ADVENT MASS READINGS & SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Thursday - December 08, 2022

 

Thursday - December 08, 2022

“Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus — a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.” 

--St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

December 8, 2022

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lectionary: 689

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    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.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

 

R.    (1)  Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

 

Sing to the LORD a new song,

    for he has done wondrous deeds;

His right hand has won victory for him,

    his holy arm.

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

The LORD has made his salvation known:

    in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness

    toward the house of Israel.

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

All the ends of the earth have seen

    the salvation by our God.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

    break into song; sing praise.

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

 

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.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2:8         

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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

blessed are you among women.

R. Alleluia

 

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.

 

**********************************

LIVING BY THE GRACE OF GOD

Grace is a gift, pure gift. Grace is God's power offered freely when we need it, regardless of what we do or don't do. It's God's decision. He offers it because he cares.

 

However, availing ourselves of his grace does depend on us. We cannot sin and remain in the state of grace. We cannot sin and remain in God's good graces.

 

God's grace is necessary. It's a gift with a purpose. We cannot avoid sin unless we rely on God's gift of grace. Mary is the holiest human who ever lived because she was full of grace (as today's Gospel reading says). Due to this fullness, she resisted all temptations to sin. Tradition tells us (from the earliest of writings about Mary) that she remained full of grace throughout her life, which is why we can safely hold fast to the dogma that says she never sinned, ever.

 

Grace is available to us because of Christ. He gave us his Holy Spirit so that our holiness would be activated by the power of God, by the presence of God, and by the truth of God. If we desire this, he favors us with the grace we need.

 

Have you ever been graced with a new understanding? Or with a deeper love for others? Or with greater purity of heart? This is evidence that you've been favored by God. What does it mean to be "favored"?

 

The world says: If I do a favor for you, then you owe me a favor. God says: I do many favors for you because I love you.

 

The world says: If you're my favorite, I'll treat you better than I do others. God says: You are My favorite, and so is everyone else who embraces the saving power of Christ. Don't compare yourself to others, because you are special to Me in your own unique way.

 

The Holy Spirit planned ahead for the birth of Jesus by creating Mary without the effects of Original Sin. This is called her "immaculate conception". God completely filled her with the gift of grace so that the body of Jesus, who is fully divine and holy, could be formed in her womb, and so that the child Jesus could be raised in a holy environment.

 

Yet, as highly favored as Mary was, God did not love her more than he loves you.

 

Love is love. There is no such thing as less love or more love. It is not given nor withheld based on what a person deserves. Love is limitless, love cannot be stopped, and love gives itself away freely because anything less is unloving.

 

In his love for you, God wants to help you resist temptations. Ask for more grace and he will gladly provide it. But to receive it, we have to want to be holy. By giving to Jesus your desire to be holy, you will receive the grace he is already offering to you.

 

Today's Prayer

 

Thank You, Father, for filling me with Your gifts and talents. May Your Grace, which You so generously pour upon us, pass through me to reach my brothers and sisters who need You most. Amen.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”