Sunday, December 8, 2024

09-DEC-'24, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary


Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 689

Reading 1
Genesis 3:9-15, 20
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?"
He answered, "I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself."
Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"
The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me--
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."
The LORD God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?"
The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel."

The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Reading 2
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.

Alleluia
See Lk 1:28
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections 

Full of God’s Grace

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:26–28

What does it mean to be “full of grace?” This is a question at the heart of our solemn celebration today.

Today we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Savior of the World, under the unique title of “The Immaculate Conception.” This title acknowledges that grace filled her soul from the moment of her conception, thus preserving her from the stain of sin. Though this truth had been held for centuries among the Catholic faithful, it was solemnly declared as a dogma of our faith on December 8, 1854, by Pope Pius IX. In his dogmatic declaration he stated:

We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance 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, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.

By raising this doctrine of our faith to the level of a dogma, the holy father declared that this truth is to be held as certain by all the faithful. It is a truth that is found in the words of the angel Gabriel, “Hail, full of grace!” To be “full” of grace means just that. Full! 100%. Interestingly, the Holy Father did not say that Mary was born in a state of Original Innocence as were Adam and Eve before they fell into Original Sin. Instead, the Blessed Virgin Mary is declared to be preserved from sin by “a singular grace.” Though she had not yet conceived her Son, the grace that He would win for humanity by His Cross and Resurrection was declared to have transcended time so as to heal our Blessed Mother at the moment of her conception, preserving her of even the stain of Original Sin, by the gift of grace.

Why would God do this? Because no stain of sin could be mingled with the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. And if the Blessed Virgin Mary were to become a fitting instrument by which God unites with our human nature, then she needed to be preserved from all sin. Additionally, she remained in grace throughout her life, refusing to ever turn from God by her own free will.

As we celebrate this dogma of our faith today, turn your eyes and heart to our Blessed Mother by simply pondering those words spoken by the angel: “Hail, full of grace!” Ponder them, this day, reflecting upon them over and over in your heart. Imagine the beauty of the soul of Mary. Imagine the perfect grace-filled virtue she enjoyed in her humanity. Imagine her perfect faith, perfect hope and perfect charity. Reflect upon every word she spoke, being inspired and directed by God. She truly is The Immaculate Conception. Honor her as such this day and always.

Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body 

A COMMITMENT OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY

“Mary said: ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’ ” —Luke 1:38, RNAB

The Lord teaches us through His Church: “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” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 490). Mary was immaculately conceived “to be able to give the free assent of her faith.” A cynic may say that at Jesus’ Incarnation, Mary was a teenage girl from a rural town who had no idea what she was saying when she gave her “fiat.” Some would say that her “fiat” was not a great, grace-filled act of faith and love but an expression of confusion and ignorance. However, the truth of Mary’s Immaculate Conception indicates that Mary’s “fiat” was not flawed by a fallen human nature.

The Lord likewise wants our commitment to Him to be free, deep, pure, and great. Of course, our fallen human nature has diminished the quality of our commitment to the Lord. Nevertheless, when we receive and live out our Baptism, repent of our sins, and grow in holiness, we can commit ourselves to the Lord with pure motives. We can love the Lord unconditionally for Himself, not merely to avoid hell and obtain the happiness of heaven.

May our assent of faith in the Lord be as free, pure, and deep as possible. “Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.”

Prayer: Father, purify my commitment to You and make it of the highest quality.

Promise: “In Him we were chosen.” —Eph 1:11

Praise: Alleluia! We, with Mary, have victory in Jesus.

Reflection 3
Shared from Daily Liturgy

The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary asserts that, “from the first moment of her conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary was, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of Humankind, kept free from all stain of Original Sin.” Mary was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to becoming the Mother of the Saviour. She is “full of grace.” In the Garden of Eden, Eve hid herself when God called her because she was sinful. On the other hand, being sinless, Mary though fearful seeing the messenger of God, had the courage to enter into a dialogue with him. It is through her that the Saviour of the world comes. She cooperates with the plan of God because the salvation of all is her concern. May Mary’s holiness encourage us to live holy and sinless lives and seek the salvation of all. 

Prayers

My mother and my queen, I love you and honor you this day as The Immaculate Conception! I gaze upon your beauty and perfect virtue. I thank you for always saying “Yes” to the will of God in your life and for allowing God to use you with such power and grace. Pray for me, that as I come to know you more deeply as my own spiritual mother, I may also imitate your life of grace and virtue in all things. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You!

Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified "yes" to your will and to your plan for my life.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 343: Glorifying the Lord in All Things
It’s easy to be grateful only when things go well. But when times are tough we tend to turn in on ourselves in self-pity. But you must learn to glorify the Lord in all things. There are countless blessings and graces that God gives you for which you must experience immense gratitude. Family blessings, spiritual consolations, fulfillment of duties, etc., must all be occasions of gratitude. But gratitude must permeate everything in life, even hardships. Seek to glorify the Lord not only because of the “good things of life,” but also throughout the difficult things. Everything can be used by God for His glory and we must rejoice in that fact day and night (See Diary #1661-1662).

Reflect upon this “challenge.” Can you find joy in all things and offer praise and gratitude to God no matter what? God is worth it and He deserves your continual praise. He never leaves you and when you realize this it will be the source of unending praise and thanksgiving.

Lord, I adore You, worship You, praise You and thank You for all things in my life. Thank You for the blessings and for always being there when life is hard. Help me to grow in my gratitude for You and to rejoice always for Your Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.

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