Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of December is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. The Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first moment of her conception, by a singular privilege of Almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior and hers, was preserved from all stain of original sin. This age-old belief of the Church was defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854 as an article of revealed truth.

Mary was in need of redemption and she was indeed f redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. The manner of Mary's redemption, however, was unique. Instead of being freed from original sin after having contracted it, she was preserved from contracting it. This was a most fitting favor for the Mother of the Redeemer.

INVOCATION
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

TO THE VIRGIN IMMACULATE
O Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from thy sublime height turn upon me thine eyes of pity. Filled with confidence in thy goodness and knowing full well thy power, I beseech thee to extend to. me thine assistance in the journey of life, which is so full of dangers for my soul. And in order that I may never be the slave of the devil through sin, , but may ever live with my heart humble and pure, I entrust myself wholly to thee. I consecrate my heart to thee for ever, my only desire being to love thy divine Son Jesus. Mary, none of thy devout servants has ever perished; may I too be saved. Amen.

PRAYER OF PRAISE
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 all bow low before thee; we invoke thee and implore thine aid. Rescue us, 0 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 judgment; 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 honor and glory, majesty and dominion for ever and ever world without end. Amen.
Saint Ephrem the Syrian

PRAYER OF POPE PIUS XII
This prayer, dedicated to Mary Immaculate, was composed by the Pope for the Marian Year (December 8, 1953-December 8, 1954), which was proclaimed to mark the centenary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty, and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into your arms, 0 Immacuate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary, confident of finding in your most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.

Though degraded by our faults and overwhelmed by infinite misery, we admire and praise the peerless richness of sublime gifts with which God has filled you, above every other mere creature, from the first moment of your conception until the day on which, after your assumption into heaven, He crowned you Queen of the Universe.

O crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths! O fragrant Lily of all holiness, captivate our hearts with your heavenly perfume! 0 Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin, which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of hell!

O well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart. Bend tenderly over our aching wounds. Convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed, comfort the poor and humble, quench hatreds, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity in youth, protect the holy Church, make all men feel the attraction of Christian goodness. In your name, resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that they are brothers, and that the nations are members of one family, upon which may there shine forth the sun of a universal and sincere peace.

Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around your altars: You are all-beautiful, O Mary! You are the glory, you are the joy, you are the honor of our people! Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

< U.S. Catholic bishops to renew consecration of nation to Immaculate Conception

Catholic Meditation: To the Immaculate Conception on this Election Day

My visit to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

On Solemnity of Immaculate Conception - "In Mary Shines the Eternal Goodness of the Creator"

Pope makes pilgrimage to Mary statue in Rome, marking the feast of the Immaculate Conception

Pope: Mary the Immaculate Conception... (text of BXVI speech)

"Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te" (The Immaculate Conception)

The Immaculate Conception — Essential to the Faith

"Who Are You, Immaculate Conception?"

TURKEY Ephesus: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception at Mary’s House

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Catholic Encyclopedia: Immaculate Conception (The Doctrine and Its Roots)

The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady December 8

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Ineffabilis Deus: 8 December 1854 (Dogma of the Immaculate Conception)

Why do we believe in the Immaculate Conception?

John Paul II goes to Lourdes; reflections on the Immaculate Conception

Your Praises We Sing--on the Dogma of the Proclamation of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8th

Eastern Christianity and the Immaculate Conception (Q&A From EWTN)

Memorandum on the Immaculate Conception [Newman]

On The Feast of The Immaculate Conception, The Patroness of the US, We Must Pray For Our Country[Read only]

From: Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

The Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet

[19] Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his
covenant was seen within his temple.

The Woman Fleeing from the Dragon

[1] And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the
sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve
stars; [2] she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth,
in anguish for delivery [3] And another portent appeared in heaven;
behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven
diadems upon his heads. [4] His tail swept down a third of the stars of
heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the
woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child
when she brought it forth; [5] she brought forth a male child, one who
is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught
up to God and to his throne, [6] and the woman fled into the
wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God.

[10] And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and
the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ
have come.

Commentary:

19. The seer introduces the heavenly temple (the location par
excellence of God's presence), paralleling the earlier mention of the
temple of Jerusalem (cf. 11:1-2). The opening of the temple and the
sight of the Ark of the Covenant show that the messianic era has come
to an end and God's work of salvation has been completed. The ark
was the symbol of Israel's election and salvation and of God's presence
in the midst of his people. According to a Jewish tradition, reported in
2 Maccabees 2:4-8, Jeremiah placed the ark in a secret hiding place
prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, and it would be seen again when
the Messiah carne. The author of the Apocalypse uses this to assure
us that God has not forgotten his covenant: he has sealed it definitively
in heaven, where the ark is located.

Many early commentators interpreted the ark as a reference to Christ's
sacred humanity, and St Bede explains that just as the manna was kept
in the original ark, so Christ's divinity lies hidden in his sacred
body (cf. "Explanatio Apocalypsis", 11, 19).

The heavenly covenant is the new and eternal one made by Jesus
Christ (cf. Mt 26:26-29 and par.) which will be revealed to all at his se-
cond coming when the Church will triumph, as the Apocalypse goes on
to describe. The presence of the ark in the heavenly temple symbolizes
the sublimity of the messianic kingdom, which exceeds anything man
could create. "The vigilant and active expectation of the coming of the
Kingdom is also the expectation of a finally perfect justice for the li-
ving and the dead, for people of all times and places, a justice which
Jesus Christ, installed as supreme Judge, will establish (cf. Mt
24:29-44, 46; Acts 10:42; 2 Cor 5: 10). This promise, which surpas-
ses all human possibilities, directly concerns our life in this world. For
true justice must include everyone; it must explain the immense load
of suffering borne by all generations. In fact, without the resurrection
of the dead and the Lord's judgment, there is no justice in the full
sense of the term. The promise of the resurrection is freely made to
meet the desire for true justice dwelling in the human heart" (SCDF,
"Libertatis Conscientia", 60).

The thunder and lightning which accompany the appearance of the ark
are reminiscent of the way God made his presence felt on Sinai; they
reveal God's mighty intervention (cf. Rev 4:5; 8:5) which is now accom-
panied by the chastisement of the wicked, symbolized by the earth-
quake and hailstones (cf. Ex 9: 13-35).

