In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria
Opening Prayer: Day 4
O Mary, Mother of God, endowed in your glorious Immaculate Conception with the fullness of grace; unique among women in that you are both mother and virgin; Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ, we ask you to look down with a tender heart from your throne and listen to our prayers as we earnestly ask that you obtain for us the favour for which we now ask on behalf of the sick… (State your intentions here…)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Daily Meditation (A lecture on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary): Part 4
Invoking our Lady as the “immaculate Conception” or “Queen Conceived without Original Sin” implies that she was free from the defilement of sin. We should have in mind that there are two
types of sins: Original sin and Actual sin. Original sin is the sin we all inherited from our first parents (Adam and Eve), which is necessarily washed away by our Baptism. While Actual sin is referred to as the sins we commit in our day to day lives (further divided into mortal and venial sins). It is true that if Adam and Eve had not committed the Original sin, we won’t all be sinners today; because the Original sin infuses “concupiscence” (the tendency to often commit sin) in every man. Thus, the Original sin gave way for Actual sin.
Having exposed this, and following the syllogism of the point above, we can say that since Mary was preserved from Original Sin, it also implies that she did not commit an Actual Sin. Now, looking at the Pauline phrase cited above “All have sinned”, the first question that arises here is, have all people committed actual sins? The answer is obviously no. This is indicated in St. Paul in the letter to the Romans when he speaks of the time when Jacob and Esau were unborn babies as a time when they “had done nothing either good or bad” (cf. Rom. 9:11). Apparently, because a child below the age of reasoning, by definition, cannot sin, since sinning requires the ability to reason. Notwithstanding, the idea is that we’re all sinners. Therefore, the term “all” is used to refer to the majority. Also, if Paul’s statement in Romans 3 includes an exception for the New Adam (Jesus), one may argue that an exception for the New Eve (Mary) can also be made. How is this possible?
To be continued…
(Pause and Reflect)
THE CHAPLET OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: Using the ordinary rosary chaplet
- The Creed, Our Father and the first three Hail Marys…
- On the large bead, pray the Memorare Prayer (Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.) On the 10 small beads say “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”, after which you pray the Memorare Prayer again on the large bead and “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee” on the small beads…
- Repeat the process till the end of the chaplet. At the end, say the Hail Holy Queen…
SHORT INVOCATIONS TO OUR LADY
Great Mary (Pray for us)
Greatest of Marys
Greatest of Women
Mother of Eternal Glory
Mother of the Golden Light
Honour of the Sky
Temple of the Divinity
Fountain of the Gardens
Serene as the Moon
Bright as the Sun
Garden Enclosed
Temple of the Living God
Light of Nazareth
Beauty of the World
Queen of Life
Ladder of Heaven
Mother of God
Immaculate Conception.
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
May the Divine assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.
Concluding Prayer
O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession, to come unto You.
Immaculate Virgin Mary, you were pleasing in the sight of God from the first moment of your conception in the womb of your mother, St. Anne. You were chosen to be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I believe the teaching of Holy Mother Church, that in the first instant of your conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race and beloved Son, you were preserved from all stain of original sin. I thank God for this wonderful privilege and grace He bestowed upon you as I honour your Immaculate Conception. Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from your throne in heaven turn your eyes of pity upon me. Filled with confidence in your goodness and power, I beg you to help me in this journey of life which is so full of dangers for my soul. I entrust myself entirely to you, that I may never be the slave of the devil through sin, but may always live a humble and pure life. I consecrate myself to you forever, for my only desire is to love your divine Son Jesus. Mary, since none of your devout servants has perished, May I too be saved. Amen.
Blessing: Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary – the Immaculate Conception, may the Lord bless us + protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
Final Anthem to the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Heart! we kneel
To consecrate all to thee:
The present, its pain and joy
The future, all it may be.
Refrain:
O Lady of Fatima, hail!
Immaculate Mother of grace;
O, pray for us, help us today,
Thou hope of the human race!
👏🏼👏🏼 Great job praying Day 4! 👏🏼👏🏼 Click here for Day 5 Prayers
Shalom!
Compiled by Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Paroquia Nossa Senhora Immaculada Conceição, Paulo Ramos, Maranhão, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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PS: Have you prayed your Rosary today?
