(c)Mary TV 2019
Oh Mary, Conceived without sin!!
Oh Mary, Conceived without sin!!
December 6, 2019
St. Nicholas
Dear Family of Mary!
On Monday, December 9, 2019 we will celebrate the great feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary! (Transferred from December 8, because it is a Sunday)! This feast of Our Lady is a big deal!! Mary’s Immaculate Conception was the dawn of God’s supernatural intervention to begin the work of our salvation. Mary was shielded from original sin by the prevenient grace of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross, so that she could be the Mother of the God-Man. The great work of our salvation was begun at that moment. Our Mother was conceived without sin!!
In our day, that work of salvation continues through Our Lady, coming to Medjugorje by the will of the Father, to lead us into the merciful embrace of her Son. She has come to save us all!!! She told us in 2011:
“Dear children! Give thanks with me to the Most High for my presence with you. My heart is joyful watching the love and joy in the living of my messages. Many of you have responded, but I wait for, and seek, all the hearts that have fallen asleep to awaken from the sleep of unbelief. Little children, draw even closer to my Immaculate Heart so that I can lead all of you toward eternity. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (June 25, 2011)
St. Nicholas
Dear Family of Mary!
On Monday, December 9, 2019 we will celebrate the great feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary! (Transferred from December 8, because it is a Sunday)! This feast of Our Lady is a big deal!! Mary’s Immaculate Conception was the dawn of God’s supernatural intervention to begin the work of our salvation. Mary was shielded from original sin by the prevenient grace of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross, so that she could be the Mother of the God-Man. The great work of our salvation was begun at that moment. Our Mother was conceived without sin!!
In our day, that work of salvation continues through Our Lady, coming to Medjugorje by the will of the Father, to lead us into the merciful embrace of her Son. She has come to save us all!!! She told us in 2011:
“Dear children! Give thanks with me to the Most High for my presence with you. My heart is joyful watching the love and joy in the living of my messages. Many of you have responded, but I wait for, and seek, all the hearts that have fallen asleep to awaken from the sleep of unbelief. Little children, draw even closer to my Immaculate Heart so that I can lead all of you toward eternity. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (June 25, 2011)
Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart is our safe abode. In her heart, we are protected from our enemy, and filled with hope. In the Office of readings on Monday, we will read this ode to Our Lady! Pray over it this weekend!! We have so much to rejoice in!!!
Here is a beautiful hymn to the Blessed Virgin by St. Anselm, used in the Office of Readings for this feast:
Here is a beautiful hymn to the Blessed Virgin by St. Anselm, used in the Office of Readings for this feast:
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 are endowed with inexpressible new grace. All creatures were dead, as it were, useless for men or for the praise of God, who made them. The world, contrary to its true destiny, was corrupted and tainted by the acts of men who served idols. Now all creation has been restored to life and rejoices that it is controlled and given splendor by men who believe in God.
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.
Through the fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain.
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.
To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary.
God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Savior of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.
Truly the Lord is with you, to whom the Lord granted that all nature should owe as much to you as to himself.
This excerpt from a sermon of St. Anselm (Oratio 52; PL 158, 955-956) is used in the Roman Office of Readings for the Solemnity (Solemn Feast) of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 along with the accompanying biblical reading from Romans 5:12-20.
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019
