Second Sunday of Advent: The Immaculate Conception
by VP
Posted on Sunday December 08, 2024 at 12:00AM in Sermons
"The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways.”PROV. 8. 22.
1. The Redeemer and His Mother.
2. Therefore Immaculate for His honour.
3. No change of belief in the Church, but now all bound to believe the doctrine.
4. Effects: increase of devotion to Mary Immaculate; and more manifest proofs of the power of her intercession.
THE dominant thought in this holy time of Advent is the coming of the Redeemer. How appropriate it is, then, that there occurs at this time the Festival of the Immaculate Conception. For the Son of God offering Himself to become a Man to redeem us, a Mother had to be chosen for Him. A Mother of God! Picture the amazement of the angels in heaven that a human creature could possibly be so exalted! The purest, the holiest, the humblest of all the daughters of Eve was chosen.
But above all the endowments of grace, above all her virtues, one singular prerogative was needed and was granted. This chosen one should never for an instant be under the curse of fallen man. Original sin could not be allowed to taint her soul. "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways." This is what we believe in accepting and professing the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
But is it not the boast and glory of the Holy Catholic Church that its faith is and has been always the same? That what was believed from the first is the faith of all its children always and everywhere? How can this be, says the world, when within our memory the Immaculate Conception was declared to be an article of faith? The definition was simply a declaration that belief in the Immaculate Conception had always existed, and was the mind and sense of the Church. Proof irrefragable of this is found in holy Tradition, in the writings of the Fathers of the Church, in the unanimity of the rulers and the faithful of the Church in venerating our Lady's Conception as such. What had been formerly freely, willingly, lovingly believed, was now declared to be a necessary part of our belief. Henceforth obedience to the Church demanded full, explicit belief and profession of this doctrine, that Mary in the first instant of her Conception was preserved from every stain of original sin by the power of Almighty God, to His honour and glory, and the glory of His chosen Mother.
And why was this declaration necessary? To defend the honour and glory of Mary. Impiety was assailing her; disbelief was denying her holiness; and the world was sneering at her purity. Cowardly Catholics thought it prudent not to provoke impiety to insult our Lady and wished to be silent; and doubt was stealing into the souls of the poorly instructed, and of many seduced by the irreligious. Therefore for God's honour and glory, and of His Virgin Mother, it was made imperative to believe and to own that the Virgin Mary was Immaculate. What had formerly been professed in love, had now to be professed in obedience as well, by the loyal children of the Church.
The other saints and blessed ones of God are crowned with many graces, but Mary is "full of grace" and is favoured with one that no other can share with her. She is Immaculate! And this being her unique privilege, no other supplication to her touches her Mother's heart as this: "Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us, who have recourse to thee."
Two effects result from
this belief and profession in the Immaculate Conception. The first is a
wonderful increase in devotion to our Blessed Lady.
Not only have prayers been multiplied, but the wearing of her medals, the use of the Rosary, the holy pictures and statues in homes and in churches, all have increased. But above all we can notice the public testifying of our love and veneration of Mary. A few years ago, pilgrimages had almost died out in these countries. But now, not only is no one afraid to be a pilgrim, but publicly and enthusiastically pilgrimages are joined by rich and poor. The sneers of the world are silenced. Yea, even in non-Catholic papers we read paragraphs-tolerant, kindly, sympathetic-about the blind and ailing journeying to distant Lourdes in faith and hope, seeking the help of Mary Immaculate.
And does Mary fail to respond to her children's faith and trust? This is the second wonderful result in the belief in the Immaculate Conception: the miracles that Mary works through her intercession. There are countless wonders wrought in the souls of men; of those we know nothing. They are recorded by the angels. But we Catholics rejoice, and the world cannot deny, that there are many marvellous and incontestible miracles wrought year after year at Lourdes. In this age of doubt and unbelief, miracles are multiplied in behalf of those who turn to the Immaculate Virgin in their misery and distress. Thus this most favoured, honoured, exalted Queen of angels and of saints proves that she hearkens to and graciously answers the prayers of poor sinners. sinners. She loves to prove to us that, though she is the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, she is our Mother too. Though the Almighty "has done great things" for her, she does not disdain our humble prayers.
How meet and appropriate it is, then, that our Blessed Lady's festival is the harbinger of Christmas. Her unique dignity -Immaculate from the first moment of her Conception - was given that she might be worthy to be the Mother of our divine Saviour. Praise and glorify her on this great day, and for a reward for our devotion pray her to show us at Christmas her Son, our Saviour, and to obtain for us loyalty and fidelity to Him." Short Sermons on the Epistles & Gospels of the Sundays of the Year By Fr. Francis Paulinus Hickey
8. The Approaching Day. (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Sunday December 08, 2024 at 12:00AM in Advent Sermons
"1. When the sun is soon to appear above the horizon, the morning star, shining with a light derived indeed from him, but nevertheless shining bright and clear even before his coming, gives the signal of his approach. So the holy Mother of God, dawning upon the world with a grace and beauty which was the gift of her divine Son, anticipated His Incarnation and made the world more beautiful in God’s sight than it had ever been before. Mary was more precious to God than all the rest of men, and this quite independently of her divine maternity. Consider why this was, and learn a lesson for yourself.