1-17. We are now introduced to the contenders in the eschatological
battles which mark the final confrontation between God and his
adversary, the devil. The author uses three portents to describe the
leading figures involved, and the war itself. The first is the woman
and her offspring, including the Messiah (12:1-2); the second is the
dragon, who will later transfer his power to the beasts (12:3); the
third, the seven angels with the seven bowls (15:1).

Three successive confrontations with the dragon are described--1) that
of the Messiah to whom the woman gives birth (12:1-6); 2) that of St
Michael and his angels (12:7-12); and 3) that of the woman and the
rest of her offspring (12:13-17) These confrontations should not be seen
as being in chronological order. They are more like three distinct pic-
tures placed side by side because they are closely connected: in each
the same enemy, the devil, does battle with God's plans and with those
whom God uses to carry them out.

1-2. The mysterious figure of the woman has been interpreted ever since
the time of the Fathers of the Church as referring to the ancient people
of Israel, or the Church of Jesus Christ, or the Blessed Virgin. The text
supports all of these interpretations but in none do all the details fit.
The woman can stand for the people of Israel, for it is from that people
that the Messiah comes, and Isaiah compares Israel to "a woman with
child, who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near her
time" (Is 26:17).

She can also stand for the Church, whose children strive to overcome
evil and to bear witness to Jesus Christ (cf. v. 17). Following this inter-
pretation St Gregory wrote: "The sun stands for the light of truth, and
the moon for the transitoriness of temporal things; the holy Church is
clothed like the sun because she is protected by the splendor of
supernatural truth, and she has the moon under her feet because she
is above all earthly things" ("Moralia", 34, 12).

The passage can also refer to the Virgin Mary because it was she who
truly and historically gave birth to the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord
(cf. v. 5). St Bernard comments: "The sun contains permanent color
and splendor; whereas the moon's brightness is unpredictable and
changeable, for it never stays the same. It is quite right, then, for Mary
to be depicted as clothed with the sun, for she entered the profundity
of divine wisdom much further than one can possibly conceive" ("De
B. Virgine", 2).

In his account of the Annunciation, St Luke sees Mary as representing
the faithful remnant of Israel; the angel greets her with the greeting gi-
ven in Zephaniah 3:15 to the daughter of Zion (cf. notes on Lk 1:26- 31).
St Paul in Galatians 4:4 sees a woman as the symbol of the Church,
our mother; and non-canonical Jewish literature contemporary with the
Book of Revelation quite often personifies the community as a woman.
So, the inspired text of the Apocalypse is open to interpreting this wo-
man as a direct reference to the Blessed Virgin who, as mother,
shares in the pain of Calvary (cf. Lk 2:35) and who was earlier prophe-
sied in Isaiah 7:14 as a "sign" (cf. Mt 1:22-23). At the same time the
woman can be interpreted as standing for the people of God, the
Church, whom the figure of Mary represents.

The Second Vatican Council has solemnly taught that Mary is a "type"
or symbol of the Church, for "in the mystery of the Church, which is
itself rightly called mother and virgin, the Blessed Virgin stands out
in eminent and singular fashion as exemplar both of virgin and mother.
Through her faith and obedience she gave birth on earth to the very
Son of the Father, not through the knowledge of man but by the over-
shadowing of the Holy Spirit, in the manner of a new Eve who placed
her faith, not in the serpent of old but in God's messenger, without
wavering in doubt. The Son whom she brought forth is he whom God
placed as the first-born among many brethren (cf. Rom 8:29), that is,
the faithful, in whose generation and formation she cooperates with a
mother's love" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 63).

The description of the woman indicates her heavenly glory, and the
twelve stars of her victorious crown symbolize the people of God--the
twelve patriarchs (cf. Gen 37:9) and the twelve apostles. And so, inde-
pendently of the chronological aspects of the text, the Church sees in
this heavenly woman the Blessed Virgin, "taken up body and soul into
heavenly glory, when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord
as Queen over all things, that she might be the more fully conformed
to her Son, the Lord of lords (cf. Rev 19:16) and conqueror of sin and
death" ("Lumen Gentium", 59). The Blessed Virgin is indeed the great
sign, for, as St Bonaventure says, "God could have made none greater.
He could have made a greater world and a greater heaven; but not a
woman greater than his own mother" ("Speculum", 8).

3-4. In his description of the devil (cf. v. 9), St John uses symbols taken
from the Old Testament. The dragon or serpent comes from Genesis
3:1-24, a passage which underlies all the latter half of this book. Its
red color and seven heads with seven diadems show that it is bringing
its full force to bear to wage this war. The ten horns in Daniel 7:7 stand
for the kings who are Israel's enemies; in Daniel a horn is also men-
tioned to refer to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, of whom Daniel also says
(to emphasize the greatness of Antiochus' victories) that it cast stars
down from heaven onto the earth (cf. Dan 8:10). Satan drags other
angels along with him, as the text later recounts (Rev 12:9). All these
symbols, then, are designed to convey the enormous power of Satan.
"The devil is described as a serpent", St Cyprian writes, "because he
moves silently and seems peaceable and comes by easy ways and is
so astute and so deceptive [...] that he tries to have night taken for day,
poison taken for medicine. So, by deceptions of this kind, he tries to
destroy truth by cunning. That is why he passes himself off as an angel
of light" ("De Unitate Ecclesiae", I-III).

After the fall of our first parents war broke out between the serpent and
his seed and the woman and hers: "I will put enmity between you and
the woman, between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel" (Gen 3:15). Jesus Christ is the woman's
descendant who will obtain victory over the devil (cf. Mk 1:23-26; Lk
4:31-37; etc.). That is why the power of evil concentrates all his energy
on destroying Christ (cf. Mt 2:13-18) or to deflecting him from his mis-
sion (cf. Mt 4:1-11 and par.). By relating this enmity to the beginnings
of the human race St. John paints a very vivid picture.

5. The birth of Jesus Christ brings into operation the divine plan
announced by the prophets (cf. Is 66:7) and by the Psalms (cf. Ps
2:9), and marks the first step in ultimate victory over the devil. Jesus'
life on earth, culminating in his passion, resurrection and ascension
into heaven, was the key factor in achieving this victory. St John em-
phasizes the triumph of Christ as victor, who, as the Church confes-
ses, "sits at the right hand of the Father" ("Nicene- Constantinopoli-
tan Creed").

