Tuesday, December 02, 2008

The Archangels teach us about the Immaculate Conception


Mary Vitamin for December 2nd
 
Topic: The Archangels teach us about the Immaculate Conception
 
Quote:
St. Alphonsus di Liguori
"Hence it is that the angel, before she became the Mother of God, already found her full of grace and thus saluted her, 'Hail, full of grace."
St. Alphonsus di Liguori, The Glories of Mary,  (Tan Books),276.
 
Meditation:
The words of St. Raphael from the Book of Tobit:
 
"I will now tell you the whole truth: I will conceal nothing at all from you, .... when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord...I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord."
Tobit 12:11,12, 15.
 
We only know the names of three of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord: St. Raphael, St. Gabriel and St. Michael -- the other four names remain hidden.
 
If St. Gabriel is one of the seven, then he is accustomed to seeing the "Glory of the Lord." When he came as a messenger to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he recognized the special graces conferred by God on Her. He called her "full of grace." (Grace means the gift of God's presence.) St. Gabriel recognized God's special presence in the Blessed Virgin Mary even before the Holy Spirit overshadowed Her.
 
Resolution:
Today, I will try to think often of the Annunciation. In particular, when I pray the Angelus today, I will try to think about Our Lady from the point of view of St. Gabriel. He was impressed by Our Lady's degree of grace. He was impressed by Her Immaculate Conception.
 
Marian Vow:
With my Marian Vow, as the slave and property of Our Lady, I should be careful to practice the humility and docility of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
 
"Be it done unto me according to your Word."
 
I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 
Thanks be to God for graces received.
 

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