Category: The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on PURITY, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 April – The Annunciation – ‘ … Chosen from among all other beings …’

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One Minute Reflection – 8 April – Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when the mother of supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1:26) … We had all preferred the world below to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue … Then at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.

Now was it not fitting, that a most pure virgin without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan first of all?… And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He Himself had supernaturally prepared, as His Temple…

In this way, then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one that went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a little clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2:7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1 Cor 15:45), so that the old might be saved by the New and Eternal!” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God ; PG 97, 812).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed Thy Word to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be assisted by her intercession with Thee. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), GOD ALONE!, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – St Hesychius of Jerusalem

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – St Hesychius of Jerusalem (Died c450) Priest, Exegete, Father.

“Truly blessed is he who cleaves,
with his thought, to the Prayer of Jesus,
constantly calling to Him in his heart,
just as air cleaves to our bodies,
or the flame to the candle.”

“Scripture is perfect wisdom,
starting point and point of arrival,
to which our whole existence
should be adapted.”

“You have guarded the integrity
of the temple [of your body];
you have kept your tabernacle free from all sin,
so that the Father becomes your guest,
the Holy Ghost overshadows you
and the Only-begotten Son Incarnate
is born of you.”

St Hesychius of Jerusalem (Died c450)
Priest, Exegete, Father

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on GRACE, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 11 February – Apparition of the Immaculate Conception

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 February – Apparition of the Immaculate Conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes

“I am the Immaculate Conception.”

Our Lady to St Bernadette
at Lourdes on 25 March 1858

This Virgin Mother
of the Only Begotten of God,
is called Mary,
worthy of God,
Immaculate of the Immaculate,
One of the One.”

Origen (c 185-253)

“Come, then and search out Thy sheep,
not through Thy servants or hired men
but do it Thineself.
Lift me up bodily and in the flesh,
which is fallen in Adam.
Lift me up, not from Sarah but from Mary,
a Virgin, not only undefiled
but a Virgin, whom grace had made inviolate,
free of every stain of sin.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“He came down into the Virgin’s womb,
a womb unstained, unspotted,
hallowed by the touch of Divine unction.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quotes on SALVATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The RESURRECTION

Our Morning Offering – 9 February – Hail, O Mary, Mother of God By St Cyril of Alexandria

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Our Morning Offering – 9 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – Feast of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation”& “Seal of all the Fathers” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church.

Adapted from a sermon preached by St Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, presiding as representative of the Holy See at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, in 431. In refuting Nestorianism, he is called “Doctor of the Incarnation.”

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God
Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One
Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher
of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory
of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Posted in CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 16 December – Most Holy Mary By St John of the Cross

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Our Morning Offering – 16 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Saturday of the Second Week of Advent and a day to honour our Holy Mother

Most Holy Mary
By St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church

Most holy Mary,
Virgin of virgins,
Shrine of the most Holy Trinity,
joy of the Angels,
sure Refuge of sinners,
take pity on our sorrows,
mercifully accept our sighs
and appease the wrath
of your most holy Son.
Amen.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 December – Octave of the Immaculate Conception

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 December – Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Proverbs 8:22-35, Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!”
Luke 1:28

“Thou alone and Thy Mother,
are in all things fair,
there is no flaw in Thee
and no stain in Thy Mother.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Pure and Immaculate Blessed Virgin
By St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Pure and Immaculate
and likewise Blessed Virgin,
who art the sinless Mother of thy Son,
the mighty Lord of the universe,
thou who art inviolate and altogether holy,
the hope of the hopeless and sinful,
we sing thy praises.
We bless thee, as full of every grace,
thou who didst bear the God-Man:
we bow low before thee;
we invoke thee and implore thine aid.
Rescue us, O holy and inviolate Virgin,
from every necessity that presses upon us
and from all the temptations of the devil.
Be our intercessor and advocate
at the hour of death and judgement,
deliver us from the fire
that is not extinguished
and from the outer darkness;
make us worthy of the glory of thy Son,
O dearest and most clement Virgin Mother.
Thou indeed art our only hope most sure
and sacred in God’s sight,
to Whom be honour and glory
and majesty and dominion
forever and ever,
world without end.
Amen

St Ephrem of Syria (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The very fact
that God has elected her,
proves, that none was ever
holier than Mary;
if any stain had disfigured her soul,
if any other virgin
had been purer and holier,
God would have selected her
and rejected Mary.”