6. The figure of the woman reminds us of the Church, the people of God.
Israel took refuge in the wilderness to escape from Pharaoh, and the
Church does the same after the victory of Christ. The wilderness stands
for solitude and intimate union with God. In the wilderness God took
personal care of his people, setting them free from their enemies (cf.
Ex 17:8-16) and nourishing them with quail and manna (cf. Ex 16:1-36).
The Church is given similar protection against the powers of hell (cf. Mt
16:18) and Christ nourishes it with his body and his word all the while it
makes its pilgrimage through the ages; it has a hard time (like Israel in
the wilderness) but there will be an end to it: it will take one thousand
two hundred and sixty days (cf. notes on 11:3).

Although the woman, in this verse, seems to refer directly to the
Church, she also in some way stands for the particular woman who
gave birth to the Messiah, the Blessed Virgin. As no other creature has
done, Mary has enjoyed a very unique type of union with God and very
special protection from the powers of evil, death included. Thus, as the
Second Vatican Council teaches, "in the meantime [while the Church
makes its pilgrim way on earth], the Mother of Jesus in the glory which
she possesses in body and soul in heaven is the image and beginning
of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise she
shines forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come (cf. 2 Pet
3:10), a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim people of God"
("Lumen Gentium", 68).

10-12. With the ascension of Christ into heaven the Kingdom of God is
established and so all those who dwell in heaven break out into a song
of joy. The devil has been deprived of his power over man in the sense
that the redemptive action of Christ and man's faith enable man to
escape from the world of sin. The text expresses this joyful truth by
saying that there is now no place for the accuser, Satan whose name
means and whom the Old Testament teaches to be the accuser of men
before God: cf. Job 1:6-12; 2:1-10). Given what God meant creation to
be, Satan could claim as his victory anyone who, through sinning, dis-
figured the image and likeness of God that was in him. However, once
the Redemption has taken place, Satan no longer has power to do this,
for, as St John writes, "if any one does sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our
sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world"
(Jn 2:1-2). Also, on ascending into heaven, Christ sent us the Holy
Spirit as "Intercessor and Advocate, especially when man, that is,
mankind, find themselves before the judgment of condemnation by
that 'accuser' about whom the Book of Revelation says that 'he ac-
cuses them day and night before our God"' (John Paul II, "Dominum
Et Vivificantem", 67).

Although Satan has lost this power to act in the world, he still has
time left, between the resurrection of our Lord and the end of history,
to put obstacles in man's way and frustrate Christ's action. And so
he works ever more frenetically, as he sees time run out, in his effort
to distance everyone and society itself from the plans and command-
ments of God.

The author of the Book of Revelation uses this celestial chant to warn
the Church of the onset of danger as the End approaches.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries".
Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate.
Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University
of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
Reprinted with permission from from Four Courts Press and Scepter
Publishers, the U.S. publishers.

From: Luke 1:39-47

The Visitation

[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country,
to a city of Judah, [40] and she entered the house of Zechariah and
greeted Elizabeth. [41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary,
the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And why is this
granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] For
behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in
my womb leaped for joy. [45] And blessed is she who believed that
there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

[46] And Mary said,
"My Soul magnifies the Lord,
[47] And my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour[."]

Commentary:

39-56. We contemplate this episode of our Lady's visit to her cousin
St. Elizabeth in the Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary: "Joyfully
keep Joseph and Mary company...and you will hear the traditions of
the House of David.... We walk in haste towards the mountains, to
a town of the tribe of Judah (Luke 1:39).

"We arrive. It is the house where John the Baptist is to be born. Eliza-
beth gratefully hails the Mother of her Redeemer: Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I
be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? (Luke 1:42-43).

"The unborn Baptist quivers...(Luke 1:41). Mary's humility pours forth
in the "Magnificat".... And you and I, who are proud--who were proud
-- promise to be humble" ([St] J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary").

39. On learning from the angel that her cousin St. Elizabeth is soon
to give birth and is in need of support, our Lady in her charity hastens
to her aid. She has no regard for the difficulties this involves. Although
we do not know where exactly Elizabeth was living (it is now thought
to be Ain Karim), it certainly meant a journey into the hillcountry which
at that time would have taken four days.

>From Mary's visit to Elizabeth Christians should learn to be caring peo-
ple. "If we have this filial contact with Mary, we won't be able to think
just about ourselves and our problems. Selfish personal problems will
find no place in our mind" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By," 145).

42. St. Bede comments that Elizabeth blesses Mary using the same
words as the archangel "to show that she should be honored by angels
and by men and why she should indeed be revered above all other wo-
men" ("In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").

When we say the "Hail Mary" we repeat these divine greetings, "re-
joicing with Mary at her dignity as Mother of God and praising the
Lord, thanking Him for having given us Jesus Christ through Mary"
("St. Pius X Catechism", 333).

43. Elizabeth is moved by the Holy Spirit to call Mary "the mother of
my Lord", thereby showing that Mary is the Mother of God.

44. Although he was conceived in sin--original sin--like other men, St.
John the Baptist was born sinless because he was sanctified in his
mother's womb by the presence of Jesus Christ (then in Mary's womb)
and of the Blessed Virgin. On receiving this grace of God St. John
rejoices by leaping with joy in his mother's womb--thereby fulfilling
the archangel's prophecy (cf. Luke 1:15).

St. John Chrysostom comments on this scene of the Gospel: "See how
new and how wonderful this mystery is. He has not yet left the womb
but hespeaks by leaping; he is not yet allowed to cry out but he makes
himself heard by his actions [...]; he has not yet seen the light but he
points out the Sun; he has not yet been born and he is keen to act as
Precursor. The Lord is present, so he cannot contain himself or wait
for nature to run its course: he wants to break out of the prison of his
mother's womb and he makes sure he witnesses to the fact that the
Savior is about to come" ("Sermo Apud Metaphr., Mense Julio").

45. Joining the chorus of all future generations, Elizabeth, moved by
the Holy Spirit, declares the Lord's Mother to be blessed and praises
her faith. No one ever had faith to compare with Mary's; she is the
model of the attitude a creature should have towards its Creator --
complete submission, total attachment. Through her faith, Mary is
the instrument chosen by God to bring about the Redemption; as
Mediatrix of all graces, she is associated with the redemptive work
of her Son: "This union of the Mother with the Son in the work of
salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal concep-
tion up to His death; first when Mary, arising in haste to go to visit
Elizabeth, is greeted by her as blessed because of her belief in the
promise of salvation and the Precursor leaps with joy in the womb
of his mother [...]. The Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage
of faith and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the
cross, where she stood (cf. John 19:25), in keeping with the Divine
Plan, enduring with her only-begotten Son the intensity of His suf-
fering, associating herself with His sacrifice in her mother's heart,
and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this Victim which was
born of her" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 57f).

