SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: FEAST DAY- DECEMBER 8TH: Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, on this special feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ during this season of Advent. Praying for hope, faith, love, joy and peace in our world today, as we face these incredibly challenging times. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the safety and well-being of all Mothers. We pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and we pray for all widows and widowers. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for all parents and children, for peace, love, justice and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world… Amen🙏
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: FEAST DAY – DECEMBER 8TH: Our Mother Mary, the Mother of God is venerated today as the Immaculate Conception. This feast commemorates the preservation of the Blessed Virgin from the stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception in the womb of St. Ann, the grandmother of Jesus. This was a special grace granted to Mary through her Son Jesus, even before He was born, to prepare her to conceive Him in her womb, which we celebrate at the Solemnity of the Annunciation. “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.” It originated in the Eastern Church about the 8th century.
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the infallibly defined dogma of the Catholic Church that “God freely chose Mary from all eternity to be the Mother of His Son. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was defined by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854. This Dogma, in accord with the text of Scripture—“I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed” (Gn 3:15); “Hail full of grace” (Lk 1:28)—was clearly understood and accepted by Tradition, by the writings of the Fathers, and by feast observed according to the general belief of the faithful long before it was officially defined by Pope Pius IX. Pope Pius IX’s solemn declaration in 1854 “Ineffabilis Deus,” clarified with finality the long-held belief of the Church that Mary was conceived free from original sin. Mary was granted this extraordinary privilege because of Her unique role in history as the Mother of God. That is, she received the gift of salvation in Christ from the very moment of her conception. Even though Mary is unique in all humanity for being born without sin, she is held up by the Church as a model for all humanity in Her holiness and Her purity in her willingness to accept the Plan of God for her.
Every person is called to recognize and respond to God’s call to their own vocation in order to carry out God’s plan for their life and fulfill the mission prepared for them since before the beginning of time. Mary’s “Let it be done to me according to Thy Word,” in response of the Angel Gabriel’s greeting, is the response required of all Christians to God’s Plan. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a time to celebrate the great joy of God’s gift to humanity in Mary, and to recognize with greater clarity, the truth that each and every human being has been created by God to fulfill a particular mission that He and only he can fulfill. “The word of the Lord came to me thus: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” (Jeremiah 1:5-6)
Immaculate Mary is full of grace. She is not only Christ’s disciple, who with the help of grace has overcome the chains of sin, but she is totius Trinitatis nobile triclinium, the noble resting place of the Holy Trinity (St Thomas Aquinas, Exposito Salutationis Angelicae, I). The Immaculate, full of grace, will always be Mother and Queen for that elect part of the Church that we hope one day to join, that will one day joyfully sing before the Almighty. Our Blessed Mother Mary under this title is the Principal Patroness of the United States of America; Brazil; Korea; Philippines and Spain and the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation.
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.”🙏
HAIL MARY: Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen🙏
MEMORARE: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen🙏
PRAYER: God, through the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, You prepared a worthy place for Your Son. In view of the foreseen Death of Your Son, You preserved her from all sin. Through her intercession grant that we may also reach You with clean hearts. Amen 🙏
MEMORIAL OF SAINT PATAPIOS, HERMIT ~ FEAST DAY – DECEMBER 8TH: On this special feast, the Second Sunday of Advent, we also celebrate the Memorial of Saint Patapios, Hermit. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and all the Saints, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ during this season of Advent. Praying for hope, faith, love, joy and peace in our world today, as we face these incredibly challenging times. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. 🙏
SAINT PATAPIOS, HERMIT: St. Patapios (4th c.) was born in Thebes, Egypt. His parents were prominent Christians, and his father was the governor of the region. St. Patapios was well-educated by the best tutors, and his learning awakened in him a desire to shun the world and its materialism and seek a life of asceticism. Inspired by the manner of life of the Church Fathers, St. Patapios became a desert hermit upon his father’s death. He later moved away to live in a cave near Corinth, and then sailed to Constantinople to live as a simple monk in the Monastery of Blachernae. There he fasted, prayed, and performed miracles until his death at the age of 83. In the early 20th century, a local priest planning renovations discovered his relics after the saint appeared to him in a dream and informed him where they were located. His relics were found the next day holding a large wooden cross on his chest and a parchment scroll bearing his name. St. Patapios’ feast day is December 8th.
St. Patapios, Hermit ~ Pray for us 🙏