St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521)
Bishop, Theologian, Poet, Writer

“He Who is Infinite, Limitless,
came to dwell in your womb;
God, the Child Jesus,
was nourished by your milk.
You are the ever virginal
Doorway of God;
your hands hold your God;
your lap is a throne raised up above the Cherubim…
You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit,
the “city of the living God,
gladdened by the runlets of the stream”
that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts.
You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Free from the concupiscence which has disturbed
our human nature, she was like a snow-white lily,
sparkling in the sunlight.
Her mortal life was a continuous ascent
towards the highest peak of holiness.
… her daily correspondence with God’s gifts
was as remarkable as her dignity.
… The most chaste Virgin Mary,
is a model for our imitation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection –15 December – ‘ … So Mary, by the word of an Angel …’

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One Minute Reflection –15 December – Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Proverbs 8:22-35, Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “So the Lord now manifestly came to His own. Born by His own created order that He Himself bears, He by His obedience on the tree, renewed and reversed what was done by disobedience, in connection with a tree.

The power of that seduction, by which the virgin Eve, already betrothed to a man, had been wickedly seduced, was broken when the Angel in truth brought good tidings to the Virgin Mary, who already, by her betrothal belonged to a man. For as Eve was seduced by the word of an Angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary, by the word of an Angel, received the glad tidings that she would bear God, by obeying His Word.

The former was seduced to disobey God and so fell but the latter, was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of Eve.

As the human race was subjected to death through the act of a Virgin, so was it saved by a Virgin, was precisely balanced by the obedience of Another. Then indeed, the sin of the first formed man was amended by the chastisement of the First Begotten, the wisdom of the serpent was conquered by the simplicity of the Dove and the chains were broken, by which we were in bondage to death.” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Father of the Church (Against Heresies, 5)

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by You, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee through her intercession that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PURITY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 15 December – Deign, O Immaculate Virgin

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Our Morning Offering – 15 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Octave Day of the Feast

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin
By St Paschasius Radbertus (785–865)

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother most pure,
to accept the loving cry of praise
which we send up to you
from the depths of our hearts.
Though they can but add little to your glory,
O Queen of Angels,
you do not despise, in your love,
the praises of the humble
and the poor.
Cast down upon us a glance of mercy,
O most glorious Queen,
graciously receive our petitions.
Through your immaculate purity
of body and mind,
which rendered you so pleasing to God,
inspire us with a love of innocence and purity.
Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace,
striving ever after sanctity, so that,
being made like the image of your beauty,
we may be worthy to become the sharers
of your eternal happiness.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, HYMNS, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, POETRY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY CROSS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 14 December – St Venantius Fortunatus

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 December – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – The Feast of St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609) Bishop, Poet, Hymnist, Writer. Another “Golden Words.”

“O Mother blest!
And chosen Shrine
wherein the Architect Divine,
Whose Hand contains the earth and sky
vouchsafed in hidden guise to lie;
Blest in the message Gabriel brought;
blest in the work, the Spirit wrought;
Most blest, to bring to human birth,
the long desired of all the earth!”

“See the destined day arise!
See a willing Sacrifice!
Jesus, to redeem our loss,
hangs upon the shameful Cross;
Jesus, Who but Thee could bear
wrath so great and justice fair?
Every pang and bitter throe,
finishing Thine life of woe?”

“Hail, O Altar, Hail, O Victim,
For the glory of Thy Passion,
By which Life endured death
And by death, restored life!”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-december-st-venantius-fortunatus/

St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609)

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on GRACE, The ANNUNCIATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 December – “Hail, full of grace …” – Luke 1:28

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One Minute Reflection – December –The Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Proverbs 8:22-35; Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace …” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “How can I speak? What praises could I possibly make of the holy and glorious Virgin? She surpasses all other beings except for God Himself. She is by nature more beautiful than the Cherubim and Seraphim and the whole Angelic Host. No language, whether of Heaven or earth, or even of the Angels, is enough to praise her. Blessed Virgin, spotless dove, heavenly bride… temple and throne of the Godhead! Christ, the Sun Who shines resplendently in Heaven and on earth, belongs to thee. Thou art the luminous cloud which brought Christ down to earth, He Who is the bright streak of lightening, Who shines across the world.

Rejoice, full of grace, gate of Heaven! It was of thee, the author of the Song of Songs speaks… when he cries aloud: “A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride; an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed” (4:12)… Holy Mother of God, spotless ewe – thou gave birth to Christ, the Lamb, the Word made flesh in thee … How amazing a wonder in the heavens – a woman clothed with the sun (Apoc 12:1), carrying the Light in her arms! … How amazing a wonder in the heavens – the Lord of Angels becomes the Virgin’s Child. Angels judged Eve; now they fill Mary with glory, since it was she who raised Eve from her fall and brought Adam, expelled from Paradise, into Heaven.

