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

“By entrusting ourselves, consecrating ourselves to Mary, we say to her: ‘Take me by the hand, Mother, guide me: with you I will have more strength in the battle against evil; with you I will rediscover my original beauty.’ Let us entrust ourselves to Mary today, let us entrust ourselves to Mary every day, repeating to her: ‘Mary, I entrust my life to you, I entrust my family, my work, I entrust my heart and my struggles. I consecrate myself to you.’”—Pope Francis

Spiritual Bonus

On December 8, we also remember Blessed Marin Shkurti. A priest of the Archdiocese of Shkodrë-Pult, Albania, he ministered in secret after the Communist authorities had closed all churches. Although he fled to (the former) Yugoslavia to escape arrest, he was captured by authorities there and forcibly returned to Albania. He was executed in April 1969 in Shkodrë and beatified with other Albanian martyrs in 2016. Because we do not know the precise date of his death, his memory is celebrated on December 8—the anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

Religious Life

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

The Oblates of Mary Immaculate: www.oblatesusa.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,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.

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