• December 8th - The Immaculate Conception

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Mon Dec 7 09:17:08 2020
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    December 8th - The Immaculate Conception
    (Declared a dogma December 8, 1854 by Pius IX)

    On this day, so dear to every Catholic heart, we celebrate first of
    all the moment when Almighty God, in a vision telescoping the ages,
    showed Mary both to our first parents and to the demon, as the Virgin
    Mother of the future divine Redeemer, the Woman destined to crush the
    proud head of the serpent. This episode is narrated in the first book
    of Scripture, Genesis chapter 3. We find Her again in the last
    canonical prophecy of the Bible, the Apocalypse or Revelation of Saint
    John the Apostle, as the Woman clothed with the sun, having on Her
    head a crown of twelve stars. In this beautiful vision She is also
    identified with the persecuted Apostolic Church, obliged to flee into
    the =E2=80=9Cdesert=E2=80=9D, and as the Mother of a great Head of that Chu= rch,
    destined to govern the flock of the latter times in the final combat,
    who like that flock is Her own Child. (chapter 12) Mary, like Her Son,
    is at the beginning and the end of all God's intentions, an integra=
    l
    part of His designs for the Redemption of the human race.

    Since by eternal decree She was exempted from all stain of original
    sin from the first moment of Her Creation, and was endowed with the
    richest treasures of grace and sanctity, it is fitting that we honor
    Her glorious prerogatives by this special feast of the Immaculate
    Conception. We should join in spirit with the Blessed in heaven and
    rejoice with our dear Mother, not only for Her own sake, but for ours,
    Her children, for we are partakers of Her glory and happiness. =E2=80=9CThe treasures of the mother are the heritage of the children,=E2=80=9D said Sai=
    nt
    Th=C3=A9r=C3=A8se of the Child Jesus.

    We celebrate at the same time the ever-memorable day, the 8th of
    December of 1854, which raised the Immaculate Conception of Our
    Blessed Lady from a pious belief to the dignity of a dogma of the
    infallible Church, causing a great and universal joy among the
    faithful. The Holy See had already permitted the feast day from the
    time of Sixtus IV, by his papal bull Cum Praecelsa (1477), formally
    allowing its celebration for all dioceses desiring it. In 1854, the
    ancient faith of the people in their Mother exulted.

    Reflection: Let us repeat frequently these words applied by the Church
    to the Blessed Virgin: =E2=80=9CThou art all fair, O Mary! and there is no stain in Thee=E2=80=9D (Cant. 4:7).

    Sources: The Holy Bible: Old and New Testaments; Little Pictorial
    Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the
    Saints


    Saint Quote:
    The Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, like those who draw their
    charity from the very source of love, that is, from the Heart of Jesus
    Christ, must burn with the same love of the Divine Heart for their
    neighbor: purest charity that has no aim save for the glory of God and
    the good of souls; universal charity that excludes no one but embraces
    all; generous charity that does not draw back from suffering, is not
    alarmed by contradiction, but rather, in suffering and opposition,
    grows in vigor and conquers through patience.
    --Saint Teresa Eustochio Verzeri

    Bible Quote:
    And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a
    city of Galilee, called Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man
    whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name
    was Mary. 28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of
    grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.=C2 (Luke
    1:26-28)


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    Short Prayers

    Let not the partaking of Thy Body, O Lord Jesus Christ,
    which I, all unworthy, presume to receive, turn to my judgment
    and condemnation, but through Thy loving kindness may
    it be to me a safeguard and remedy for soul and body.
    Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

    Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof;
    but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.

    The cross is my sure salvation.
    The cross I ever adore.
    The cross of the Lord is with me.
    The cross is my refuge.

    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)