Dec 8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On this and the following eight days, the Church celebrates, with particular solemnity, the immaculate conception of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary who, from all eternity, was chosen to be the daughter of the heavenly Father, the spouse of the Holy Ghost, the Mother of the Divine Redeemer, and, by consequence, the queen of angels and of men.
The consideration of these prerogatives convinced the most enlightened fathers and teachers of the Catholic Church that she was conceived immaculate, that is, without original sin. It is very remarkable that among the shining hosts of saints who have, in every century, adorned the Church, no one wrote against this belief, while we find it confirmed by the decisions of the holy fathers from the earliest times.
Pope Pius IX forced, as it were, by the faith and devotion of the faithful throughout the world, finally on 8 December 1854, sanctioned, as a dogma of faith falling within the infallible rule of Catholic traditions, this admirable prerogative of the Blessed Virgin.
It is, therefore, now no longer, as formerly, a pious belief, but an article of the faith that Mary, like the purest morning light which precedes the rising of the most brilliant sun, was, from the first instant of her conception, free from original sin.
- Patron Saint Index
Gen 3:9-15,20
Eph 1:3-6,11-12
Lk 1:26-38
Before the world was made, he chose us,… to live through love in his presence.
I think many of us are familiar with this verse from the Prophet Jeremiah:
Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you as prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1: 5)
This verse reminded me that God had eagerly awaited my birth, and that I was in his mind even before I was born. This assured me of his great love for me. And today’s verse went beyond that. Today’s verse is saying that even before the world was created, God has already planned for us to live. I can’t help but think that everything created around me was made for me.
I was watching this series from Formed.org titled ‘The Search’. In the first episode, it shared how life came to be on earth. That everything had to happen at the exact time, and at the exact place, with the exact molecular compositions, for life to have started. How amazing is that? That God willed it all so we can live. God had planned everything for you and me.
Let’s take this amazing thought one step further. Everything around us was created for us by God. In my previous reflections, the wonders of nature reminded me of God, and of his majesty. I remember one time I was staring at the full moon that lit up the ocean, all I could think of was ‘my soul glorifies the Lord’. So now, with this verse, I see myself looking at the wonders that God created and telling myself that God created all these for me, and for everyone of us. This is because God had loved us even before he created the world.
Whenever we see a beautiful flower, we can tell ourselves that God created those flowers for us. Whenever you taste something delicious, we can think that God created all these for us. Remembering how everything around me was created for me makes me bask in God’s love.
And everything was created for everyone. If we know that something is a gift for someone else, we take care of that item and we make sure we don’t destroy it. So, since everything around us is for me and everyone else, we have the responsibility to preserve and take care of this gift. Because it was created for everyone now, and for everyone who will born in the future.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Stephanie Villa)
Prayer: Lord, help me remember that you have gifted me a lot, and that this gift is for everyone.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for loving me way, way, way back.
OXYGEN 
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