2. The morning star is still clearly seen when all other stars have been extinguished by the light of the coming day. Mary has a brilliancy so great that the brightness of all the other saints fades into nothing in comparison with hers. If this was the case even in comparison with the glory of St. John Baptist, St. Joseph, Abraham the Patriarch, the friend of God, Job, the model of patience, Daniel, the beloved of God, what must her glory be ! Thank God for having created one child of Adam worthy of Himself.
3. Mary’s consummate beauty is the consequence of there being in her nothing of her own. All was God’s; no admixture of self in her motives, in her aims, in her joys and sorrows, her love and hatred. Her affections were simply a reflection of what God loved and hated; like God she loved all things except sin, and those who were the declared and eternal enemies of God. She desired nothing for herself except that she might see God’s holy will fulfilled in all. Is this the account that you can give of yourself ? Only if this is so are you a worthy child of Mary. "
Meditations for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests
Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank
Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests
are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted
the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls
themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them,
and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good
laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and
preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city
placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And
in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they
shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more!
Immaculate Conception, Patron of the Raleigh Diocese
by VP
Posted on Sunday December 08, 2024 at 12:00AM in Articles
Our Lady of North Carolina, Memorial to Bishop Hafey First Bishop of the Diocese Sacred Heart Downtown Raleigh
Our Lady of North Carolina:
Bishop Vincent Waters, December 8th 1945 (The Bulletin):
"On coming to the Diocese a little over five months ago, I discovered that the Diocese of Raleigh had no diocesan patron. After talking the matter over with the Right Reverend and Very Reverend Consultors, as well as with a number of the Diocesan clergy, I petitioned His Holiness Pope Pius XII to declare, by Apostolic Brief, Our Blessed Mother, under the title of her Immaculate Conception, as the patron of this diocese. I have just received a cablegram from Monsignor Alfonso Carinci, Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, advising that His Holiness has granted our request.
Although the eighth of December is a day for general rejoicing in America, since our country is dedicated to our heavenly Mother under this title there is an especial reason this year, and every year thereafter, for rejoicing on the eighth of December in the Diocese of Raleigh, for we have God’s own Mother under the title of her Immaculate Conception as our heavenly patron. In each church of the Diocese this day should be a day of general Communion of the faithful, especially of the children, and following the last Mass, or in the evening, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament should be given, during which the enclosed Act of Consecration should be recited. I ask all to pray fervently to Our Heavenly Mother for the gift of faith for those outside the Church." --
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This day is a festival of joy and thanksgiving to all those who have a due sense of the great blessing of their redemption. For whoever considers that long night of sin, which had covered the earth for four thousand years, must needs honour with joy that first moment of her sanctification, who was chosen from all eternity to be mother of Him, who was to be the light of the world, and to take off that malediction, which sin had brought upon it. All who consider this, must rejoice, when Mary, like the morning star begins to rise, and foretels the near approach of day. And this joy must be accompanied with most solemn thanksgiving, for those extraordinary favours by which she was distinguished from all that are born of women. These privileges, the effect of the divine bounty, demand our thanks; for though she was the subject of this grace, yet the mercy was to be extended to all.
But having paid this tribute of praise and thanksgiving, and seriously considered the eminent sanctity of the B. V. Mary, we are then to turn our eyes upon ourselves, and see whether we can discover there, a like subject of joy. For if so wonderful were the dispositions of the B. Virgin, to prepare her to be the Mother of Christ, some degrees of them there ought to be in us too; since, though in a different manner, it is a dignity, to which every Christian is called, for in every Christian, Christ is to be formed. Galat. iv. 19.
If we can find any suitable dispositions in us for this work of grace, we may with reason rejoice; but if none such appear, this solemnity of joy will be to us a day of confusion. Look then on the B. Virgin Mary, and see what these dispositions are. A most profound humility, a spirit raised up to God by love, and perfect conformity to His holy Will. By these her soul was fitted, and she was chosen amongst all women to have Christ formed in her, so to become the Mother of our Redeemer. Now, what can you say of yourselves? How near do you come to these necessary dispositions for having Christ formed in you?
What have you of humility? Are you fully persuaded of your origin being from nothing? That the being, which God has given you, is so frail, and you so little master of it, that you would in any moment return to the same nothing, if God's powerful hand did not support you. That your necessities are universal: that you are not able to do, say, or think any thing that is good: that by sin you are many degrees worse than nothing; and for your rebellion against God, deserve to be deprived of all grace and blessings, and to be abandoned to all misery. That as it is, your corruption and weakness are so general that you scarce perform one good action which has not a mixture of evil in it; so that whatever favourable thoughts you may frame of yourselves, you are truly, in the sight of God, wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
There are many steps in humility. Begin at the lowest; this will help to raise you, and give you hopes of coming to the top. As you advance here, so will the love of God, by proportioned degrees, increase in your soul; and so will you be still more and more conformed to the Divine Will. These are the dispositions for your rejoicing on this festival of joy. Thus you see how the dignity which you honour in the B. Virgin, may, in some manner, belong to you. Make some advances towards it; beseech God to be your help, and pray the B. Virgin to join her prayers with yours, that you may obtain of the divine bounty some degrees of that virtue which so much recommended her to God. For it will be but a barren festival to you, if you end the day with the same pride with which you began it." The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev Fr. John GOTHER
