The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Daily Advent Prayer

[Fr. Song]

Monday

The Solemnity of

the Immaculate Conception

of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Daily Advent Prayer

"Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise."

Opening Prayer:

Let us pray,

Father,

You prepared the Virgin Mary

to be the worthy mother of your son.

You let her share beforehand

in the salvation Christ would bring by his death,

and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception.

Help us by her prayers to live in your presence without sin.

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.

The Readings

Reading 1 Gn 3:9-15, 20

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

Reading II Eph 1:3-6, 11-12

Brothers and sisters:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.

Gospel Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Daily Meditation:

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Today we want to let this feast be part of our Advent journey.

While we are listening to the prophesies and promises,

we pause to give thanks for God's love for us.

We thank God for the inspiring role of Mary,

for the way she completely says "yes,"

that we might know God's love more completely.

No matter our faith tradition, we can pause today

to say, with great meaning, our prayer to Mary:

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now, and at the hour of our death.

Today's Daily Reflection of Creighton University's Online Ministries

by Dick Hauser, S.J. Theology Department

Listen to Paul attempting to articulate the unfathomable mystery of God’s love for us: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.”

Today we celebrate the feast of Mary’s Immaculate Conception: from the first moment of her existence Mary is sinless, the single member of our race conceived without original sin.

How over-whelming for Mary! Before the foundation of the world God chose Mary and gave her every spiritual blessing — and chose her to be mother of God’s Only Son. Mary, this young, unknown, and already betrothed peasant virgin!

But how over-whelming for Paul also! Before the foundation of the world God chose Paul and gave him every spiritual blessing —and chose him to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul, this former Pharisee and intrepid persecutor and slaughterer of Jesus’ followers!

And how over-whelming for us. Before the foundation of the world God chose us and gave us every spiritual blessing — and chose us to be God’s own dwelling place and the Body of Christ on earth. Ourselves, so ordinary, unworthy and flawed!

How can we respond adequately to God’s choice of us?

From generation to generation we have looked to Mary as our model: “May it be done to me according to your word – Fiat!”

Mary — model, mother, advocate — help us with our Fiat! On your feast we beg for your intercession that your son may be born anew in us this Advent!

Intercessions

Let us praise God, our almighty Father,

who wished that Mary, his son's mother,

be celebrated by each generation.

Now in need we ask:

Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.

O, God, worker of miracles, you made the immaculate Virgin Mary share,

body and soul, in your Son's glory in heaven,

- Direct the hearts of your children to that same glory.

You made Mary our mother. Through her intercession, grant strength to the weak,

comfort to the sorrowing, pardon to the sinners,

- Salvation and peace to all.

You made Mary the mother of mercy,

- May all who are faced with trials, feel her motherly love.

You wished Mary to be the mother of the family in the home of Jesus and Joseph,

- May all mothers of families foster love and holiness through her intercession.

You crowned Mary Queen of Heaven,

- May all the dead rejoice in your kingdom with the saints forever.

Closing Prayer:

God of us all,

Thank you for the gift of Mary in my life.

I rely on her to intercede for me with her son,

and to guide me, especially in my family.

Help me to learn the grace of humility,

and give me the courage to say "yes" to you

without always knowing where it will lead.

Release me from the fears that grip me,

the pride and stubbornness

that keep me from you and others.

Let me turn to Mary, so human,

for an example of how I might live my own life

more freely, more loving and more aware of you.

May the Lord bless us,

protect us from all evil

and bring us to everlasting life.

Amen.