Vast is the grace given to this Holy Virgin. Hence Gabriel, first addresses her with this greeting: “Hail, full of grace” resplendent as the Heaven. “Hail, full of grace” Virgin adorned with countless virtues… “Hail, full of grace” thou quench our thirst at the sweetness of the everlasting stream. Hail, holy and Immaculate Mother, thou conceived the Christ Who existed before thee. Hail, royal purple, thou clothed the King of Heaven and earth. Hail, O sealed book, thou enabled the world to read the Word, the Father’s Son!” – St Epiphanius of Salamis (c315-403) Bishop of Salamis,  known as the Oracle of Palestine and Father of the Church (Sermon No 5)

PRAYER – Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Thy only-begotten Son, so that through His coming we may be able to serve Thee with purified minds. Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 14 December – O Gloriosa Virginum By St Venantius Fortunatus

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Our Morning Offering – 14 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception – Today is also the Feast day of dear St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609) Bishop, Poet, Hymnist, Writer. Another “Golden Words”:

O Gloriosa Virginum
By St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609)

O Glorious Virgin, ever blest,
Sublime above the starry sky,
Who nurture from thy spotless breast
To thy Creator didst supply.

What we had lost through hapless Eve,
The Blossom sprung from these restores,
And, granting bliss to souls that grieve,
Unbars the everlasting doors.

O Gate, through which hath passed the King.
O Hall, whence Light shone through the gloom;
The ransomed nations, praise and sing
Life given from the Virgin womb.

All honour, laud and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Amen

O Gloriosa Domina is the second half of the Hymn: Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera. It was composed by St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609) the Bishop of Poitiers.
In 1632, in accordance with revisions made to the Hymns of the Divine Office by Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644), it was altered and changed to O Gloriósa Vírginum.
It is sung in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Roman Breviary.
It is said that St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was always singing this Hymn. His mother sang it to him as a baby,and even on his death bed after receiving Extreme Unction, he intoned the Hymn.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 13 December – O Purest of Creatures, Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid

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Our Morning Offering – 13 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

O Purest of Creatures,
Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid
By Fr Frederick W Faber C.Orat. (1814-1863)

O Purest of creatures, sweet Mother, sweet maid,
The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid!
Dark night hath come down on us, Mother! and we
Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world,
And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled;
And the tempest-tossed Church,—
all her eyes are on thee;
They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

He gazed on thy soul, it was spotless and fair,
For the empire of sin—it had never been there;
None ever had owned thee, dear Mother but He.
And He blest thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Earth gave Him one lodging; t’was deep in thy breast,
And God found a home where the sinner finds rest;
His home and His hiding-place, both were in thee,
He was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on PURITY, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 December – ‘… Mary is the new tree of life …’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 December – Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Proverbs 8:22-35; Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “Son of God, grant me your own admirable Gift that I may celebrate the wondrous beauty of Thy beloved Mother! The Virgin gave birth to a Son while preserving her virginity; she suckled Him Who gives nourishment to the peoples; in her immaculate breast, she bore Him Who carries the whole world in His Hands. She is Virgin and Mother, what will she not be hereafter? Holy in body, all beautiful in soul, pure of mind, upright in intelligence, perfect in feeling, chaste and faithful, pure of heart and filled with virtue.

May the hearts of virgins rejoice in Mary, since of her was born the One Who set humankind free from dreadful slavery. May the old Adam, wounded by the serpent, rejoice in Mary; it is Mary who gives Adam a posterity which allows Him to crush the accursed serpent and Who cures him of his mortal wound (Gen 3:15). Let Priests rejoice in the blessed Virgin; she has brought the High Priest into the world, Who gave Himself as a victim, putting an end to the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. … Let the Prophets rejoice in Mary, since in her were fulfilled their visions, in her were realised their prophecies, in her were confirmed their oracles. Let all the Patriarchs rejoice in Mary, since she received the blessing promised to them, she, who, in her Son, has brought them to completion. …

Mary is the new tree of life who, instead of the bitter fruit picked by Eve, gives to mankind that sweet fruit on which the whole world is fed!” – St Ephrem (306-373) Deacon in Syria, Father and Doctor of the Church (Marian Hymn).

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by Thee, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee, through her intercession that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 11 December – O Gloriosa Femina, O Glorious Maid, Exalted Far

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Our Morning Offering – 11 December – Monday of the Second Week of Advent and Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God“

O Gloriosa Femina
O Glorious Maid, Exalted Far
By St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609)
Bishop, Father o the Church

O Glorious Maid, exalted far
Beyond the light of burning star,
From Him who made thee, thou hast won
Grace to be Mother of His Son.

That which was lost in hapless Eve
Thy holy Scion did retrieve:
The tear-worn sons of Adam’s race
Through thee have seen the heavenly place.

Thou wast the gate of Heaven’s high Lord,
The door through which the Light hath poured.
Christians rejoice, for through a Maid
To all mankind is life conveyed!

All honour, laud and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Amen.

