Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

The Month of December Dedicated to Advent and the Coming of Christ

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 55:15-22 The Clothing and Footwear of the Brothers

Mass: Gn 3:9-15, 20; Resp Ps 98; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Lk 1:26-38

Sing to the Lord a new song.

MARY, QUEEN CONCEIVED WITHOUT ORIGINAL SIN,

MOTHER INVIOLATE,

MARY, MOST CHASTE,

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

OUR LADY OF MONTILGEON,

PRAY FOR US.

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.

(Eph 1:3-4)

O, Mary, conceived free from the stain of original sin, "full of grace ... the Angel greets Mary with this title. It is the name that God, through His messenger, chose to describe the Virgin. This is always how He has seen and thought of her, ab aeterno (from all eternity)" (Pope Saint John Paul II). On this most glorious Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, may our souls, like the soul of Mary, proclaim the greatness of the Lord; may our spirits rejoice in God our savior (see Lk 1:46-47). Immaculate Mary, your praises we sing.

Now from three of our great saints ... Mary, Queen of all saints, pray for us.

God

the author of miracles

worked three specific wonders

in Mary.

He marvelously instilled

full purity in her

so that the ark of the covenant could be covered

with the purest gold.

He made her virginal purity 

flourish powerfully

so that the burning bush could not be consumed.

He remarkably joined together

the lowest things with the highest,

so that through the medium of Jacob's ladder

earthly things could be linked

with heavenly ones.

(Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, in Mary Most Holy: Meditations With the Early Cistercians)

Blessed Lady, sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night-everything that is subject to the power or use of man-rejoice that through you they are in some sense restored to their lost beauty and endowed with inexpressible new grace ...

The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God Himself, its Creator, it sees Him openly, working and making it holy. These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary's womb ...

Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator Himself has been blessed by creation ...

Truly the Lord is with you, to whom the Lord granted that all nature should owe as much to you as to Himself.

(From a sermon by Saint Anselm, bishop, in Office of Readings, December 8)

HOW GREAT GOD IS! AND HOW SWEET IS MARY!

(Saint Rafael Arnaiz in The Collected Works: Saint Rafael Arnaiz)

Today's image: Loving Kindness through the hand of Sister Suzanne, ocso. He has done wondrous deeds.

© Gertrude Feick 2022