Monday 8 December 2008

Tota pulchra es, Maria ...



"Tota pulchra es, Maria .... You are all fair, Mary'

Today, on this feast of the Immaculate Conception, Christians throughout the world fulfill the prophecy of Our Lady herself when she said, "All generations will call me blessed."

Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, said in an address, "Be faithful to the Marian practices of piety that are traditional in the Church - the Angelus, special devotion to Our Lady during the month of May, and in particular, the Holy Rosary."

St John Damascene, an early Father of the Church said, "Our Lady is rest for those who work, consolation for those who mourn, and relief for those who are sick. She is a refuge for those caught in the storm of life, a fountain of compassion for sinners, a sweet relief for the sorrowful, and a source of aid for those who pray."

We ask Our Lady's intercession today for our Diocese and our parish.

Mary Immaculate,

Pray for us.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My sister was named (by our very Brazilian mother): Conceicao - Conception (of Mary), as she was due on 8th December, but as with most first-borns, decided to arrive late. Her name had to be adapted to the natives of England for ease of pronounciation to: Maria. My mother was (needless to say) a great devotee of Our Lady,
her name was Carmen Maria Keech