This Hymn was used for Lauds in the Sarum Breviary for the Feasts of the Immaculate Conception, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation, the Assumption and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The above is the original text of this Hymn as it appears in The English Hymnal (1906), where it is listed as a Morning Office Hymn for Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Chant Tone: “O Gloriosa Domina” Gregorian Chant, Mode II, traditional.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 10 December – HOLY PURITY

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 10 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

HOLY PURITY

“Most Pure Virgin, Immaculate Mother of God, thou sees how many dangers and snares surround my soul.
Thou sees how weak I am and how much I need thy help.
Assist me, I beseech thee when I am tempted.
Gran, I cry unto thee, that I may die in the state of grace, rather than fall into sin. Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/21/thought-for-the-day-21-may-holy-purity/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/21/thought-for-the-day-21-may-holy-purity-3/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on STRENGTH, The DIVINE INFANT, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – ‘Of her was born Jesus …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conceptio of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Saturday of the First Week of Advent Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God

“And Jacob begot Joseph,
the husband of Mary
and of her was born Jesus,
Who is called Christ.”

Matthew 1:16

“Mary, having merited to give flesh
to the Divine Word
and thus, supply the price
of our redemption
that we might be delivered
from eternal death, therefore,
she is more powerful
than all others,
to help us gain eternal life.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father,
put His arms around her neck,
the One Who is the strength,
which gives movement to everything,
sat in her arms.
He, Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29)
rested on her motherly breast.
… Filled with the Holy Spirit,
she held Him close to her heart …
She never had enough
of seeing Him or of hearing Him …
Thus Mary, grew evermore in love
and her mind was unceasingly attached,
to Divine contemplation.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on PURITY, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 December ‘ … Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings … ‘

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Saturday of the First Week of Advent Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Proverbs 8:22-35, Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when the mother of supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1,26)… We had all preferred the world below, to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue… Then at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.

Now was it not fitting, that a most pure virgin without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan first of all?… And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He Himself had supernaturally prepared, as His Temple…

In this way, then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one that went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a little clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2,7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God ; PG 97, 812).

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by You, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee through her intercession that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 9 December – Tota Pulchra Es Maria, You Are All Beautiful, Mary

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Our Morning Offering – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” Saturday of the First Week of Advent Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God

Tota Pulchra Es, Maria
You Are All Beautiful, Mary
Unknown Author – 4th Century

You are all beautiful, Mary,
and the original stain is not in you.
You are the glory of Jerusalem,
you are the joy of Israel,
you give honour to our people.
You are an advocate of sinners.
O Mary, O Mary,
Virgin most intelligent,
Mother most merciful.
Pray for us,
Plead for us,
To the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Et macula originalis non est in Te.
Tu gloria Ierusalem.
Tu laetitia Israel.
Tu honorificentia populi nostri.
Tu advocata peccatorum.
O Maria, O Maria,
Virgo prudentissima.
Mater clementissima.
Ora pro nobis.
Intercede pro nobis.
Ad Dominum Iesum Christum.

This prayer used by the Church since the 4th Century for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Purity of the Blessed Virgin. It takes some text from the book of Judith and other text from Song of Songs, specifically 4:7. Many composers have set this prayer to music over the Centuries.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOGMA, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, ORIGINAL SIN, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 8 December – THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 8 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

“Let us read the first chapter of St Luke’s Gospel in order to try and understand, as far as possible, the Immaculate Conception and the sublime holiness of Mary.
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David and the virgin’s name was Mary. And when the angel had come to her, he said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women’” (Lk 1:26-28).
The Blessed Virgin was troubled when she heard these words but the Angel reassured her.
He told her that she had found favour with God and added, that she would become the Mother of God, for the Word would become flesh in her womb through the power of the Holy Spirit, in such a manner that in her nature, the privileges of virginity and of the divine motherhood, would be miraculously united.
Mary then gave her assent to the will of God and, her ‘fiat’ placed her on a pedestal, high above all the generations of humanity and all the choirs of the angelic kingdom.

It is on this passage of the Gospel, that the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, chiefly depends.
She was full of grace and the supremely beloved of God.
How then could she have been subject to the rule of sin which we inherited from Adam?
If her soul had been stained with sin at the first moment of her conception, she would not have enjoyed the special favour of God and the plenitude of grace.
She was, moreover, predestined to become the Mother of God.
Was it possible that the divine Word, Who was to become her Son, could have permitted her soul to have been sullied, even for a single instant, by sin, which deprives us of grace and makes us enemies of God?
It was on good grounds, therefore, that the Church defined, that from the first moment of her conception, Mary was free from all taint of sin, by a singular privilege conferred on her by God and through the merits of her divine Son, Jesus Christ.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, ST FRANCIS de SALES, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 8 December – Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 December – Feast of the Immaculate Conception and “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”

