BIG C CATHOLICS

Solemnity - December 8th Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception solemnly affirms, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin." ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , no. 492) The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose Mary for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved her from all sin. Therefore, by His holy Benevolence and Love, we possess hope and bold confidence in God’s loving Will for our lives and the salvation of all humanity. Significantly in the first reading, the liturgy recalls the figure of Eve

Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Mt 1:23) Recently I had occasion to speak to someone who has been away from the Catholic Church for several years. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that her children are in Catholic schools, she and her family have decided to return to the sacraments. In the course of our discussion, she mentioned that for a time she had worshipped with a local fundamentalist group who took every possible opportunity to bash the Catholic Church. This group was particularly concerned with the alleged Catholic worship of Mary. With the celebration of Mary’s birth falling on September 8, I decided to use this space to set the record straight on these matters. Mary holds a high place in the Christian world. She is the Immaculate Conception. She was chosen from all

(In 2018, this feast is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.) This feast commemorates the first of eighteen apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary witnessed by St. Bernadette Soubirous. On February 11, 1858, Bernadette a poor, sickly child of a local peasant family, first glimpsed, "something white in the shape of a girl" in a grotto near Lourdes, France. Later questioned by Church officials, Bernadette stated that she saw, "a pretty young girl with a rosary over her arm." The girl, Bernadette said, was "lovelier than I have ever seen." Perhaps because of her lowly background, Bernadette was deeply impressed by the polite and dignified way the Lady treated her. On March 25, 1858, during her sixteenth appearance, the Lady identified herself as "the Immaculate Conception," a dogma solemnly proclaimed by Pope Pius IX, on December 8, 1854, in Ineffabilis Deus . ________________________________________________ Fourteen-year-old Bernadette Sou

Having excepted the holy Virgin Mary, concerning whom, on account of the honor of the Lord, I wish to have absolutely no question when treating of sins—for how do we know what abundance of grace for the total overcoming of sin was conferred upon her, who merited to conceive and bear him in whom there was no sin?—so, I say, with the exception of the Virgin, if we could have gathered together all those holy men and women, when they were living here, and had asked them whether they were without sin, what do we suppose would have been their answer?" ― St. Augustine, Nature and Grace , 36:42. _____________________________________________ Collect for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Almighty ever living 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 cle

Solemnity - December 8th  Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception solemnly affirms, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin." ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , no. 492) The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose Mary for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved her from all sin. Therefore, by His holy Benevolence and Love, we possess hope and bold confidence in God’s loving Will for our lives and the salvation of all humanity. Significantly in the first reading, the liturgy recalls the figure of Ev

December 7, 2016 Today we pray for all those intentions that reside in the silence of our hearts; especially those that concern our own welfare, and for the willingness to suffer for the sake of coming closer to Christ. To thee, O Virgin Mother, who was never touched by any spot of original or actual sin, we commend and entrust the purity of our hearts. We ask these things through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Immaculate Conception Novena - Day 9 O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin.

December 6, 2016 Today we pray for those who have fallen away from the faith. Jesus says that there will be great rejoicing in Heaven when one who was lost returns. O Mary most holy, intercede for families, especially parents, that they may lead their children to God. We pray that our loved ones who have gone astray will soon be welcomed home to the Church founded by Christ, to live in imitation of Him. Immaculate Conception Novena - Day 8 O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my holiness

December 5, 2016 Today we pray for motherhood. Mary is the mother of our Savior. She is tender, loving and selfless. May all mothers be like Mary in how loving they are to their children and families. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Immaculate Conception Novena - Day 7 O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my holiness and salvation. I pray that your prayers will bring me to imitat

December 4, 2016 Today we pray for healing; the healing of our relationships, minds and physical bodies. If you or someone you know is suffering and needs healing, know that many people are praying for you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Immaculate Conception Novena - Day 6 O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my holiness and salvation. I pray that your prayers will bring me to imitate y

December 3, 2016 Today, we pray for those who suffer from financial need. Whatever difficulties result, we pray this hardship will bring people together rather than tear them apart. May trying times for individuals and families be resolved in ways that inspire gratitude and humility. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Immaculate Conception Novena - Day 5 O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my

December 2, 2016 Today, let us pray for purity. The purity of our bodies, that we may treat them as temples of the Holy Spirit; the purity of our minds, that we may contemplate holy thoughts; the purity of our hearts, that we may see God face to face in eternity. We ask that God will grant us, and the entire world, greater purity in all respects. Immaculate Conception Novena - Day 4 O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my holiness and salvation. I pray that your prayers will bring me to

December 1, 2016 Today we pray in thanksgiving to God for the gift of His mother, Mary. She is a perfect example for us in living a life that is fully devoted to Christ. To thee, O Virgin Mother, who was never touched by any spot of original or actual sin, we commend and entrust the purity of our hearts. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Immaculate Conception Novena - Day 3 O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my ho