The new Latin text gives a literal rendering of the original Greek when
it says "quae credidit" (RSV "she who has believed") as opposed to
the Vulgate "quae credidisti" ("you who have believed") which gave
more of the sense than a literal rendering.

46-47. "The first fruits of the Holy Spirit are peace and joy. And the
Blessed Virgin had received within herself all the grace of the Holy
Spirit" (St Basil, In Psalmos homiliae, on Ps 32). Mary's soul overflows
in the words of the Magnificat. God's favours cause every humble soul
to feel joy and gratitude. In the case of the Blessed Virgin God has be-
stowed more on her than on any other creature. "Virgin Mother of God,
he whom the heavens cannot contain, on becoming man, enclosed
himself within your womb" (Roman Missal, Antiphon of the common
of the Mass for feasts of our Lady). The humble Virgin of Nazareth is
going to be the Mother of God; the Creator's omnipotence has never
before manifested itself in as complete a way as this.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries".
Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate.
Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University
of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
Reprinted with permission from from Four Courts Press and Scepter
Publishers, the U.S. publishers.

Maybe this is why Protestants are starting to believe in Mary. The Scriptures tell them!! And Mary praises God the Father, no one else! (Emphasis added by me in the following Scripture passage.)

Lk 1:39-47

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

Mass Readings

First reading	Isaiah 40:1 - 11 ©
‘Console my people, console them’ says your God. ‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for, that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her crimes.’ A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low. let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley; then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ A voice commands, ‘Cry!’ and I answered, ‘What shall I cry?’” – ‘All flesh is grass and its beauty like the wild flower’s. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on them. (The grass is without doubt the people.) The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.’ Go up on a high mountain, joyful messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem. Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God’. Here is the Lord coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him. The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.

First reading

Isaiah 40:1 - 11 ©

‘Console my people, console them’
says your God.
‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem
and call to her
that her time of service is ended,
that her sin is atoned for,
that she has received from the hand of the Lord
double punishment for all her crimes.’

A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness
a way for the Lord.
Make a straight highway for our God
across the desert.
Let every valley be filled in,
every mountain and hill be laid low.
let every cliff become a plain,
and the ridges a valley;
then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed
and all mankind shall see it;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

A voice commands, ‘Cry!’
and I answered, ‘What shall I cry?’”
– ‘All flesh is grass
and its beauty like the wild flower’s.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on them.
(The grass is without doubt the people.)
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God remains for ever.’

Go up on a high mountain,
joyful messenger to Zion.
Shout with a loud voice,
joyful messenger to Jerusalem.
Shout without fear,
say to the towns of Judah,
‘Here is your God’.

Here is the Lord coming with power,
his arm subduing all things to him.
The prize of his victory is with him,
his trophies all go before him.
He is like a shepherd feeding his flock,
gathering lambs in his arms,
holding them against his breast
and leading to their rest the mother ewes.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 95

Gospel	Matthew 18:12 - 14 ©
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’

Office of Readings -- Awakening Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 36 (37)
The fate of the evil and the righteous
Do not envy the wicked; do not be jealous of those that do evil. They will dry up as quickly as hay; they will wither like the grass. Put your trust in the Lord and do good, and your land and habitation will be secure. Take your delight in the Lord, and he will give you what your heart desires. Entrust your journey to the Lord, and hope in him: and he will act. He will make your uprightness shine like the light, your judgement like the sun at noon. Take your rest in the Lord, and hope in him: do not envy the one who thrives in his own way, the man who weaves plots. Abstain from wrath, abandon anger: do not envy him who turns to evil, for those who do evil will be destroyed, but those on the side of the Lord will inherit the earth. A moment yet – and the sinner will be gone: you will look where he was and find nothing. But the needy will inherit the land and delight in abundant peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 36 (37)

The fate of the evil and the righteous

Do not envy the wicked;
do not be jealous of those that do evil.
They will dry up as quickly as hay;
they will wither like the grass.

Put your trust in the Lord and do good,
and your land and habitation will be secure.
Take your delight in the Lord,
and he will give you what your heart desires.

Entrust your journey to the Lord, and hope in him:
and he will act.
He will make your uprightness shine like the light,
your judgement like the sun at noon.

Take your rest in the Lord, and hope in him:
do not envy the one who thrives in his own way,
the man who weaves plots.
Abstain from wrath, abandon anger:
do not envy him who turns to evil,
for those who do evil will be destroyed,
but those on the side of the Lord
will inherit the earth.

A moment yet – and the sinner will be gone:
you will look where he was and find nothing.
But the needy will inherit the land
and delight in abundant peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 36 (37)
The wicked will plot against the righteous and gnash his teeth at him; but the Lord will deride him in his turn, for the Lord has seen what awaits him. The wicked have pulled out their swords, the wicked have drawn their bows, to throw down the poor and the destitute, to murder whoever follows the straight path. But their swords will enter their own hearts, and their bows will splinter. For the righteous, the little they have is better than the abundant wealth of the wicked. The limbs of the wicked will be broken while the Lord gives his strength to the just. The Lord knows when the day of the perfect will come; and their inheritance will be eternal. They will not be troubled in evil times, and in times of famine they will have more than enough. For the wicked will perish: the enemies of the Lord will be like the flowers of the fields, and like smoke they will vanish away. The wicked man borrows and does not return; but the righteous takes pity and gives. The blessed ones of the Lord will inherit the earth, but those whom he curses will be cut off. It is the Lord who strengthens the steps of man and chooses his path. Even if he trips he will not fall flat, for the Lord is holding his hand. I was young and I have grown old, but I have not seen the righteous man abandoned nor his children seeking for bread. All day long he takes pity and lends, and his seed will be blessed. Shun evil and do good, and you will live for ever. For the Lord loves right judgement, and will not abandon his chosen ones. The unjust will be destroyed for ever, and the seed of the wicked will be cut off, but the righteous will inherit the earth and live there from age to age. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 36 (37)

The wicked will plot against the righteous
and gnash his teeth at him;
but the Lord will deride him in his turn,
for the Lord has seen what awaits him.

The wicked have pulled out their swords,
the wicked have drawn their bows,
to throw down the poor and the destitute,
to murder whoever follows the straight path.
But their swords will enter their own hearts,
and their bows will splinter.

