BIG C CATHOLICS

December 8th, the Church celebrates the most holy solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With Mary's "yes" to the announcement of the Archangel Gabriel, all creation celebrated the imminent arrival of its Savior. Free from all taint of original sin, the "new Eve" benefited uniquely from the work of Christ as the most perfect Mediator and Redeemer. The first redeemed by her Son, Mary shares his holiness in full; she is already what the Church hopes to be. 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 on December 8, 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 imm

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. Day 8 - Immaculate Conception Novena 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 an

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. Day 7 - Immaculate Conception Novena 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

December 4, 2016 Today we pray for healing; the healing of 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. Day 6 - Immaculate Conception Novena 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 ho

December 3, 2016 Today we pray for those suffering from financial hardship. Whatever difficulties result, we pray that this hardship 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, for ever and ever. Day 5 - Immaculate Conception Novena 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 we 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 have holy thoughts; the purity of our hearts, that we may see God. We pray that God will grant us, and the world, greater purity in all respects. Day 4 - Immaculate Conception Novena 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 Jes

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. Day 3 - Immaculate Conception Novena  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 hol

November 29, 2016 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. Day 1 - Immaculate Conception Novena  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

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: Thou art all fair, O Mary, The Original Stain is not in thee. Th

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 founded the Scotistic school of theology, which dominated Roman Catholic faculties of theology throughout Europe up until the period of the French Revolution. He is best known for his theology on the Absolute Kingship of Jesus Christ, and for his eloquent explication and staunch defense of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. His nuanced positions and concise argumentation earned him the title "Doctor Subtilis". The theological justification of Bl. John Duns Scotus regarding the Immaculate Conception is found in Volume XX of the Lectura in Librum Tertium Sententiarum , in the third distincio , first quaestio , under the title Utrum Beata Virgo fuerit concepta in peccato originali (Regarding whe

Saints Joachim and Anne where the parents of the most holy Virgin Mary. Sacred Scripture does not mentioned them. Much of what we know of them comes from pious tradition. Among holy parents Joachim and Anne are unique. By God's divine grace their daughter was born the Immaculately Conception. From them Mary received her training to be the Mother of God. Devotion to Ann and Joachim is an extension of the honor accorded our Blessed Mother. They serve as the consummate role models for parents. As the grandparents of Jesus, they have a direct bloodline to Christ Incarnate. In their devotion to God and Our Lady, they should be revered and emulated. By virtue of their intimacy with the Holy Family, Sts. Joaquin and Anne are the most powerful of intercessors. (See homily below.) The Lives of Sts. Joachim and Anne Who does not know about the great shrine of Ste. Anne de Beaupre in Canada, where miracles abound, where cured cripples leave their crutches, and where people come from th

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the solemn dogma defined by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1854 [ Ineffabilis Deus ]. As Our Lady Immaculately Conceived is the patroness of the United States of America, this is a holy day of obligation in the United States. Catechism of the Catholic Church [491] 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, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin. The Immaculate Conception of Mary "Hail Mary, full of grace". For thousands of centuries, millions of times per day the Virgin Mary is greeted by