November 30, 2016 Today we pray for the universal Church. To thee, O Virgin Mother, who was never touched by any spot of original or actual sin, we commend and entrust the purity of our hearts. Also, pray that we never take anything, or anyone, for granted. Immaculate Conception Novena - Day 2 O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my holiness and salvation. I pray that your prayers will bring me to imitate your holiness and submission to Jesus and the Divine Will. Hail Mary, full of Gra

November 29, 2017 Today we pray for all those who suffer material poverty and go unnoticed and uncared for, that God will provide for them through us. Also, may we not take anything, or anyone, for granted in our lives. Immaculate Conception Novena - Day 1 O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my holiness and salvation. I pray that your prayers will bring me to imitate your holiness and submission to Jesus and the Divine Will. Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are y

We remind you that the Immaculate Conception Novena begins November 29th. The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is an important day to reflect on Mary’s life and selfless devotion. It is essential for us to strive to imitate the Blessed Virgin as the ideal example of Christian discipleship. This novena is an opportunity to petition Mary for the grace to emulate her deep love for God. "Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:  The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin. " ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , no. 492) Invocation to be Said Every Day of the Novena

On November 18th, the Church celebrates the dedication of the two great Roman basilicas of St. Peter at the Vatican and of St. Paul-outside-the-Walls. The basilica of St. Peter stands on the site of the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles, where stood Nero's circus. It was here that St. Peter was executed. St. Paul-outside-the-Walls, at the other end of the city, is built near where St. Paul was martyred. ____________________________________ Today's feast is a spiritual journey to two holy tombs, that of St. Peter and that of St. Paul in Rome. These two basilicas, marking the place of each apostle's holy martyrdom, are the common heritage and glory of Christendom; it is, therefore, easily seen why the whole universal Church solemnly observes their dedication. Abbot Herwegen makes the following observations on St. Peter's in Rome. The Eternal City has two principal churches, St. John Lateran and St. Peter's. Since ancient times the Lateran basilica, the mothe

November 8th, is the optional memorial of Blessed John Duns Scotus, (c. 1266 – 1308) a 13th century, Franciscan priest and theologian, who, alongside Saint Bonaventure, is the most influential theologian in the history of the Franciscan Order. He was probably born in the winter of c. 1266 in the South of Scotland. Around the year 1279, he was accepted to a Franciscan friary. After eight years of preliminary studies in philosophy at Oxford, he began to study theology there in 1288. He was ordained to the priesthood in Northampton on March 17, 1291. In the academic year 1298, he prepared his first theological lectures which would alter his life. The following semester, he presented the course on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, the most prominent text of systematic theology at the time. During these years he wrote Lectura I-II, his lecture notes on the two first books of the Sentences . Duns Scotus' scholarship impressed his fellow academics and the Franciscan leadership, as an e

Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Mt 1:23) Recently I had occasion to speak to someone who has been away from the Catholic Church for several years. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that her children are in Catholic schools, she and her family have decided to return to the sacraments. In the course of our discussion, she mentioned that for a time she had worshipped with a local fundamentalist group who took every possible opportunity to bash the Catholic Church. This group was particularly concerned with the alleged Catholic worship of Mary. With the celebration of Mary’s birth falling on September 8, I decided to use this space to set the record straight on these matters. Mary holds a high place in the Christian world. She is the Immaculate Conception. She was chosen from all

Today marks the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858 to fourteen-year-old Saint Bernadette Soubirous. Our Lady’s message to humanity stressed devotion to God through Christ, ceaseless prayer, penitence and forgiveness. Three revelations in particular are worth pondering. One concern’s doctrine. The others speak to our earthly pilgrimage and our destiny, if we persevere in love. On February 18th, our Lady began her message telling Bernadette, "I do not promise to make you happy in this life but in the next." On February 24th, Mary asked for penance and prayer for the conversion of sinners. The next day, the feast of the Annunciation, Mary stated, "I am the Immaculate Conception." The liturgical feast of Our Lady of Lourdes was initially celebrated on February 11th. It was approved by Pope Leo XIII, and first granted to the Diocese of Tarbes in the year 1890. Less than twenty years later, on November 13, 1907, his successor, Pope Saint Pius X pro

February 11th, the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Three years before our Lady's appearance, in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Over the course of eighteen apparitions between February 11th – July 16, 1858, our Lady revealed to the shepherdess Bernadette Soubirous, that she was the "the Immaculate Conception." Here is Father Pius Parsch's account of the events: The many miracles which have been performed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin at Lourdes prompted the Church to institute a special commemorative feast, the "Apparition of the Immaculate Virgin Mary." The Office gives the historical background. Four years after the promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception (1854), the Blessed Virgin appeared a number of times to a very poor and holy girl named Bernadette. The actual spot was in a grotto on the bank of the Gave River near Lour