For the righteous, the little they have is better
than the abundant wealth of the wicked.
The limbs of the wicked will be broken
while the Lord gives his strength to the just.

The Lord knows when the day of the perfect will come;
and their inheritance will be eternal.
They will not be troubled in evil times,
and in times of famine they will have more than enough.

For the wicked will perish:
the enemies of the Lord will be like the flowers of the fields,
and like smoke they will vanish away.

The wicked man borrows and does not return;
but the righteous takes pity and gives.
The blessed ones of the Lord will inherit the earth,
but those whom he curses will be cut off.

It is the Lord who strengthens the steps of man
and chooses his path.
Even if he trips he will not fall flat,
for the Lord is holding his hand.

I was young and I have grown old,
but I have not seen the righteous man abandoned
nor his children seeking for bread.
All day long he takes pity and lends,
and his seed will be blessed.

Shun evil and do good,
and you will live for ever.
For the Lord loves right judgement,
and will not abandon his chosen ones.

The unjust will be destroyed for ever,
and the seed of the wicked will be cut off,
but the righteous will inherit the earth
and live there from age to age.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 36 (37)
The mouth of the righteous will speak wisdom, and his tongue will utter right judgement. The law of his God is in his heart and his steps will not stumble. The wicked man watches the just and seeks to kill him; but the Lord will rescue the just man from his hands and not condemn the just in the time of judgement. Put your hope in the Lord and follow his paths, and he will raise you up and make the land your inheritance, let you watch as the wicked are cut off. I have seen the sinner triumph, flourish like a green cedar, but he is gone, he is there no longer: I have looked for him but have not found him. Preserve innocence, follow uprightness: for the future belongs to the man of peace. The unrighteous will be destroyed altogether, their posterity will be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, and their protection in time of trouble. The Lord will come to their help and free them, rescue them from the wicked and save them, because they have put their trust in him. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 36 (37)

The mouth of the righteous will speak wisdom,
and his tongue will utter right judgement.
The law of his God is in his heart
and his steps will not stumble.
The wicked man watches the just
and seeks to kill him;
but the Lord will rescue the just man from his hands
and not condemn the just in the time of judgement.

Put your hope in the Lord and follow his paths,
and he will raise you up and make the land your inheritance,
let you watch as the wicked are cut off.
I have seen the sinner triumph,
flourish like a green cedar,
but he is gone, he is there no longer:
I have looked for him but have not found him.

Preserve innocence, follow uprightness:
for the future belongs to the man of peace.
The unrighteous will be destroyed altogether,
their posterity will be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
and their protection in time of trouble.
The Lord will come to their help and free them,
rescue them from the wicked and save them,
because they have put their trust in him.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Reading	Isaiah 24:19 - 25:5 ©
Yes, the sluicegates above will open, and the foundations of the earth will rock. The earth will split into fragments, the earth will be riven and rent. The earth will shiver and shake, the earth will stagger like a drunkard, sway like a shanty; so heavy will be its sin on it, it will fall never to rise again. That day, the Lord will punish above, the armies of the sky, below, the kings of the earth; they will be herded together, shut up in a dungeon, confined in a prison and, after long years, punished. The moon will hide her face, the sun be ashamed, for the Lord of Hosts will be king on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, and his glory will shine in the presence of his elders. O Lord, you are my God, I extol you, I praise your name; for you have carried out your excellent design, long planned, trustworthy, true. For you have made the town a heap of stones, the fortified city a ruin. The citadel of the proud is a city no longer, it will never be rebuilt. Hence a mighty people gives you glory, the city of pitiless nations holds you in awe; for you are a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in distress, a shelter from the storm, a shade from the heat; while the breath of pitiless men is like the winter storm. Like drought in a dry land you will repress the clamour of the proud; like heat by the shadow of a cloud the singing of the despots will be subdued.

Reading

Isaiah 24:19 - 25:5 ©

Yes, the sluicegates above will open,
and the foundations of the earth will rock.
The earth will split into fragments,
the earth will be riven and rent.
The earth will shiver and shake,
the earth will stagger like a drunkard,
sway like a shanty;
so heavy will be its sin on it, it will fall
never to rise again.
That day, the Lord will punish
above, the armies of the sky,
below, the kings of the earth;
they will be herded together,
shut up in a dungeon,
confined in a prison
and, after long years, punished.
The moon will hide her face, the sun be ashamed,
for the Lord of Hosts will be king
on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem,
and his glory will shine in the presence of his elders.

O Lord, you are my God,
I extol you, I praise your name;
for you have carried out your excellent design,
long planned, trustworthy, true.
For you have made the town a heap of stones,
the fortified city a ruin.
The citadel of the proud is a city no longer,
it will never be rebuilt.
Hence a mighty people gives you glory,
the city of pitiless nations holds you in awe;
for you are a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in distress,
a shelter from the storm,
a shade from the heat;
while the breath of pitiless men
is like the winter storm.
Like drought in a dry land
you will repress the clamour of the proud;
like heat by the shadow of a cloud
the singing of the despots will be subdued.

Reading	"Lumen gentium", the Second Vatican Council's dogmatic constitution on the Church
The eschatological character of the pilgrim Church
The Church, to which we are all called in Christ Jesus and in which we acquire holiness through the grace of God, will reach its perfection only in the glory of heaven, when the time comes for the renewal of all things, and the whole world, which is intimately bound up with man and reaches its perfection through him, will, along with the human race, be perfectly restored in Christ. Lifted above the earth, Christ drew all things to himself. Rising from the dead, he sent his life-giving Spirit upon his disciples, and through the Spirit established his Body, which is the Church, as the universal sacrament of salvation. Seated at the right hand of the Father, he works unceasingly in the world, to draw men into the Church and through it to join them more closely to himself, nourishing them with his own body and blood, and so making them share in his life of glory. The promised renewal that we look for has already begun in Christ. It is continued in the mission of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit it goes on developing in the Church: there we are taught by faith about the meaning also of our life on earth as we bring to fulfilment – with hope in the blessings that are to come – the work that has been entrusted to us in the world by the Father, and so work out our salvation. The end of the ages is already with us. The renewal of the world has been established, and cannot be revoked. In our era it is in a true sense anticipated: the Church on earth is already sealed by genuine, if imperfect, holiness. Yet, until a new heaven and a new earth are built as the dwelling place of justice, the pilgrim Church, in its sacraments and institutions belonging to this world of time, bears the likeness of this passing world. It lives in the midst of a creation still groaning and in travail as it waits for the sons of God to be revealed in glory.

