Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary

Mass times for Tuesday, December 8th: 8:00 am, 12:15 pm, and 5:15 pm(E.F.)
Vigil Mass on Monday, December 7th: 7:00 pm

“Today is a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States, a day on which we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (the Immaculate Conception has been, since 1846, the Patroness of the United States).

Note that it is she, Mary herself, who is the Immaculate Conception; the day does not refer to Mary’s conceiving Jesus by the Holy Ghost, but to the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, by Mary’s father, St. Joachim.

What makes her conception immaculate is not that she was conceived by the Holy Ghost of a virgin, as was Christ Our Lord, but that from the very moment of her conception, she was filled with grace by God, Who knew, in His omniscience, that she would say ‘yes’ to the Angel Gabriel and become the Mother of the Savior. Exactly nine months from now, on September 8, we will celebrate Mary’s birthday.”

From: http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent5.html

“We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful. Hence, if anyone shall dare — which God forbid! — to think otherwise than as has been defined by us, let him know and understand that he is condemned by his own judgment; that he has suffered shipwreck in the faith; that he has separated from the unity of the Church.”

Excerpt, Blessed Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 8 December 1854.

From: http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9ineff.htm