“O daughter of King David
and Mother of God,
the universal King.
O Divine and living object
whose beauty has charmed God the Creator;
your whole soul is completely open
to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
… Your womb will be the abode
of the One whom no place can contain.
Your milk will provide nourishment for God,
in the little Infant Jesus.
Your hands will carry God
and your knees will serve
as a throne for Him
that is more noble
than the throne of the Cherubim.
… You are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the City of the living God,
made joyous by abundant flowers,
the sacred flowers of Divine grace.
You are all-beautiful
and very close to God,
above the Cherubim
and higher than the Seraphim,
right near God Himself!
Amen”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The Blessed Virgin was chosen
to be the Mother of God
and, therefore, it is not to be doubted,
but that God fitted her for it
by His graces.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis

“It is an axiom in Theology
that when a person is chosen by God
for any state, he receives,
not only the dispositions necessary for it
but, even the gifts which he needs
to sustain that state with decorum.”
(Speaking on the subject of the
Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God).

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

“She saw herself raised to the highest dignity
that ever was or will be, for although
it should please God to create anew many worlds,
He could never make a pure creature be greater
than the Mother of God.

Our Lady humbled herself
and acknowledged herself
unworthy of being raised
to the high dignity of Mother of God, therefore,
she was made to be His Mother,
for she had no sooner uttered the protestation of her littleness,
than, having abandoned herself to Him,
by an act of incomparable charity,
she became the Mother of the Most High,
Who is the Saviour of our souls!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/08/quote-s-of-the-day-8-december-rhe-immaculate-conception/

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 December – Blessed art thou among women … St John Damascene

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One Minute Reflection – 8 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception – Proverbs 8:22-35, Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “Today the Creator of all things, the Word Who is God, has composed a new work sprung from the Father’s heart, to be written, as by a pen by the Spirit, Who is God’s tongue. … Most holy daughter of Joachim and Anne! you who have evaded the attention of the Principalities and Powers and the “flaming arrows of the Evil One” (Col 1:16; Eph 6:16), you dwelt within the bridal chamber of the Spirit and were preserved undefiled, so that you might become the bride of God and God’s Mother by nature. … God’s beloved daughter, the credit of your parents, generation after generation calls you Blessed, as you yourself so truthfully affirmed (Lk 1:48). Worthy daughter of God, our human nature’s beauty, restoration of Eve our first mother! For with your birth, she who fell was raised. … For if, through the first Eve, “death entered the world” (Wis 2:24; Rom 5:12) because she put herself at the service of the serpent, yet Mary, who made herself servant of the Divine Will, deceived the deceiving serpent and brought immortality into the world.

You are more to be valued than the entire creation, for from you alone the Creator received a share in the first-fruits of our humanity. His Flesh was made of your flesh, His Blood of your blood; God was nourished by your milk and your lips kissed the lips of God. … In His foreknowledge of your dignity, the God of all the world, has loved you and, in accordance with His love for you, He predestined you and called you into being “in the final time” (1 Pt 1:20; Heb 1:2) … So let wise Solomon shut his mouth and say no more: “Nothing is new under the sun” (Eccl 1:9).” – St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily for the Nativity of the Virgin, 7, 10 – “See, I make all things new” (Apoc 21:5).

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by Thee, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee, through her intercession that we too, may come to Thee, unstained by sin. T Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 8 December – The Stars Retire, When First The Sun …

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 8 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

The Stars Retire, When First The Sun …
By Fr Frederick Oakeley (1802-1880)

  1. The stars retire, when first the Sun
    His giant race essays to run;
    Those lamps that stud the arch of night
    Wax pale before the Fount of Light.
  2. One only star nor fades nor sleeps.
    But still her twilight station keeps,
    With eye undimm’d and beams unshorn;
    The bright, the peerless Star of Morn.
  3. When Christmas first reveals its light,
    The Church’s firmament is dight;
    Her stars still pave the wintry sky,
    A great and glorious galaxy;
  4. Martyrs and Virgins, Pontiffs bold
    And Doctors with their words of gold;
    Then comes a void, as, one by one,
    The stars retreat before the Sun –
  5. Save that Apostle, whom his Lord
    From chilling doubt to faith restor’d;
    Who now beside His Cradle pays
    No tardy vows, no faltering praise.
  6. But Mary all the while is there,
    In hymn, or antiphon, or prayer;
    Shedding o’er every page and line
    A lustre, only not divine.
  7. When Advent lessons first begin,
    We muse on Mary, clear of sin,
    And in the Virgin’s primal grace
    The promise of the Mother trace:
  8. And meet it were and duteous, sure,
    That Mother should from stain be pure;
    Who did, by high prerogative,
    The Manhood to her Maker give.
  9. For eight full days, with reverence due,
    We linger fondly o’er the view
    Of her, on whom the Father’s Eye
    Dwelt with intent complacency;
  10. For, mirror’d in that glass, He saw,
    Undimm’d by cloud, unspoil’d by flaw
    (Albeit in creature’s meek estate),
    The Beauty of the Uncreate.
  11. Years roll away—the Virgin pure
    Is stablished, lo, in grace secure;
    Girlhood’s soft bloom still gilds her brow,
    But matron honours crown it now.
  12. ‘Mary in hope’—O Mother-Maid,
    What thoughts thy wondering heart pervade!
    But wait awhile and God will ope
    Visions, transcending e’en their scope.
  13. Speed on, ye lagging moments, speed,
    Till joy fulfill’d to hope succeed
    And Mary’s patient faith have won
    God for our Saviour and her Son!

