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T he Virgin of the Immaculate Conception El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ] The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, observed on 8 December, is a holyday of obligation in many countries, eg, Ireland, the Philippines.  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Luke 1:26-38 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,  to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’   But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.  The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with Go...

(From Thomas Cole, via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston & Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) ("Expulsion from the Garden of Eden," Thomas Cole. (1828)) We celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary this Wednesday. It's a big deal — a Holy Day of Obligation — because Mary is our Lord's mother. And because Mary is the only one of us born without original sin. Original sin is not the notion that humans are utterly depraved, bad to the core. We're still "very good" and made "in the image of God." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception El Greco  [ Web Gallery of Art ] The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, observed on 8 December, is a holyday of obligation in many countries, eg, Ireland, the Philippines. This year it falls on the Second Sunday of Advent, which takes precedence over it. So the Solemnity is transferred to Monday 9 December. However,  the obligation to attend Mass does not carry over . Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Luke 1:26-38 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,  to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, ‘Gr...

(From The Cloistered Heart)

Today the Church celebrates our Blessed Mother under the title of the Immaculate Conception. Being a Mom has given me a much deeper understanding of the beautiful prayer given by our Blessed Mother to St. Catherine of Laboure and inscribed on the perimeter of the Miraculous Medal..."O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." Read my reflections here...

I won’t lie; getting permission from Libreria Editrice Vaticana to gather a dozen papal encyclicals together for a unique Marian study was, well, awesome! Holding the contract in hand, gave me goose bumps. To share my excitement, the contract in part reads: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, located in the Vatican City State, in the person of the its Director and pro tempore legal representative, Prof. Don Giuseppe COSTA, sdb and Bezalel Books, A Catholic Publishing Company and Bookstore, Box 300427 Waterford, MI 48330 , in the person of its President and pro tempore legal representative, Cheryl DICKOW. Libreria Editrice Vaticana grants to Bezalel Books, a non exclusive permission to reproduce , in the work entitled:  MARY EVER VIRGIN FULL OF GRACE. A STUDY OF PAPAL ENCYCLICALS ON MARY, by Cheryl Dickow, the following excerpts: The contract then goes on to list the dozen encyclicals that are in the book which begin with Octobri Menseo the September 22, 1891 encyclical of...

The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception , El Greco, painted 1608-13 Introit Gaudens gaudébo in Dómino, et exsultábit ánima mea in Deo meo; quia índuit me vestiméntis salútis, et induménto iustítiæ circúmdedit me, quasi sponsam ornátam monílibus suis. Entrance Antiphon I rejoice heartily in the Lord,  in my God is the joy of my soul;  for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,  like a bride adorned wit her jewels. Full post here .

The Virgin of Immaculate Conception  and St John , El Greco, painted c.1585 VIRGEN DEL ADVIENTO Virgen del Adviento, esperanza nuestra, de Jesús, la aurora, del Cielo, la puerta. Madre de los hombres, de la mar, estrella, llévanos a Cristo, danos sus promesas. Virgen del Adviento, esperanza nuestra, de Jesús, la aurora, del Cielo, la puerta. Eres Virgen Madre, la de gracia llena, del Señor, la esclava, del mundo, la Reina. Virgen del Adviento, esperanza nuestra, de Jesús, la aurora, del Cielo, la puerta. Alza nuestros ojos hacia tu belleza, guía nuestros pasos a la vida eterna. Virgen del Adviento, esperanza nuestra, de Jesús, la aurora, del Cielo, la puerta While researching for Sunday Reflections I came across this Advent hymn by Antonio Alcalde. I know nothing about him nor where this was recorded. I suspect it was in one of the Spanish-speaking Latin American country  rather than in Spain. The music is by Fr Jose Cristo Rey Garcia Paredes CMF . Here is m...