Reading

"Lumen gentium", the Second Vatican Council's dogmatic constitution on the Church

The eschatological character of the pilgrim Church

The Church, to which we are all called in Christ Jesus and in which we acquire holiness through the grace of God, will reach its perfection only in the glory of heaven, when the time comes for the renewal of all things, and the whole world, which is intimately bound up with man and reaches its perfection through him, will, along with the human race, be perfectly restored in Christ.
Lifted above the earth, Christ drew all things to himself. Rising from the dead, he sent his life-giving Spirit upon his disciples, and through the Spirit established his Body, which is the Church, as the universal sacrament of salvation. Seated at the right hand of the Father, he works unceasingly in the world, to draw men into the Church and through it to join them more closely to himself, nourishing them with his own body and blood, and so making them share in his life of glory.
The promised renewal that we look for has already begun in Christ. It is continued in the mission of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit it goes on developing in the Church: there we are taught by faith about the meaning also of our life on earth as we bring to fulfilment – with hope in the blessings that are to come – the work that has been entrusted to us in the world by the Father, and so work out our salvation.
The end of the ages is already with us. The renewal of the world has been established, and cannot be revoked. In our era it is in a true sense anticipated: the Church on earth is already sealed by genuine, if imperfect, holiness. Yet, until a new heaven and a new earth are built as the dwelling place of justice, the pilgrim Church, in its sacraments and institutions belonging to this world of time, bears the likeness of this passing world. It lives in the midst of a creation still groaning and in travail as it waits for the sons of God to be revealed in glory.

Concluding Prayer
God, you proclaimed your salvation to the very ends of the earth. Grant, we ask you, that we may rejoice as we await his glorious birth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

December 12, 2006

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe goes back to the sixteenth century. Chronicles of that period tell us the story.

A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady.

He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.

Eventually the bishop told Juan Diego to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Diego to try to avoid the lady. The lady found Diego, nevertheless, assured him that his uncle would recover and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma.

When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12, 1531.

Comment:

Mary's appearance to Juan Diego as one of his people is a powerful reminder that Mary and the God who sent her accept all peoples. In the context of the sometimes rude and cruel treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards, the apparition was a rebuke to the Spaniards and an event of vast significance for Native Americans. While a number of them had converted before this incident, they now came in droves. According to a contemporary chronicler, nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. In these days when we hear so much about God's preferential option for the poor, Our Lady of Guadalupe cries out to us that God's love for and identification with the poor is an age-old truth that stems from the Gospel itself.

Quote:

Mary to Juan Diego: “My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth...and it is my desire that a church be built here in this place for me, where, as your most merciful Mother and that of all your people, I may show my loving clemency and the compassion that I bear to the Indians, and to those who love and seek me...” (from an ancient chronicle).

Our Lady of Guadlupe

Our Lady of Guadlalupe

The Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The only true picture of the Mother of God To the Aztecs a message To the Spaniards a picture color, lines, stars, designs, rays, moon. all have meaning

Flowers and Songs

Mary appeared on Tepeyac, the hill was covered with flowers, surrounded by songs of the most beautiful birds
meaning: flowers and songs mean the full truth

DESCRIPTION

Image

Size of the image: 6 1/2' X 3 1/2' Mary adolescent, around 15, oval face, Mexican clear dark face, a little mother

Angel

as a caryatid, wings half open, sustain Our Lady red, white, blue in color the angel is holding both: the pink dress represents earth; the blue mantle represents heaven meaning: Heaven and earth are witnesses to the truth of the apparition message

Stars

Brightest gold - finest - royalty: as if woven, as if they would fall at touch 48 stars, 8 points; 22 on right, 26 on left show constellations that were in the sky at the time of the apparition 10:30 am December 12, 1531

pattern: The stars on one side represent the northern constellations, the others represent the southern constellations. Can see Venus the morning star, Virgo would fall on the hands, Leo on the womb, crown of stars on the head.

Dress

in Nahuatl the designs of gold thread as embroidered flowers of 8 petals represent mountains; the only 4-petal flower on womb just below sash in the center means life and movement

Sash

tied around the waist; symbol of pregnancy Central part of dress bulging - means She is with child

Cuffs

End of dress rolled back over the sleeves white fur means nobility - dressed in Jewish nobility - nothing Indian about it

Hands

joined in prayer of supplication, therefore not a goddess; there is someone greater than Her

Moon

stands on moon, horns up - Rev. 12:1 moon pagan god of night, providence, youth, war She is greater than the moon

Sun

mighty god; Our Lady blocks the sun behind Her She is brighter than the sun god

Rays

rays bright near body, fade out away from body 129 rays - 62 on right, 67 on left equidistant alternating forms: 1) straight like swords 2) undulating flames

Red Border

because of rising sun - new life

Cloud

surrounding the entire image

Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Our Lady of Guadalupe (Feast)

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Zechariah 2:14-17 or Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10
Judith 13:18-19
Luke 1:26-38 or 1:39-47

Be careful then to take part in one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and one cup of His Blood that makes us one, and one altar.

-- St. Ignatius of Antioch

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Lord God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Recipes:

Activities:

Prayers:

December 12, 2006

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Old Calendar: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Third Class, U.S.)

"Rejoice: the Lord is nigh." As Christmas draws near, the Church emphasizes the joy which should be in our hearts over all that the birth of our Savior means for us. The great joy of Christians is to see the day drawing nigh when the Lord will come again in His glory to lead them into His kingdom. The oft-repeated Veni ("Come") of Advent is an echo not only of the prophets but also of the conclusion of the Apocalypse of St. John: "Come, Lord Jesus," the last words of the New Testament.

In 1910 Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared Patroness of Latin America, and in 1945 Pope Pius XII declared Her to be the Empress of all the Americas. She appeared to an Indian convert named Juan Diego on December 9, 1531. She left a marvelous portrait of herself on the mantle of Juan Diego. This miraculous image has proved to be ageless, and is kept in the shrine built in her honor, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Jesse Tree ~ Moses

Our Lady of Guadalupe
"Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."
— Our Lady to Juan Diego

In the winter of 1531, a poor, 57-year-old Aztec Indian living five miles outside of Mexico City encountered a miraculous happening on his way to morning Mass. First he heard strange music coming from Tepeyac Hill, and then he heard a woman's voice calling his name. Juan Diego climbed the hill and encountered a young woman, appearing to be of his own people in physical appearance and dress. The woman identified herself as the Virgin Mary, and told Juan Diego to ask the bishop of Mexico City to build a church on the hill to assist in the conversion of the nation and be a source of consolation to the people.

