The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is traditionally celebrated on December 8. It is one of the three Holy Days of Obligation (in addition to all Sundays) for the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The other two are December 25, the birth of our Lord, and January 1 as the Divine Motherhood of Mary.

The Immaculate Conception means that the Blessed Virgin Mary, "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved and exempt from all stain of original sin. This means that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the only human being created by God immaculate in nature for the sake of His Son Jesus Christ.

Pope Pius IX has defined the dogma on the Immaculate Conception of Mary on December 8, 1854. "The subject of this immunity from original sin is the person of Mary at the moment of the creation of her soul and its infusion into her body."

The Immaculate Conception should not be confused with the perpetual virginity of Mary or the virgin birth of Jesus. Because the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Mary herself by her mother, Saint Anne.

Since December 8 this year falls on a Sunday, and according to the Order of Precedence of Liturgical Days, Sundays of Advent, Lent and Easter supersede Solemnities of Mary and the Saints in the General Roman Calendar. For this reason, in some dioceses, like the Diocese of Paranaque, the feast is moved to Monday, December 9. Thus, Monday December 9, has been declared a Holy Day of Obligation in the Diocese of Paranaque. Listen to the announcement of your respective parishes in this regard.

Prayer

Let us pray to Mary, our Mother, to be with us, to guide us, to protect us through her prayer of intercession with her Son.

Let us ask Mary to strengthen the Church in the Philippines in its resolve to protect human life, especially the life of the unborn.

Let us ask Mary to help us respond as generously to God's call as she did and to be as true Catholics and faithful disciples of her Son as she is.

Mary, our Mother, we honor you today on your Immaculate Conception with the prayer of Hail Holy Queen, in Latin Version.

Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae,

Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae,

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos

misericordes oculos ad nos converte;

et lesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O Clemens; O Pia, O Dulcis Virgo Maria!

Mama Mary, please pray for us and our country!

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

All Saints' Day - 1 November 2019

In the Roman Catholic Church the Solemnity of All Saints is celebrated on November 1 in honor of all the saints, known and unknown.

This day commemorates all those departed who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. Catholics celebrate All Saints' Day (and also All Souls' Day on November 2) in the fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual communion between those in the state of grace who have died and are either being purified in purgatory or are in heaven already.

The Church in this great feast honors all the saints reigning together in glory. The purpose for this honor is first, to give thanks to God for the graces and crowns of all His saints; secondly, to excite ourselves to a fervent imitation of their virtues by considering the holy examples of so many faithful servants of God of all ages, sexes, and conditions, and by contemplating the inexpressible and eternal bliss which they already enjoy, and to which we are invited; thirdly, to implore the divine mercy through this multitude of powerful intercessors; fourthly, to repair any failures or sloth in not having duly honored God in his saints on their particular feast days, and to glorify him in the saints which are unknown to us, or for which no particular feast days are appointed.

On All Saints' Day and in other feast days of the saints God is the only object of our supreme worship, and the whole of that inferior veneration which is paid to the saints is directed to give sovereign honor to God alone. Our addresses to saints are only petitions to holy fellow creatures for the assistance of their prayers to God for us.

Short Reflection:

Our celebration of the solemnity of All Saints allows us to experience the joy of being part of the great family of God's friends whom we honor as saints. Because we know and believe that God wills to reconcile with Himself the whole of humanity so that together we can share in God's own life.

May the example and prayers of all the saints be our guide to sustain us at every stage of our earthly pilgrimages towards the kingdom of Heaven.

Prayer for All Saints' Day:

Father, All-Powerful and ever-living God,

today we rejoice in the holy men and women

of every time and place,

on the Solemnity of All Saints' Day.

May they intercede for us still in journey in this world.

May their prayers bring us Your forgiveness and love.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!