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AMBUHAY

ST PAULS MEDIA pastoral ministr y

Year 25 No. 24

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (B) White

issalette
December 8, 2011

Freed from
Sin, Freed for God
AMBUHAY

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y
STclaimed
PAULS MEDIA pastoral ministr
stillJesus,
Victor over sin and
n 1854 Pope Pius ix pro
deathto opt for God. While
the Immaculate Concepcion of
we are not TheotokosChristMar y an infallible dogma: The
bearerin the sense of carrying
Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the
the Word in our womb like Mary
first moment of her conception, by
did, we are called to be Christa singular grace and privilege of
bearers through our words and
almighty God and by virtue of the
our witness to Jesus.
merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the
We can all too easily justify our
human race, preser ved immune
sinfulness,
from all stain of original ST
sin.PAULS MEDIA pastoral ministr
y claiming, Tao lamang
tayo; we have not been spared
Spared from original sin (LG
from original sin like Mar y. We
56). The stain of original sin we
can excuse ourselves for our lack
have inherited from Adam and
of vir tue and fidelity to Jesus,
Eve is not personal sin, but rather
maintaining that we have not been
the condition, both internal and
graced like Mary. It is important,
external, into which we are born.
Externally, we are all thrust at birth had already redeemed his human hence, to bear in mind that Marys
privileges did not spare her from
into a sinful human community. mother.
Sin lies outside us, surrounding
Marys free assent. Though freed the possibility of turning away
ministr
y Grace did not exempt
ST PAULS from
MEDIA
from God.
and influencing us. However,
the stainpastoral
of original sin, Mary
interiorly, we experience our will as could have turned down Gods her from fearing for her life as an
enslaved, not being wholly directed invitation for her to give bir th unwed mother, a refugee in Egypt,
toward God and Gods will. This to and raise the Savior. Mar y an eventual widow, and a mother
negative interior state is due to the remained free ever y moment of a crucified convict. Gods favor
deprivation of sanctifying grace, of her life; freein the sense of did not shield her from suffering
the ef fect of Adams sin on us. having the optioneven to sin. and pain, confusion and darkness
Sin, thus, is also experienced as Nonetheless, she chose God in at the foot of the cross especially;
an interior reality, propelling us ever y decision she made; she nonetheless, through it all, Mary
to compound the sin of the world. submitted to Gods will ever y chose God. Mary chose to remain
faithful to Gods will for her and
To proclaim that Mar y was moment of her life.
preserved from the stain of original
Mar y was never coerced by faithful disciple of her Son from
sin means that although, like all of God. Her freedom was never un- the moment of his conception
us, she was born into a sinful world, dermined by grace. For Mary to henceforth.
Thus, as Mar y fr eely co
unlike us, her will was totally fulfill her challenging role in Gods
oriented towards God.
salvific plans, she had to freely de- operated with Gods plans for her
Redeemed by her Son, Jesus. cide for God. Nonetheless, she was and the world, so are we invited
Mary was preserved from original dependent every moment on grace to participate in Gods redemptive
sin because of her motherhood of empowering her to opt for God and plans for our families, our nation,
the Savior. The eternal Word was Gods will: For Mary to be able to and the world. As God did great
conceived and developed in the give the free assent of her faith things through Mar y, simple,
new ark of the covenant, the womb it was necessary that she be wholly humble maiden, so can God do
of Mary, full of grace. The divine borne by Gods grace (CCC 490). great things through each of us
Son was raised by a human mother,
In relation to us. While we despite our humble station in life.
pure and holy. In this sense, Mary are not spared from the stain of We pray that, like Mary, we might
was saved by her eternal Son at original sin, we are also graced be graced to choose God ever y
the moment of her conception. by the risen Lord. While our wills moment of our lives.
Prior to Jesus incarnation, death, are powerfully drawn toward sin,
and resurrection, the divine Son we are enabled by a greater power Fr. Manoling V. Francisco, SJ

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INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Antiphon (Is 61:10)
I exult for joy in the Lord, my
soul rejoices in my God; for he
has clothed me in the garment
of salvation and robed me in
the cloak of justice, like a bride
adorned with her jewels.
Greeting

(The sign of the cross is made here)

