December 8: IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Mass and readings.

December 8:
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Mass and readings.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Gaudens gaudébo in Dómino, et exsultábit anima mea in Deo meo; quia índuit me vestiméntis salútis, et induménto iustítiæ circúmdedit me, quasi sponsam ornátam monílibus suis.
I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bride adorned with her jewels.

The Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) is said.

COLLECT
O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son, grant, we pray, that, as you preserved her from every stain by virtue of the Death of your Son, which you foresaw, so, through her intercession, we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to your presence. Through our Lord.

READING I 
Genesis 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 
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Cantáte Dómino cánticum novum, quia mirabília fecit.

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. 
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.
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.

READING II 
Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians 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

Ave, María, grátia plena; Dóminus tecum; benedícta tu in muliéribus.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.

GOSPEL 
Luke 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.

FOR A REFLECTION ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION SOLEMNITY, CLICK HERE, HERE AND HERE.

The Creed is said.

PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Graciously accept the saving sacrifice which we offer you, O Lord, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and grant that, as we profess her on account of your prevenient grace to be untouched by any stain of sin, so, through her intercession, we may be delivered from all our faults. Through Christ our Lord.
[–» Eucharistic Prayer]

Preface of the Immaculate Conception

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For you preserved the Most Blessed Virgin Mary from all stain of original sin, so that in her, endowed with the rich fullness of your grace, you might prepare a worthy Mother for your Son, and signify the beginning of the Church, his beautiful Bride without spot or wrinkle. She, the most pure Virgin, was to bring forth a Son, the innocent Lamb who would wipe away our offenses; you placed her above all others to be for your people an advocate of grace and a model of holiness. And so, in company with the choirs of Angels, we praise you, and with joy we proclaim:
[–» Holy, holy, holy…]

COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Glorious things are spoken of you, O Mary, because from you arose the sun of righteousness, Christ our God.
[–» Communion]

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
May the Sacrament we have received, O Lord our God, heal in us the wounds of that fault from which in a singular way you preserved Blessed Mary in her Immaculate Conception. Through Christ our Lord.
[–» Concluding Rite]

AV SUMMARY ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. FOR COMPLETE TEXT, CLICK HERE.

WATCH. BEST WITH SOUND.

MORE POSTS ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF MARY HERE, HERE AND HERE.

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