the immaculate conception
of the blessed virgin mary
Feast: 8th December
Rank: Solemnity
Rank: Solemnity
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This Dogma relates that fact that Our Most Pure Lady was conceived in the womb of St. Anne, Her mother, without spot, stain, wrinkle, sin, Original Sin, or any inclination to sin. Neither was concupiscence found in Her. Although always believed in the Church, the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception was not infallibly defined until 1854, when Pope Bl. Pius IX declared infallibly: "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." Our Lady was preserved, we are taught, by the grace of Almighty God, and by the merits of Jesus Christ. That is, He applied to Her soul the merits of His Sacred Passion before He suffered and died for man. This application saved Mary from ever falling into sin, the lot of Adam's children, making Christ the Saviour of Mary even before She was born, He was born, and even before the Cross.
Thus, it is no surprise that Our Lady cries out in Her hymn "my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour"! Surely, Mary had more of a right than anyone to call God Her Saviour, since He most certainly saved Her from even the touch of sin. Thus, the Lord gave to Our Lady the most honourable privilege that even Eve did not receive: not being able to sin, or be inclined to sin. Thus, Mary became the New Eve, as Christ was the New Adam.
From the earliest days of the Church, a Mass in honour of the Conception of Our Lady was held on this day, and we continue that holy feasting today. The Immaculate Conception is a feast of joy for us, for it reminds us of the Divine Mercy of God not only upon Our Mother, but also for us, since He willed that His Most Holy and Immaculate Mother should be so pure for His Son. In this way, Our Lady is the New Ark of the Covenant, since like the Ark of old, Our Lady was without stain, and no unclean thing could claim Her. She is God's alone, and doom be upon the man who wishes to defile this perfect Lady.
But, because through the Immaculate Conception God, through Our Lady, crushed the head of Satan, the primal Enemy has ever since sought to injure this holy Conception, and so in our day and age the Immaculate Conception is blasphemed by those who do not, or cannot, understand how God could work so great a miracle, so marvellous a work, so beautiful a creation, a Lady more radiant than the sun, more fair than the moon, more luminous than the stars, more pleasing to God than all of Creation. From Her most noble Conception, Our Lady became Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Queen of Heaven, Queen of Angels, Saints and men, Mistress over all Creation, and the most powerful Advocate of sinners, saving Our Blessed Lord of course!
It is truly meet and right to bless thee, O Immaculate Conception! O Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Prayer for the Blessed Virgin Mary's Intercession
Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and patroness of the world, who forsakest no one, and despiseth no one, look upon me, O Lady! with an eye of pity, and entreat for me of thy beloved Son the forgiveness of all my sins; that, as I now celebrate, thy Holy and Immaculate Conception, so, hereafter I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness, by the grace of Him whom thou, in virginity, didst bring forth, even Jesus Christ Our Lord: Who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, reigns in perfect Trinity, God, world without end. Amen.
Thus, it is no surprise that Our Lady cries out in Her hymn "my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour"! Surely, Mary had more of a right than anyone to call God Her Saviour, since He most certainly saved Her from even the touch of sin. Thus, the Lord gave to Our Lady the most honourable privilege that even Eve did not receive: not being able to sin, or be inclined to sin. Thus, Mary became the New Eve, as Christ was the New Adam.
From the earliest days of the Church, a Mass in honour of the Conception of Our Lady was held on this day, and we continue that holy feasting today. The Immaculate Conception is a feast of joy for us, for it reminds us of the Divine Mercy of God not only upon Our Mother, but also for us, since He willed that His Most Holy and Immaculate Mother should be so pure for His Son. In this way, Our Lady is the New Ark of the Covenant, since like the Ark of old, Our Lady was without stain, and no unclean thing could claim Her. She is God's alone, and doom be upon the man who wishes to defile this perfect Lady.
But, because through the Immaculate Conception God, through Our Lady, crushed the head of Satan, the primal Enemy has ever since sought to injure this holy Conception, and so in our day and age the Immaculate Conception is blasphemed by those who do not, or cannot, understand how God could work so great a miracle, so marvellous a work, so beautiful a creation, a Lady more radiant than the sun, more fair than the moon, more luminous than the stars, more pleasing to God than all of Creation. From Her most noble Conception, Our Lady became Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Queen of Heaven, Queen of Angels, Saints and men, Mistress over all Creation, and the most powerful Advocate of sinners, saving Our Blessed Lord of course!
It is truly meet and right to bless thee, O Immaculate Conception! O Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Prayer for the Blessed Virgin Mary's Intercession
Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and patroness of the world, who forsakest no one, and despiseth no one, look upon me, O Lady! with an eye of pity, and entreat for me of thy beloved Son the forgiveness of all my sins; that, as I now celebrate, thy Holy and Immaculate Conception, so, hereafter I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness, by the grace of Him whom thou, in virginity, didst bring forth, even Jesus Christ Our Lord: Who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, reigns in perfect Trinity, God, world without end. Amen.