P Praised be God the Father

who prepared the Virgin Mar y
to be the worthy mother of his
Son, Jesus Christ. May the Lords
blessings be with you all.
All And also with you.
Introduction
P Dear sisters and brothers:
In the midst of our Advent
preparation for the birth of Jesus,
we celebrate the solemnity of the
Immaculate Conception of the
Blessed Virgin Mar y, principal
patroness of the Philippines.
We focus our eyes on Mary, the
woman God has chosen to be
the mother of the Savior. Our
Ladys feast reminds us that God
keeps his promise of overcoming
evil. He sends us the Savior who
redeems his people from their
sins. And as part of the divine plan,
in anticipation of this redemption,
Mary is conceived free from the
stain of sin so that she will be a
worthy mother of the Savior.
As Mar y lived up to her Immaculate Conception, listening to
the word of God and keeping it,
so we are challenged to continue
living up to that privilege given to
her for our sake.
Penitential Rite
P Paul writes that God chose
us to be holy and without blemish
before him. Have we, like Mary,
responded to Gods grace? Let us
examine ourselves. (Pause)
P Lord Jesus, you are the
Offspring of the woman who will
overcome the evil one: Lord, have
mercy.
All Lord, have mercy.
P Lord Jesus, no stain of
Adams sin touched the Virgin
Mary because she was chosen to
bear you: Christ, have mercy.
All Christ, have mercy.
P Lord Jesus, in the fullness of
time you were born of a woman

and became like us in all things

except sin: Lord, have mercy.
All Lord, have mercy.
P May almighty God have
mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
All Amen.
Gloria
All Glor y to God in the
highest, and peace to his people
on earth. Lord God, heavenly
King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you
thanks, we praise you for your
glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only
Son of the Father, Lord God,
Lamb of God, you take away the
sin of the world: have mercy on
us; you are seated at the right
hand of the Father: receive our
prayer. For you alone are the
Holy One, you alone are the
Lord, you alone are the Most
High, Jesus Christ, with the
Holy Spirit, in the glory of God
the Father. Amen.
Opening Prayer
P Let us pray [that through
the prayers of the sinless Virgin
Mary, God will free us from our
sins]. (Pause)
Father, you prepared the Virgin
Mar y to be the worthy mother
of your Son. You let her share
beforehand in the salvation Christ
would bring by his death, and kept
her sinless from the first moment
of her conception. Help us by her
prayers to live in your presence
without sin.
We ask this through our Lord
Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
All Amen.
LITURGY OF
THE WORD
First Reading [Gn 3:9-15, 20] (Sit)
The First Reading describes the consequence of our first parents fall. By
succumbing to the temptation of the
serpent which symbolizes evil, Adam
and Eve bring their descendants out
of Gods grace. Still, the Lord does
not abandon humankind: a new Eve
will bring forth an offspring who will
overcome evil.

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 meshe 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 you at your head,
while you strike at his heel.
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother
of all the living.
The word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (Ps 98)
R Sing to the Lord a new
song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
1. 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)
2 . The L o r d 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)
3. 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)
Second Reading
(Eph 1:3-6, 11-12)
Paul speaks of how God chose his holy
ones in Christ before the foundation
of the world. The apostle pictures for
us how God prepared Mary for her
role as mother of the Savior.

A reading from the Book of

Genesis

A reading from the Letter of

Saint Paul to the Ephesians

AFTER THE MAN, ADAM, had

eaten of the tree, the Lord God
called to the man and asked him,

BROTHERS and sisters:

Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has

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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.

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.

The word of the Lord.

All Thanks be to God.

Profession of Faith (Stand)

Alleluia [cf. Lk 1:28] (Stand)

All Alleluia, alleluia! Hail,
Mar y, full of grace, the Lord
is with you; blessed are you
among women. Alleluia,
alleluia!
Gospel (Lk 1:26-38)
P The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
P A reading from the holy
Gospel according to Luke.
All Glory to you, Lord.
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
virgins name was Mar y. 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 Mar y 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

The Gospel of the Lord.

All Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Homily (Sit)
All I believe in God, the Father
Almighty, Creator of heaven and
earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his
only Son, our Lord. He was
conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin
Mary. He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died, and
was buried. He descended to the
dead. On the third day, he rose
again. He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of
the Father. He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the for giveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and
the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of the Faithful

P Let us praise God, our
almighty Father, who wished
that Mary, his Sons mother, be
celebrated by each generation. In
our great need, we ask:
R Mar y, full of grace,
intercede for us.
C May Mary, the Immaculate
Mother, intercede for the Christian
people, so that they may go forward in hope, relying on the help
of Christ. We pray: (R)
C May the Filipino nation
never grow weary of invoking the
Blessed Mother and always find
refuge under her protection. We
pray: (R)
C May all who are facing trials,
sufferings, and difficulties feel
Marys motherly love. We pray: (R)
C May our Christian com
munities be centers of joy and
mutual support and be protectors

of life from conception to old age.

