1 December 2011: Immaculate Conception Novena

“Thy vesture is white as snow; and thy face is as the sun.” (Daniel 7:9)

Day 2 - House of Gold
Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit God dwells in the Blessed Mother. In the ‘Litany of Loreto’ we call on Mary, ‘House of Gold’, the abode of greatest conceivable splendour. In this foremost Tabernacle in the Old Testament, later the Temple, Yahweh meets his people.
Before God announced his coming into the world, he prepared Mary as the proper creature in whose womb he will dwell from his Incarnation until his birth in Bethlehem. Mary, the ‘House of Gold’, the new Temple of God, is so beautiful, a greater perfection is impossible. The grace of her Immaculate Conception, including all gifts God ever bestowed are in fulfilment of her divine Maternity. (St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, 3,q27,a5)
The Archangel Gabriel is full of veneration for Mary on greeting her. He knows her greatness in grace and virtue; her exceptional union with God. The gift of supernatural life exceeds that of all the Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors and Virgins combined. God dwells in Our Lady more than in all the angels and saints. (R Garrigou-Lagrange, “The Mother of the Saviour”, p411)
Mary’s relationship with the Blessed Trinity is most intimate. Her absolute honor is supreme; and her majesty truly unique. The Second Vatican Council reiterated her recognition throughout Church history -- the Father’s firstborn and most highly favored daughter. (Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium”, 53)
By Our Lady’s blood relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we can truly say that Mary is the Temple and Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. (John Paul II, Encyclical, “Redemptoris Mater”, 9) What joy to recall that we have a Mother very close to God, so pure and beautiful; and can closely identify with our daily experience.
“Sing to Mary Immaculate, reminding her: Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father! Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son! Hail Mary, Spouse of God the Holy Spirit! Greater than you -- no one, but God!” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 496)
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 7:275-81

Early expectations and Christian hope
There are many who repeat the expression “while there’s life there’s hope”, as if hope were an excuse for ambling along through life without too many complications or worries on one’s consciences. Or as if it were a pretext for postponing indefinitely the decision to mend one’s ways and the struggle to attain worthwhile goals, particularly the highest goal of all which is to be united with God.
If we follow this view, we will end up confusing hope with comfort. Fundamentally, what is wrong with it is there is no real desire to achieve anything worthwhile, either spiritual or material. Thus some people’s greatest ambition boils down to avoiding whatever might upset the apparent calm of their mediocre existence.
These timid, inhibited, lazy souls, full of subtle forms of selfishness, are content to let the days, the years, go by “Neither hoping nor fearing”, without setting themselves demanding targets, nor experiencing the hopes and fears of battle: the important thing for them is to avoid the risk of disappointment and tears. How far one is from obtaining something, if the very wish to possess it has been lost through fear of the demands involved in achieving it!
Ref: Cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 207

The mistake of Judas and Satan’s complaint
Our Lord’s betrayer, Judas Iscariot, made two mistakes:
1) in desperation, he forgot that Jesus would have forgiven him if he repented; and 2) it did not occur to him that the Mother of Jesus could have helped him.
The devil complained many times to God that His Mother was stealing so many sinners from him, and that he himself has no chance to find recourse to the refuge of sinners.
At a rendition of the Passion Play, the actor who had the role of Judas, going into utter despair after becoming aware of his crime, shrieked at the top of his voice in the most doleful and distressing strain: ‘To whom can I go? I have betrayed my God! To whom can I go?’ The play was at its tensest and most tragic part.
A seven-year-old girl was beside her mother in the middle of a packed hall, completely absorbed by the drama. Sorry for the wretched man in his terrible plight, and eager to help him out, she said to her mother in a childish voice that was heard throughout the hall in the hushed audience: ‘Mama, why doesn’t he go to Mary?’
The child’s simple solution was correct. Had Judas, in his remorse, but gone to Mary and asked her to intercede for him with her Son, instead of becoming a desperate suicide, he could have become a great saint.
Even Satan is jealous of us because we have such a merciful and powerful Mother. It is said that one day the devil said to the saintly ‘Curé’ of Ars (St Jean Marie Vianney, who so greatly loved the Blessed Virgin and made her well-known and loved by others), ‘Ah! If only I had had a Mother like yours, such a merciful refuge of sinners! ...’
Mary is truly the Mother and the ‘Refuge of sinners’! She takes a great pleasure when two of her sons, Jesus and the sinner reconcile. Do you think that you are a great sinner? Listen to what the Saintly Blosius said: ‘There is no sinner so spoiled and so sunken in vice that Mary would detest him and deny him aid.’

· “However great a man’s sins may be, if he shall return to me, I am ready instantly to receive him. Nor do I regard the number of the enormity of his sins, but the will with which he comes to me; for I do not disdain to anoint and heal his wounds, because I am called, and truly am, the Mother of sinners.” -- Our Lady to St Bridget
· “Mary, the Mother of Mercy, has such a desire to save sinners, that she looks for them in order to help them.” -- St Alphonsus Liguori
· “Mary was born from love, she lived for love, and she died of love ... She is the Mother of beautiful love.” -- St Bernardine of Siena
Ref: Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, pp29, 35

• Our Lady of Ratisbonne, in Bavaria, founded by Duke Theodon, after receiving baptism from St. Rupert, Bishop of Salzburg and apostle of Bavaria, who afterwards consecrated this church.— (Canisius, lib. v. de Beata Virgine. cap. 25.) “Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar (www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Our Lady of Ratisbon (also known as Ratisbonne). Bavaria, Germany. 1842. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (http://mariedenazareth.com)
• “Notre Dame de Puy-le-Dome” (France). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of Light. Cainta, Rizal, PHL. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)