Saints + Scripture: Immaculate Conception of Mary

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (circa 16 B.C.): Madonna-link ūna, Madonna-link duæ, Madonna-link Array of Hope, Wikipedia-link Immaculate Conception, & Wikipedia-link Feast.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne [26 July]. This conception is called "immaculate" because Mary was conceived without Original Sin.

Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. Pray especially for the enemies of the Church & those most in need of your mercy.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Book of Genesis, chapter three, verses nine thru fifteen & twenty;
Psalm Ninety-eight (R/. one[a]), verses one, two & three(a/b), & three(c/d) & four;
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter one, verses three thru six, eleven, & twelve;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses twenty-six thru thirty-eight.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today’s Gospel shows how Mary became the mother of all the members of the Body of Christ.

From the cross, Jesus pronounced this word to St. John: "Son, behold your mother." He was giving Mary not only to John, but through John to the whole Church. Mary would be the mother of all the beloved disciples of Jesus up and down the centuries.

Then we recall that, at the Annunciation, the angel declared to the maiden of Nazareth: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God." The two persons required for the Incarnation were, in other words, the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother.

Now we can make the connection: in becoming the mother of Christ, Mary, by extension, would become mother of all of those members of Christ’s Mystical Body across space and time. Just as the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother were required to bring about the Incarnation in history, so those same two agents are required to bring about the birth of Christ in our souls.

Reflect: Who is Mary to you personally? What is her place in your life?

Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Advent of Hope" reflection (Array of Hope):

Today we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary, conceived without original sin. Today’s Gospel celebrates Mary’s sinlessness. The angel's greeting, "Hail, Full of Grace" reveals two titles of Mary. She is a Queen and she is "Full of Grace," the one who is without any trace of sin, whether original or personal. She was also given the special gifts of immunity from ignorance and from concupiscence, the two gifts required for her to fulfill her vocation as the Mother of God. Since we still struggle with ignorance and concupiscence we cannot attain the holiness of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In fact, the holiness of all the saints do not equal hers. Nevertheless, we can learn from her example of holiness.

When Mary exclaims, "May it be done to me according to your word," we learn that holiness consists in a readiness to do God's will. And what is God's will for Mary? To bear Christ for the world and to be a herald of hope. As Mary proclaims in her Magnificat: "He has come to the help of His servant Israel
for He has remembered His promise of mercy." And so for us, holiness means bearing Christ for the world through our words and our life, and being messengers of hope in Jesus! The next line after today's Gospel is "Mary arose and went in haste" to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Bringing the Savior to the world and being a herald of hope is an urgent matter. We need to "make haste," for the world desperately needs the mercy and healing power of Jesus!

This Advent let us pray with Mary that we too may bear Christ in all that we do and bring hope and healing to a hurting world. Set aside time today to say the Rosary and ask for the intercession of Our Most Blessed Mother. May she be with us and guide us today and always as we continue on this journey this Advent of Hope towards her son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Otherwise, 9 December would be the festival of Saint Valeria of Limoges, Martyr (third century), martyred in the reign of a Roman emperor, a cephalophore: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Cephalophore.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Gorgonia (died circa 375): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Daughter of Ss. Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder [1 January] & Nonna [5 August] & sister of Ss. Gregory of Nazianzus the Younger, Doctor of the Church [2 January], & Caesarius of Nazianzus [25 February].

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474-1548), to whom appeared Our Lady of Guadalupe (apparitions 1531): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Madonna-link Guadalupe & Wikipedia-link Guadalupe.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Liborius Wagner, Priest & Martyr (1593-1631), martyred by Lutheran Protestants: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Peter Fourier, Priest, C.R.S.A. (1565-1640, the "Good Father of Mattaincourt"), founder of the extant Congregation of Notre Dame of Canonesses Regular of Saint Augustine & the extinct Congregation of Clerics Regular of Our Savior: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Canonesses & Wikipedia-link Clerics.

We would also remember Venerable Fulton Sheen, Bishop (1895-1979), sixth (VI) Bishop of Rochester (1966-1969), host of the radio series The Catholic Hour (1928-1952) & the television series Life Is Worth Living (1952-1957, & successor series, 1958-1968): Venerable-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Rochester & Wikipedia-link Life Is Worth Living.

Commentary: The miracle necessary for Ven. Fulton's beatification (declared "Blessed") has been approved by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, & his beatification was scheduled for 21 December 2019, but last week the beatification was postponed indefinitely.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Mary Immaculate, she who has been redeemed in a privileged manner, is the sign of the beginning of God's project to mark all things new. It is she who unveils, with her singular grace, the new life introduced by God the Father into the most intimate depths of the human person."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Church Father Quote o' the Day

"This virgin mother of the Only-begotten of God is called Mary, Worthy of God, Immaculate of the Immaculate, one of the One."
—Origen of Alexandria, Father of the Church (184-253)

Chesterton Quote o' the Day

"The Christ-child stood on Mary's knee,
His hair was like a crown,
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down."
—G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)