We pray: (R)
C May all of us find in Mary
a model of prayer, ser vice, and
obedience to Gods will. May we
listen to her as she points to Jesus
and says, Do whatever he tells
you. We pray: (R)
C (The urgent concerns of the
community are prayed here.)
P Father, as we rejoice in the
privilege of Mar ys Immaculate
Conception, may we ourselves
come to you, cleansed of all sin.
We make our prayer through
Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
LITURGY OF
THE EUCHARIST
Presentation of the Gifts
(Stand)
P Pray, brethren
All May the Lord accept the
sacrifice at your hands for the
praise and glory of his name,
for our good, and the good of
all his Church.
Prayer over the Gifts
P Lord, accept this sacrifice
on the feast of the sinless Virgin
Mary. You kept her free from sin
from the first moment of her life.
Help us by her prayers, and free
us from our sins.
We ask this in the name of
Jesus the Lord.
All Amen.
Preface (Immaculate Conception)
P The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them up to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God.
All It is right to give him
thanks and praise.
P Father, all-powerful and everliving God, we do well always and
everywhere to give you thanks.
You allowed no stain of Adams
sin to touch the Virgin Mar y.
Full of grace, she was to be a
worthy mother of your Son, your
sign of favor to the Church at its
beginning, and the promise of its
perfection as the bride of Christ,
radiant in beauty.
Purest of virgins, she was to
bring forth your Son, the innocent
lamb who takes away our sins.
You chose her from all women to

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be our advocate with you and our

pattern of holiness.
In our joy we sing to your glory
with all the choirs of angels:
All Holy, holy, holy... (Kneel)
Acclamation (Stand)
All Dying you destroyed our
death, rising you restored our
life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.
COMMUNION RITE
The Lords Prayer
All Our Father
P Deliver us
All For the kingdom, the
power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Invitation to Peace
Invitation to Communion
(Kneel)
P Behold Jesus, the Son of the
Immaculate Mother. He is the
Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world. Happy are those
who are called to his supper.
All Lord, I am not worthy
to receive you, but only say
the word and I shall be healed.
Communion Antiphon
All honor to you, Mary! From
you arose the sun of justice,
Christ our God.
Prayer after Communion
(Stand)
P Let us pray. (Pause)
Lord our God, in your love,
you chose the Virgin Mary and
kept her free from sin. May this
sacrament of your love free us
from our sins.
Grant this through Christ our
Lord.
All Amen.
CONCLUDING RITE
P The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
Solemn Blessing
P Bow your heads and pray for
Gods blessing. (Pause)
Born of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, the Son of God redeemed
humankind. May he enrich you
with his blessings.
All Amen.
P You received the author of
life through Mary. May you always
rejoice in her loving care.
All Amen.

An Act of Consecration of Thanksgiving and Petition

for the Faithful and People of the Philippines

lory be to the Father, glory to the Son, glory to the Holy Spirit, forever
and ever. Amen. We confess with our whole hearts you are the unbegotten Father, you the only-begotten Son, you the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete;
the holy and undivided Trinitywe praise you and we bless you; to you
be glory forever; to you be thanks forever; confirm, O God, what you have
wrought in us; save us and our people.
Praise to the Divine Heart through which we have received salvation.
Glory forever! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, joy of those in heaven and neverfailing hope of those on earth, we are yours, we wish to be yours, save us
and our people; shelter us safely in the most sweet dwelling of your charity;
for you are meek, O Lord, and your mercy is forever. Spare then, O Most
Gentle Heart of Jesus, spare our nation which, nourished in the faith of your
Church, through you wonderfully kept intact the treasure of the true faith,
and defended it against every snare. Receive, therefore, O Most Sacred Heart
of Jesus, thanks from the clergy and the people of the Philippines which has
been made safe in the abundance of your benefits.
O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, you who were preserved from the stain of
original sin, most loving and powerful patron of the Philippines, to you,
too, be endless praise, everlasting veneration and thanksgiving in Christ
Jesus. O Immaculate Mother, our most kind Mother, our most sweet and
most august Queen, with grateful hearts we praise your mercies and fly to
your protection. O Blessed Lady, you who captivate with your sweetness the
hearts of men, you who have captivated our hearts, you have captivated the
hearts of our people, too. You have established, fostered, and strengthened
the foundations of the faith in our beloved land by your good patronage as
manifested in so many visible proofs of your maternal love. O Lady, you
are our Mother, who crushed the head of the serpent, deliver our people
from the poisoned arrows of evil men and heretics. You, who nourished
and educated our people in the faith of your most beloved Son, be also
our guardian, our defender, and our safeguard. We are yours, we wish to
be yours, show yourself a Mother and Patron to us, guard us, and save us
through your most powerful intercession.
Most blessed Saint Joseph, most chaste spouse of the Mother of God, you
had always been the most beloved Protector of the Philippines, to you be
praise and veneration in Christ Jesus. O Guardian of Virgins, O you whom the
joyous hosts of heaven honor, you whose praises are sung by all Christendom,
intercede for us and receive our hearts to be irrevocably dedicated, given,
and committed to the most sweet heart of your Immaculate Spouse. Amen.

P You have come to rejoice at

Marys Immaculate Conception.
May you be filled with the joys
of the Spirit and the gifts of your
eternal home.
All Amen.
P May the blessing of almighty
God, () the Father, and the Son,

and the Holy Spirit, come upon

you and remain with you for ever.
All Amen.
Dismissal
P The Mass is ended. Go and be
worthy children of the Virgin Mary.
All Thanks be to God.