Juan Diego obeyed the request, but the bishop was skeptical regarding the message, even though he perceived that Juan was a humble, and well meaning Catholic. Juan reported the bishop's doubt to Our Lady at Tepeyac Hill, and she asked him to return to the bishop once again, bearing the same message. The bishop once again heard the story, and told Juan Diego to ask Our Lady for a sign that it was indeed herself that wished for the church to be built.

When he returned to the hill, Mary gave Juan Diego such a sign. Miraculously, roses appeared on the hill in the middle of winter, and Juan gathered them in his tilma, or cloak. Our Lady arranged the roses in his tilma with her own hands, and Juan returned to the bishop's presence. When Juan released the tilma, allowing the flowers to fall to the floor, it was revealed that a miraculous image of Our Lady had imprinted itself on his tilma (see above).

The bishop immediately fell to his knees, and came to believe in Juan Diego's message. A church was built on the spot of the apparition, as Mary had requested, and 8 million people converted to Catholicism in a short period of time upon hearing of or viewing the miraculous image of Our Lady.

The tilma of Juan Diego has been the subject of much modern research. The tilma, woven out of coarse cactus fiber, should have disintegrated after 20 years, but although over 500 years have passed the tilma is still in perfect condition. The pupils of Mary in the picture reflect the Indians and clergy present at the time of the first revelation of the image. No paint was used, and chemical analysis has not been able to identify the color imprint. Additionally, studies have revealed that the stars on Mary's mantle match exactly what a Mexican would have seen in the sky in December of 1531.

Patron: The Americas; pro-life movement.

Things to Do:

Start a novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
If you live close to La Crosse, WI visit the beautiful Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe if not make a virtual visit.
Read more about this title of Our Lady.
Make a sacrifice, say a prayer or visit the Blessed Sacrament for an end to abortion.
If your parish is having a pro-life Mass or holy hour try to attend.
Have a party, which includes a procession and a special Mexican dinner to celebrate the feast.
See Celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe for ideas.

Regnum Christi

Our Response to Joy
December 12, 2006

"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."

Our Lady of Guadalupe
Father Walter Schu, LC

Luke 1:39-47
During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary´s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

Introductory Prayer: Thank you, Lord for the gift of faith. By it, you have enabled me to know you better and love you more. Though my faith may be weak, my desire to increase it remains unaltered. I want to learn to love as Mary loved, surrendering her entire life to the fulfillment of your plans, however difficult or incomprehensible they might be.

Petition: Lord, help me to live the true spirit of this feast day by transmitting to others the joy of your presence and by ardently defending the lives of unborn children.

1. Mary Traveled “In Haste.” The atmosphere pervading the Gospel scene can be described with a single word: joy! From the moment of the angel’s message, Mary is filled with this joy. It impels her to journey “in haste” to serve her cousin Elizabeth and share with her a joy Mary cannot contain within herself. It radiates from Mary’s person and causes the infant John the Baptist to leap for joy in his mother’s womb. What is the cause of Mary’s joy? It is the presence within her womb, through the Holy Spirit’s action, of the One who is to come. It is the presence of the One for whom sorrowing mankind has been longing since Adam’s fall; the one whom the prophets have promised; the One for whom every heart has been made; the long-awaited Messiah, Our Redeemer, Christ the Lord.

2. “And How Does This Happen to Me?” A well-known Spanish poem, a colloquy with God, begins with the words: “¿Qué tengo yo, que mi amistad procuras?” “What do I have, that you seek my friendship?” This poem echoes Elizabeth’s humble question: “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth’s humility opens her soul to receive the Holy Spirit, who overwhelms her with the experience of Mary’s joy. Should we not also be amazed that Christ wishes to come to us anew as a helpless child this Christmas, silently pleading for even a furtive glance from the eyes of our poor heart? Will we deny him that embrace of love for which he has surrendered everything?

3. “My Spirit Rejoices.” While embracing Christ also means taking up his cross of suffering, Christianity is first and foremost a religion of joy. Mary exclaims, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior.” When she appeared on the hill of Tepeyac, Our Lady of Guadalupe brought joy to Saint Juan Diego. She brought joy to an entire people, oppressed by poverty and superstitious beliefs, soon to become ardent followers of her Son. As Patroness of the Americas, she continues to bring joy and hope to all Christians who strive to support the family and to defend the right to life of every unborn infant in its mother’s womb. Will not the joy of the Son of God’s coming to us as a newborn baby at Christmas enkindle in us a burning desire to protect the life of all unborn children? What will we do to save them?

Dialogue with Christ: Lord, my spirit too rejoices at what you have done for us and at the wonder of your Incarnation. Help me to live the joy of being your follower even during moments of trial and sorrow. Help me to transmit that joy to others.

Resolution: I will do something concrete to help defend the lives of unborn children.

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 42 (43)
Longing for the temple
Vindicate me, Lord: judge my case against an unholy nation, rescue me from betrayers, from the wicked. For you are the God of my refuge; why have you rejected me? why must I suffer while my enemies torment me? Send forth your light and your truth; let them lead me away, let them lead me up your holy mountain, up to your sanctuary. I shall go in to the altar of God, to the God of my gladness and joy. I will sing out to you on the lyre, O God, my God. Why are you so sad, my soul, and anxious within me? Put your hope in the Lord, I will praise him still, my saviour and my God. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 42 (43)

Longing for the temple

Vindicate me, Lord:
judge my case against an unholy nation,
rescue me from betrayers, from the wicked.
For you are the God of my refuge;
why have you rejected me?
why must I suffer while my enemies torment me?

Send forth your light and your truth;
let them lead me away,
let them lead me up your holy mountain,
up to your sanctuary.
I shall go in to the altar of God,
to the God of my gladness and joy.
I will sing out to you on the lyre,
O God, my God.

