring about the birth of Christ in our souls.
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Readings of the Mass
LISTEN HERE to the Audio recording of the Readings of Wednesday, December 8th, 2021, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
SELECT HERE for the Readings of Wednesday, December 8th, 2021, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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Mary of Special Grace
Mary has received a grace from God that she has done nothing to merit or earn but with which she has been freely gifted. This is a grace that will support her in carrying out the mission that God has in store for her. Yet it is also quite clear in Luke’s gospel that God allows Mary the freedom to accept or refuse this great plan for which God has created her. Her generous acceptance confirms her grace-filled spirit, and the special relationship she has with God.
The feast of the Immaculate Conception reminds us of the special favor that Mary received, and that this was an anticipation of the redemption that Christ would accomplish for all. We, too, have been loved into existence by God, and have received the gift of faith and the gift of God’s grace we have done nothing of ourselves to merit. So we can truly say with Mary “The Lord has done great things for me.”
By Fr. Joe Scott
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