Subj : December 8th - Feast of the Immaculate Conception To : All From : rich Date : Fri Dec 07 2018 08:07:53 From: rich December 8th - Feast of the Immaculate Conception A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the 7th century. It came to the West in the 8th century. In the 11th century it received its present name, the Immaculate Conception. In the 18th century it became a feast of the universal Church. In 1854 Pope Pius IX gave the infallible statement: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant 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." It took a long time for this doctrine to develop. While many Fathers and Doctors of the Church considered Mary the greatest and holiest of the saints, they often had difficulty in seeing Mary as sinless=E2=80=94eit= her at her conception or throughout her life. This is one of the Church teachings that arose more from the piety of the faithful than from the insights of brilliant theologians. Even such champions of Mary as Bernard and Thomas Aquinas could not see theological justification for this teaching. Two Franciscans, William of Ware and John Duns Scotus, helped develop the theology. They point out that Mary's Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus' redemptive work. Other members of the human race are cleansed from original sin after birth. In Mary, Jesus' work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the outset. Comment: In Luke 1:28 the angel Gabriel, speaking on God's behalf, addresses Mary as "full of grace" (or "highly favored"). In that context this phrase means that Mary is receiving all the special divine help necessary for the task ahead. However, the Church grows in understanding with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led the Church, especially non-theologians, to the insight that Mary had to be the most perfect work of God next to the Incarnation. Or rather, Mary's intimate association with the Incarnation called for the special involvement of God in Mary's whole life. The logic of piety helped God's people to believe that Mary was full of grace and free of sin from the first moment of her existence. Moreover, this great privilege of Mary is the highlight of all that God has done in Jesus. Rightly understood, the incomparable holiness of Mary shows forth the incomparable goodness of God. Quote: "[Mary] gave to the world the Life that renews all things, and she was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role. "It is no wonder, then, that the usage prevailed among the holy Fathers whereby they called the mother of God entirely holy and free from all stain of sin, fashioned by the Holy Spirit into a kind of new substance and new creature. Adorned from the first instant of her conception with the splendors of an entirely unique holiness, the Virgin of Nazareth is, on God's command, greeted by an angel messenger as 'full of grace' (see Luke 1:28). To the heavenly messenger she replies: 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word' (Luke 1:38)" (Constitution on the Church, 56). Saint Quote: =C2 In the way of virtue, there is no standing still; anyone who does not daily advance, loses ground. To remain at a standstill is impossible; he that gains not, loses; he that ascends not, descends. If one does not ascend the ladder, one must descend; if one does not conquer, one will be conquered. --St. Bonaventure Bible Quote: "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." [Luke 12:48] <<>><<>><<>> We give our Creator his own image Those who want to offer God a worthy gift can only do so by offering themselves. For since God made us in his own image he is delighted to be offered his own image, and commands us to present it to him clean and shining. That explains our Savior's answer to some of those who were trying to trap him: Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. This means that just as we give to Caesar his image imprinted on a coin, so we must give to God his image imprinted on ourselves. And when we give our Creator his own image it must be righteous, not evil; humble, not proud; not debased by greed, deformed by rapacity, diminished by vicious anger, worn away by earthly passions, filthy with envy, defiled by debauchery; but kept unharmed by prudent care, clean by true faith, and shining by good ways and works. But the most holy prophet tells us how to give God his own image in ourselves, when he says: I shall show you what is good and what the Lord asks of you. It is to act justly and righteously, to love mercy and walk carefully with your God. --Fulgentius of Ruspe: --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .