Feast of the Immaculate Conception - Part 1

I hope to have part two up before the feast day, but I don't have my sources with me at the moment with the devotions related to this feast.  I do want to make sure that this is posted so that you have an opportunity to share in the Novena.  This one starts on November 29th and goes through the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception.  Other Novenas are (or perhaps this one could be said) from November 30th (starting the same day as the Christmas Novena) to December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception.


If you read my Thanksgiving post, you know that the Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States of America.  This feast is also important in light of the disregard for life in this country and around the world.  Today, many believe that child doesn't need to be acknowledged as being alive, human, and important until it is born. Yet this feast celebrates our Blessed Mother not in her motherhood, or her holy childhood, or even in her birth, but in the very moment of her conception. Please join me in adding the intention of the protection and respect for the unborn to your other intentions in this novena. 


Novena to the Immaculate Conception
Say once a day for nine days, starting on November 29 and ending on December 7 

Immaculate Virgin! Mary, conceived without sin! Remember, thou wert miraculously preserved from even the shadow of sin, because thou wert destined to become not only the Mother of God, but also the mother, the refuge, and the advocate of man; penetrated therefore, with the most lively confidence in thy never-failing intercession, we most humbly implore thee to look with favor upon the intentions of this novena, and to obtain for us the graces and the favors we request. Thou knowest, O Mary, how often our hearts are the sanctuaries of God, Who abhors iniquity. Obtain for us, then, than angelic purity which was thy favorite virtue, that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone, and that purity of intention which will consecrate every thought, word, and action to His greater glory. Obtain also for us a constant spirit of prayer and self-denial, that we many recover by penance that innocence which we have lost by sin, and at length attain safety to that blessed abode of the saints, where nothing defiled can enter. 

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. 

V. Thou are all fair, O Mary.
R. Thou art all fair, O Mary. 
V. And the original stain is not in thee. 
R. And the original stain is not in thee.
V. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem.
R. Thou art the joy of Israel 
V. Thou art the honor of our people.
R. Thou art the advocate of sinners.
V. O Mary.
R. O Mary.
V. Virgin, most prudent.
R. Mother, most tender.
V. Pray for us.
R. Intercede for us with Jesus our Lord.
V. In thy conception, Holy Virgin, thou wast immaculate.
R. Pray for us to the Father Whose Son thou didst bring forth.
V. O Lady! aid my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.

Let us pray

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and mistress of the world, who forsakest no one, and despisest no one, look upon me, O Lady! with an eye of pity, and entreat for me of thy beloved Son the forgiveness of all my sins; that, as I now celebrate, with devout affection, thy holy and immaculate conception, so, hereafter I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness, by the grace of Him whom thou, in virginity, didst bring forth, Jesus Christ Our Lord: Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, in perfect Trinity, God, world without end. Amen.

Christmas Anticipation Prayer

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.


Above is the most beautiful prayer of the Christmas Novena, aka the Christmas Anticipation Prayer, aka the St. Andrew Novena.  The mathematically inclined will point out that it is not really a novena, because it is not a multiple of nine, as it is said 15 times a day for 25 days (November 30th, the feast of St. Andrew, to Christmas Eve,) for a total of 375 times prayed.  I assure you, however, that can still be considered a novena, as the term has historically been used for other devotions that last multiple days. It is a beautiful - and simple - Advent devotion.  And it starts Wednesday!  I love this prayer because it is so simple, yet draws the mind to the whole point of Christmas: That hour, that moment, when Christ was born.  I've tried to find the history of this Novena, but in my half-hour or so of internet searching, I came up with nothing - not even on fisheaters.com!

I did, however, find the text for another novena, to be prayed from November 29th through the vigil of the Immaculate Conception on December 7th. I decided to put it into a separate post here.

There are so many ways we prepare for Christmas.  We buy gifts, bake cookies, and decorate.  Let's not forget to prepare our souls, too! There are many devotions, like the two above, and the Jesse Tree and the Advent Wreath.  There are so many fun little feasts, too, like St. Barbara (I'll update last year's post!) and St. Nicholas.  Have a Blessed Advent!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! A friend sent me a lovely email yesterday, and graciously gave me permission to share it with you all. Enjoy!

God Bless,
Rae

Dear friends and family,

With Thanksgiving just to come, I thought I'd share one of the beautiful traditions we had at the convent.  We would use the occasion of Thanksgiving, which reminds us of our heritage, as an opportunity to entrust our country to the Immaculate Conception, our patroness.  Before sitting down for our Thanksgiving meal we had a little prayer time.  An image of the Immaculate Conception was adorned on the mantle of the fireplace.  The lights were off and only the candles on the table and before her image lit the room.  We would read a sheet with a brief history of Thanksgiving, what it meant for Americans, and a little history about the Consecration to the Immaculate Conception.  Then we would all pray the prayer below.  Finally, we'd finish with a few hymns to Our Lady (in English!) like "Sing a Maiden" and "Hail Holy Queen".  Then we'd say the Benedicite and bless the table.

I thought maybe you might like to hear of this, and maybe do something similar.  Or maybe you have your own traditions already in place.  Either way I pray you a most blessed Thanksgiving-tide.

Deanna

Prayer for Renewal of Consecration
to Our Patroness of the United States of America, the Immaculate Conception
 

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, who chose Mary as Your Mother; in union with Mary, we adore Your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to You. Through her we wish to thank You for the great resources of this land and for the freedom, which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners — on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give our country and ourselves to your sorrowful and immaculate heart. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pierced by the sword of sorrow prophesized by Simeon, save us from degeneration, disaster and war. Protect us from all harm. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, you who bore the sufferings of your Son in the depths of your heart, be our advocate. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the will of your divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen. 
 http://www.tldm.org/News9/USConsecratedToOurLady.htm

Short history:

On May 13 1846, (exactly seventy-one years, to the day, before the Fatima apparitions), the Catholic bishops of the United States, who were gathered for the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore, adopted a decree by which they chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as Patroness of the United States.

This decree, translated from Latin into English, is as follows:

With enthusiastic acclaim and with unanimous approval and consent, the Fathers [of the Council] have chosen the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as the Patroness of the United States of America; without, however, adding the obligation of hearing Mass and abstaining from servile work on the feast of the Conception of Blessed Mary. And, therefore, they decided that the Supreme Pontiff be humbly asked to transfer the solemnity, unless the feast fall on a Sunday, to the nearest Sunday, on which both private and solemn Masses may be celebrated of the feast thus transferred, and the vesper office of the same feast may be recited.

The choice of Our Lady, in her Immaculate Conception, as Patroness of the United States was approved by Pope Pius IX in an audience on Feb. 7, 1847; and this approval was announced in a decree of Propaganda dated July 2, the same year. Both of these decrees of Propaganda have the signature of Cardinal Fransoni.

http://catholicknight.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-lady-of-america-immaculate.html

The consecration was renewed in 1959 and 2006 with bishops present.  

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=21945 

Litany of the Infant Jesus

© Octavio Ocampo

I came across this litany in my iPieta app this morning, and thought it was beautiful.  God Bless!

Litany of the Infant Jesus

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, 

Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, 

Lord have mercy, Lord, have mercy.

Infant Jesus, hear us, 

Infant Jesus, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Infant Jesus, have mercy on us.

Infant, very God, have mercy on us.

Infant, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.

Infant, Son of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us.

Infant, begotten before the morning star, have mercy on us.

Infant, Word made flesh, have mercy on us.

Infant, Wisdom of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Purity of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, only Son of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, First-Born of you mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, Image of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Creator of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, Splendor of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Honor of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, equal to your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, subject to your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, Joy of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Riches of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, Gift of your Father, have mercy on us.

Infant, Offering of your mother, have mercy on us.

Infant, precious fruit of a virgin, have mercy on us.

Infant, Creator of man, have mercy on us.

Infant, Power of God, have mercy on us.

Infant, our God, have mercy on us.

Infant, our Brother, have mercy on us.

Infant, perfect Man from your conception, have mercy on us.

Infant, ancient in wisdom from your childhood, have mercy on us.

Infant, Father of ages, have mercy on us.

Infant, of days, have mercy on us.

Infant, giving life, and nourished at the breast, have mercy on us.

Infant, Eternal Word, and making yourself dumb, have mercy on us.

Infant, weeping in the crib, have mercy on us.

Infant, thundering in heaven, have mercy on us.

Infant, terror of hell, have mercy on us.

Infant, Joy of Paradise, have mercy on us.

Infant, dreaded by tyrants, have mercy on us.

Infant, desired by the Magi, have mercy on us.

Infant, exiled from your people, have mercy on us.

Infant, King in exile, have mercy on us.

Infant, Destroyer of idols, have mercy on us.

Infant, Vindicator of the glory of God, have mercy on us.

Infant, strong in weakness, have mercy on us.

Infant, powerful in abasement, have mercy on us.

Infant, Treasure of Grace, have mercy on us.

Infant, Fountain of Love, have mercy on us.

Infant, Author of the blessings of heaven, have mercy on us.

Infant, Repairer of the evils of earth, have mercy on us.

Infant, Head of the angels, have mercy on us.

Infant, Stem of the patriarchs, have mercy on us.

Infant, Word of the prophets, have mercy on us.

Infant, Expectation of nations, have mercy on us.

Infant, Joy of the shepherds, have mercy on us.

Infant, Light of the Magi, have mercy on us.

Infant, Salvation of children, have mercy on us.

Infant, Hope of the just, have mercy on us.

Infant, Teacher of doctors, have mercy on us.

Infant, First-fruits of the saints, have mercy on us.

Be merciful, spare us, O Infant Jesus.

Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Infant Jesus.

From the bondage of the children of Adam, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the slavery of the devil, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the corruption of the world, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the lust of the flesh, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the pride of life, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the immoderate desire of knowledge, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the blindness of mind, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From the perversity of will, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

From our sins, Infant Jesus, deliver us.

Through your most pure conception, deliver us.

Through your most humble birth, deliver us.

Through your tears, deliver us.

Through your most painful circumcision, deliver us.

Through your most glorious epiphany, deliver us.

Through your most devout presentation, deliver us.

Through your most innocent conversation in the world, deliver us.

Through your most holy life, deliver us.

Through your poverty, deliver us.

Through your sorrows, deliver us.

Through your labors and travails. deliver us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Infant Jesus.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Infant Jesus.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Infant Jesus.

Infant Jesus, hear us, Infant Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray:

O Lord Jesus, who allowed the greatness of your incarnate divinity and most sacred humanity to be born in time, to become a little child, and to suffer bitter death, grant that we may acknowledge infinite wisdom in the silence of a child, power in weakness, majesty in abasement, so that adoring your humility and littleness on earth we may contemplate your glories in heaven. We ask this of you, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns God, forever and ever. Amen

I'm Back! With Video of Max :)

I know, I know.  I've been sorely neglecting my blogging duties.  What can I say?  It's been a busy fall.  Even now, I must keep this short, but I thought I'd introduce you to our new pet, Max.  Or is it Maxine?  I don't know for sure, I suppose we'll find out if she lays an egg.  The kids love it- they give him a bath every morning and let it run around while they milk and do chores.

Oh yes, and Sophie is doing well, too.  She has learned quite a few commands already, although we're still working on the fact that she has to obey EVERY time I tell her :) I'm proud of her :D.  She knows sit, down, high-five, drop, leave it (so helpful!) fetch, and come.  Still a long ways to go, but she's a darling.
Till next time,
Rae


Updated 11-6-11
Well, Max laid an egg yesterday, so it's Maxine after all!