Why are you so sad, my soul,
and anxious within me?
Put your hope in the Lord, I will praise him still,
my saviour and my God.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Canticle	Isaiah 38
The psalm of Hezekiah on recovering from sickness
I said, in the middle of my days I am going to the gates of the underworld. Where shall I find the remainder of my years? I said, I will not see the Lord God in the land of the living, I will never see another of the inhabitants of the earth. My dwelling-place is taken away, taken far away from me, like the tent of a shepherd. Like a weaver, he has rolled up my life and cut it off from the loom. From morning to night, you have made an end of me. I cried for help till daybreak; like a lion, he has crushed all my bones. From morning to night, you have made an end of me. I twitter like a fledgling sparrow, make noises like a dove. My eyes are weak from looking upward. But you have pulled my soul out of the pit of destruction, you have put all my sins behind you. For after all, the underworld will not proclaim you, nor death praise you; those who go down there do not wait in hope for your faithfulness. It is the living, the living who will proclaim you, as I do today. Fathers will pass on to their children the truth of your faithfulness. Save me, Lord, and to the sound of the harp we will sing to you, all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Isaiah 38

The psalm of Hezekiah on recovering from sickness

I said, in the middle of my days I am going to the gates of the underworld.
Where shall I find the remainder of my years?

I said, I will not see the Lord God in the land of the living,
I will never see another of the inhabitants of the earth.

My dwelling-place is taken away, taken far away from me, like the tent of a shepherd.
Like a weaver, he has rolled up my life and cut it off from the loom.

From morning to night, you have made an end of me.

I cried for help till daybreak; like a lion, he has crushed all my bones.
From morning to night, you have made an end of me.

I twitter like a fledgling sparrow, make noises like a dove.
My eyes are weak from looking upward.

But you have pulled my soul out of the pit of destruction,
you have put all my sins behind you.

For after all, the underworld will not proclaim you, nor death praise you;
those who go down there do not wait in hope for your faithfulness.

It is the living, the living who will proclaim you, as I do today.
Fathers will pass on to their children the truth of your faithfulness.

Save me, Lord, and to the sound of the harp we will sing to you,
all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 64 (65)
A solemn thanksgiving
To you we owe praise, O God, in Sion; to you we will fulfil our vows, in Jerusalem. It is you who answer prayers: to you must all men come, because we are sinners; even if our transgressions overwhelm us, you will blot them out. Blessed is the man you have taken up and chosen: he will live within your halls. We shall be filled with the good things of your house, with the holiness of your temple. Marvellous is the justice with which you listen to us, God of our salvation, hope of all the earth and far-off coasts. You make firm the mountains in their place, clothed in your power and might. You make still the roaring of the sea, the crash of its waves; and the tumult of the peoples. Those who live at the ends of the earth will tremble at your wonders. You will fill the east and the west with joy. You have come to the earth, you have filled it, saturated it with fruitfulness. The river of God is filled with water, as you prepare the harvest: for thus you have prepared the land, watering its furrows, smoothing its roughnesses, softening it with showers, blessing the seeds within it. You have crowned the year with your kindness. Your footsteps will drip with fruitfulness. The desert pastures will be soaked, the hills will be wrapped in rejoicing. The fields will be clothed with flocks, the vales overflow with corn. They will cry out, and sing your praise. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 64 (65)

A solemn thanksgiving

To you we owe praise, O God, in Sion;
to you we will fulfil our vows, in Jerusalem.

It is you who answer prayers:
to you must all men come,
because we are sinners;
even if our transgressions overwhelm us,
you will blot them out.

Blessed is the man you have taken up and chosen:
he will live within your halls.
We shall be filled with the good things of your house,
with the holiness of your temple.
Marvellous is the justice with which you listen to us,
God of our salvation,
hope of all the earth and far-off coasts.

You make firm the mountains in their place,
clothed in your power and might.
You make still the roaring of the sea,
the crash of its waves; and the tumult of the peoples.
Those who live at the ends of the earth
will tremble at your wonders.
You will fill the east and the west with joy.

You have come to the earth, you have filled it,
saturated it with fruitfulness.
The river of God is filled with water,
as you prepare the harvest:
for thus you have prepared the land,
watering its furrows,
smoothing its roughnesses,
softening it with showers,
blessing the seeds within it.

You have crowned the year with your kindness.
Your footsteps will drip with fruitfulness.
The desert pastures will be soaked,
the hills will be wrapped in rejoicing.
The fields will be clothed with flocks,
the vales overflow with corn.
They will cry out, and sing your praise.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Short reading	Genesis 49:10 ©
The sceptre shall not pass from Judah, nor the mace from between his feet, until the one comes to whom it belongs, to whom the peoples shall render obedience.

Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

?

Beloved brethren, Christ the Lord is he light that shines on all mankind. Let us beg him joyfully: - Come, Lord Jesus.
May the light of your presence dispel our shadows: and make us worthy to receive your gifts.
Save us, Lord our God,: so we can proclaim your holy name today.
Ignite our hearts so that they burn with thirst for you: and hurry eagerly to be joined with you.
You took on our weakness:: give help to the sick and those who are dying today.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

God, you proclaimed your salvation to the very ends of the earth.
Grant, we ask you, that we may rejoice as we await his glorious birth.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

Happy Feast Day. This morning at Mass, Father tied in Our Lady of Guadalupe with praying for an end to abortion. Just as she brought about the end to human sacrifice in the temples, so we must ask that she help bring about an end to our sacrifice of babies.

**This morning at Mass, Father tied in Our Lady of Guadalupe with praying for an end to abortion**

Absolutely -- see some of the Links/posts on this thread as well as this new thread that I just put up!

The Story of Guadalupe: Hope for Our Violent World

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Other Articles by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
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Mary Got It Exactly Right. Have You?

December 12, 2006

Rev 11:19; 12:1-6, 10 / Lk 1:39-47

No matter what the era of history, from the age of the caveman to the era of the hi-tech woman, it's always been a challenge to be a responsible adult. Despite our wishful thinking and occasional appearances to the contrary, there's no free lunch and there never was. We earn our bread by the sweat of our brow; be it physical or mental, it's still sweat! We struggle to do our best at our jobs, to pay our taxes, to feed our families, to be good parents and good citizens. And at times we get tired, so tired!

Some of that tiredness is simple and obvious in its origins: We're doing so much at such a pace. But there's another part of our tiredness whose source may not be so obvious. It's the weariness that can come from walking too long and too far alone, and feeling the oppressive heaviness of the darkness in which we walk.

Mary walked many a hard journey in her life: She was pregnant before she was married; she was widowed very early; she stood by helpless at the unjust execution of her Son. Yet she never walked alone and never walked in the dark, for from the very beginning of her conscious life, she was aware of the Lord's presence, she knew the Lord could be trusted with her life, and she gave thanks.

That is God's invitation to us this day through Jesus' Holy Mother: Know that the Lord is with you, trust Him with your life, and give thanks always!