This is the original text of this Hymn from Fr Frederick Oakeley’s (1802-1880) Lyra Liturgica (1865) – English Convert, Hymnist, Writer, Translator. It is listed in that Hymnal under the heading “Stella Matutina.”
The content of the Hymn focuses on the Feasts falling during Advent and the role of the Blessed Virgin in the prayers throughout.
The Immaculate Conception is highlighted and so it is an appropriate Hymn for that Feast.
Our Image contains only those most focused on the Blessed Virgin and the Immaculate Conception verses 1,2,6-13.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

The Immaculate Conception of the Glorious and Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Memorials of the Saints 8 December

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Immaculate Conception of the Glorious and Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God – 8 December.
Patronages – barrel makers, coopers, cloth makers, cloth workers, soldiers of the United States, Spanish infantry, tapestry workers, upholsterers, Argentina, Brazil, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guam, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Tanzania, Tunisia, United States, 68 Diocese, 8 Cities.
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/08/the-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-8-december-2/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/12/08/the-feast-of-the-immaculate-conception-solemnity-8-december/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/08/8-december-the-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception/

St Anastasia of Pomerania
St Anthusa of Africa
St Antonio García Fernández
St Casari of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
St Eucharius of Trier (Died 3rd Century) Bishop

St Pope Eutychian (Died 283) The 27th Pope
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/08/saint-of-the-day-8-december-saint-pope-eutychian-died-283/

St Gunthildis of Ohrdruf
Bl Johanna of Cáceres
St Macarius of Alexandria
St Patapius
St Rafael Román Donaire

St Romaric (Died 653) Married French noble layman, Abbot, Founder of the renowned Remiremont double Monastery in north-eastern France. Died in 653 of natural causes. He was Canonised on 3 December 1049 by Pope Leo IX.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In the Monastery of Luxeuil, St Romericus, Abbot, who left the highest station at the Court of King Theodebert, renounced the world and surpassed all others in the observance of monastic discipline.”
About St Romaric:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/08/saint-of-the-day-8-december-saint-romaric-died-653-abbot/

St Sofronius of Cyprus

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN HYMNS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on PURITY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 16 October – The Purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 16 October – Feast of the Purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Today humanity, in all the radiance
of her Immaculate nobility,
receives its ancient beauty.
The shame of sin
had darkened the splendour
and attraction of human nature
but when the Mother
of the Fair One par excellence,
is born, this nature again,
regains in her person,
its ancient privileges
and is fashioned according to a perfect model,
truly worthy of God….
The reform of our nature begins today
and the aged world,
subjected to a wholly divine transformation,
receives the first fruits of the second creation.”

St Andrew of Crete (c 650-c 740)
Bishop, Theologian, Hymnist

Tota Pulchra Es, Maria
You Are All Beautiful, Mary
Unknown Author – 4th Century

You are all beautiful, Mary,
and the original stain is not in you.
You are the glory of Jerusalem,
you are the joy of Israel,
you give honour to our people.
You are an advocate of sinners.
O Mary, O Mary,
Virgin most intelligent,
Mother most merciful.
Pray for us,
Plead for us,
To the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Et macula originalis non est in Te.
Tu gloria Ierusalem.
Tu laetitia Israel.
Tu honorificentia populi nostri.
Tu advocata peccatorum.
O Maria, O Maria,
Virgo prudentissima.
Mater clementissima.
Ora pro nobis.
Intercede pro nobis.
Ad Dominum Iesum Christum.

This prayer used by the Church since the 4th Century for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Purity of the Blessed Virgin. It takes some text from the book of Judith and other text from Song of Songs, specifically 4:7. Many composers have set this prayer to music over the centuries.

