The meaning of the celebration
+ On this day, the Church meditates on the great mystery that, from the moment of her conception, the Virgin Mary was preserved from every stain of original sin.
+ Based on the teachings of great saints and theologians through the centuries, especially Blessed John Duns Scotus, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was solemnly defined by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1854.
+ It is under her title of “Immaculate Conception” that Mary is honored as the patron of the United States of America.
For prayer and reflection
“The uncontaminated beauty of our Mother is incomparable, but at the same time it attracts us. Let us entrust ourselves to her and say ‘no’ to sin and ‘yes’ to Grace once and for all.”—Pope Francis
Spiritual Bonus
On December 8, we also remember Blessed James Gwon Sang-yeon, a lay Christian who was martyred on December 8, 1791, in Jeonju, South Korea. He was beatified in 2014.
Vocations
For women:
The Benedictine Sisters of Monastery Immaculate Conception (Ferdinand, IN): www.thedome.org
The Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception: www.crossfire.org/daughtersofmary
The Dominican Sisters of Immaculate Conception Province: www.sistersop.com
The Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception: www.confhic.org
The Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception: www.lsic.us
The Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception: www.mficusa.org
The Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God: www.smic-missionarysisters.org
The Passionist Nuns of Immaculate Conception Monastery (Ellisville, MO): www.passionistnunsofstlouis.org
The Poor Clares of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception (Palos Park, IL): www.chicagopoorclares.org
The Sisters of Christian Charity: www.scceast.org
The Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception: www.westpeoriasisters.org
The Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate: www.ssmi-us.org
For Men:
The Benedictine Monks of Conception Abbey (Conception, MO): www.conceptionabbey.org
The Marians of the Immaculate Conception: www.marian.org
Prayer
O God,
who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin
prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son,
grant, we pray, that as you preserved her from every stain
by virtue of the Death of your Son, which you foresaw,
so, through her intercession,
we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to your presence.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal)
Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.
And today we celebrate...