Prayer for Chastity and Purity of Body and Soul
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Dear Jesus,
I know that every perfect gift
and especially that of chastity,
depends on the power of Thy Providence.
Without Thee, a mere creature can do nothing.
Therefore, I beg Thee, to defend, by Thy grace
the chastity and purity of my body and soul.
And if I have ever sensed or imagined anything
that could stain my chastity and purity,
blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers
that I may advance with a pure heart
in Thy love and service,
offering myself
on the most pure altar of Thy Divinity,
all the days of my life.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/10/16/quote-s-of-the-day-16-october-feast-of-the-purity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on PURITY, The ANNUNCIATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 16 August – … Of her was born Jesus,Who is called Christ.

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 16 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Matthew1:1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jacob begot Joseph,
the husband of Mary
and of her was born Jesus,
Who is called Christ.”

Matthew 1:16

“O daughter of King David
and Mother of God,
the universal King.
O Divine and living object
whose beauty has charmed God the Creator;
your whole soul is completely open
to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
… Your womb will be the abode
of the one whom no place can contain.
Your milk will provide nourishment for God,
in the little Infant Jesus.
Your hands will carry God
and your knees will serve
as a throne for Him
that is more noble
than the throne of the Cherubim.
… You are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the city of the living God,
made joyous by abundant flowers,
the sacred flowers of Divine grace.
You are all-beautiful
and very close to God,
above the Cherubim
and higher than the Seraphim,
right near God Himself!
Amen”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father,
put His arms around her neck,
the One Who is the strength,
which gives movement to everything,
sat in her arms.
He, Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29)
rested on her motherly breast.
… Filled with the Holy Spirit,
she held Him close to her heart …
She never had enough
of seeing Him or of hearing Him …
Thus Mary, grew evermore in love
and her mind was unceasingly attached,
to Divine contemplation.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

“She saw herself raised to the highest dignity
that ever was or will be, for although
it should please God to create anew many worlds,
He could never make a pure creature be greater
than the Mother of God.

Our Lady humbled herself
and acknowledged herself
unworthy of being raised
to the high dignity of Mother of God, therefore,
she was made to be His Mother,
for she had no sooner uttered the protestation of her littleness,
than, having abandoned herself to Him,
by an act of incomparable charity,
she became the Mother of the Most High,
Who is the Saviour of our souls!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION

Our Morning Offering – 9 February – Hail, O Mary, Mother of God By St Cyril of Alexandria

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Our Morning Offering – 9 February – Feast of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation”& “Seal of all the Fathers” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church.

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Adapted from a sermon preached by St Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria (444), presiding as representative of the Holy See at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, in 431. In refuting Nestorianism, he is called “Doctor of the Incarnation.”

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 31 December – ‘You Are All Beautiful, Mary’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 31 December – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”

“Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women”

Luke 1:28

“The very fact
that God has elected her,
proves, that none was ever
holier than Mary;
if any stain had disfigured her soul,
if any other virgin
had been purer and holier,
God would have selected her
and rejected Mary.”

St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521)

“O daughter of King David
and Mother of God,
the universal King.
O Divine and living object
whose beauty has charmed God the Creator;
your whole soul is completely open
to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
… Your womb will be the abode
of the one whom no place can contain.
Your milk will provide nourishment for God,
in the little Infant Jesus.
Your hands will carry God
and your knees will serve
as a throne for Him
that is more noble
than the throne of the Cherubim.
… You are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the city of the living God,
made joyous by abundant flowers,
the sacred flowers of Divine grace.
You are all-beautiful
and very close to God,
above the Cherubim
and higher than the Seraphim,
right near God Himself!
Amen”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Tota Pulchra Es, Maria
You Are All Beautiful, Mary
Unknown Author – 4th Century

You are all beautiful, Mary,
and the original stain is not in you.
You are the glory of Jerusalem,
you are the joy of Israel,
you give honour to our people.
You are an advocate of sinners.
O Mary, O Mary,
Virgin most intelligent,
Mother most merciful.
Pray for us,
Plead for us,
To the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Et macula originalis non est in Te.
Tu gloria Ierusalem.
Tu laetitia Israel.
Tu honorificentia populi nostri.
Tu advocata peccatorum.
O Maria, O Maria,
Virgo prudentissima.
Mater clementissima.
Ora pro nobis.
Intercede pro nobis.
Ad Dominum Iesum Christum.

“Let us promise, therefore,
that we shall not be unworthy children
of so great a Mother.
Let us promise to remain free
from the slightest taint of sin,
in order to please God and our Blessed Mother.
Let us promise, finally, to make daily progress
towards that level of sanctity
which God requires of us, i
n the particular state
in which He has placed us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 29 December – Afar from Where the Sun Doth Rise, A Solis Ortus Cardine

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 29 December – The Fifth Day of the Octave of Christmas – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”

Afar from Where the Sun Doth Rise
A Solis Ortus Cardine
By Coelius Sedulius (Died c 450)
Trans Fr Ronald A Knox (1888-1957)

Afar from where the sun doth rise
To lands beneath the western skies,
Homage to Christ our King we pay,
Born of a Virgin’s womb this day

Blessed Creator, Thou didst take__
A servant’s likeness for our sake,
And didst in flesh our flesh restore
To bid Thy creature live once more.

Chaste was the womb where Thou didst dwell,
Of heavenly grace the hidden cell;
Nor might the blessed Maid proclaim
Whence her dread Guest in secret came.

Down from on high God came to rest__
His glory in a sinless breast;
Obedience at His word believed,
And virgin innocence conceived.

Ere long, that holy child she bore
By Gabriel’s message named before,
Whom yet unborn, with eager pride,
The swift forerunner prophesied.

Fast doth He sleep, where straw doth spread,
A humble manger for His bed.
A Mother’s milk that strength renewed,
Which gives the birds of heaven their food.

Glory to God, the angels cry;
Earth hears the echo from on high;
Mankind’s true Shepherd and it’s Lord
By shepherd hearts is first adored.

“A Solis Ortus Cardine…” (Latin for “From the Pivot of the Sun’s Rising”) is a poem by Christian Poet, Coelius Sedulius (Died c 450), recounting Christ’s life from His Birth to His Resurrection.
Its 23 stanzas each begin with a consecutive letter of the Latin alphabet, making the poem an abecedarius.
It is one of the oldest parts of the Roman Catholic liturgy, with two Hymns formed from the first seven and four later verses.
There have been monastic translations into English and later translations into many other languages..

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 December – ‘ … Let us then run to Bethlehem, the town of the Good News! … ‘

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 December – “The Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Day! – The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception” – Titus 2:11-15, Luke 2:1-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“… For today in the City of David, a Saviour has been born to you, Who is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:11

REFLECTION – “Brethren, now we have been told about the miracle, let us turn aside to see this unusual sight, as Moses did (Ex 3:3) – in Mary, the burning bush is not consumed, the Virgin gives birth to the Light, without defilement … Let us then run to Bethlehem, the town of the Good News! If we are real shepherds, staying awake on our watch, then it is to us that the voice of the Angels is addressed, announcing a great joy … “Glory to God in the highest for peace is coming down to earth!”  There, where, only yesterday, there was nothing but misfortune, battlefields and exile, now earth receives peace for today “Truth shall spring out of the earth and justice shall look down from heaven” (Ps 84[85]:12). Behold the fruit earth gives to humankind, in reward for the goodwill reigning among men (Lk 2:14). God is joined to man, to raise man to the stature of God.

At this news, my brethren, let us go to Bethlehem to behold … the mystery of the crib, a child wrapped in swaddling clothes rests in a manger. A Virgin, after giving birth, His undefiled Mother, embraces her Son. Let us repeat the words of the prophet along with the shepherds: “As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of our God.” (Ps 47[48]:9)

But why does our Lord seek shelter in this cave at Bethlehem? Why is He sleeping in a manger? Why does He participate in Israel’s census?  My brethren, He who brings liberty to the world, comes to be born into our slavery to death. He is born in this cave to reveal Himself to us, who are immersed in darkness and the shadow of death. He rests in a manger because, He is the One Who makes grass grow for the cattle (Ps 104[103],14). He is the Bread of Life, Who feeds us with a spiritual food that we too might live in the Spirit… What more joyful Feast is there than that of today? Christ, the Sun of Justice (Mal 3,20), comes to illumine our night. What had fallen, is raised up again, what was overcome, is now set free… what was dead is restored to life… Let us all sing today with one voice over all the earth: “Death came through one man, Adam, today salvation has come through One Man (cf Rom 5,17)” … St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–c 395) Bishop, Father of the Church (Sermon on the Nativity).

PRAYER – O God, Who have brightened this most holy night with the splendour of the true Light, grant, we beseech Thee that we may know in Heaven the joy of that light which we have known mystically on earth. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 17 December – O Purest of Creatures, Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 17 December – Saturday of Ember Week in Advent – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”

O Purest of Creatures,
Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid
By Fr Frederick W Faber C.Orat. (1814-1863)

O Purest of creatures, sweet Mother, sweet maid,
The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid!
Dark night hath come down on us, Mother! and we
Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world,
And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled;
And the tempest-tossed Church,—
all her eyes are on thee;
They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

He gazed on thy soul, it was spotless and fair,
For the empire of sin—it had never been there;
None ever had owned thee, dear Mother but He.
And He blest thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Earth gave Him one lodging; t’was deep in thy breast,
And God found a home where the sinner finds rest;
His home and His hiding-place, both were in thee,
He was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!