First Friday of Advent – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
– You can ponder on the picture. For a method of praying with pictures click button below.
– You can pray on the words of Scripture. For methods of praying with scripture click button below.
– You can follow the suggestions in the daily ‘Reflection’.
– You can listen to the music
Today’s Scripture
Ephesians 1:3-6,11-12 (HCSB)
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favour and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favoured us with in the Beloved.
We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.
Reflection
For the Catholic Church, today is the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Blessed John Duns Scotus described the gift of Immaculate Conception as ‘fitting’ for the one chosen to be the vessel of the incarnation, of the word become flesh. It means that the grace of redemption which flowed from the death and resurrection was given to her before Jesus was born (because God is outside the confines of time we experience).
We are reminded that each of us is chosen and equipped to bring forth Christ in our world. We too are called to be ‘holy and blameless’ by availing of the mercy and power of God so that nothing can keep us from being, like Mary, people who bring Jesus alive in our own lives and in our world.
What is the grace you need to feel more equipped to follow God more deeply and witness to your faith more completely?
What are the gifts you are aware of which God has given you to do this already?
Spend some time with Jesus expressing this, and you may wish to invite Mary to be with you in this time of reflection.
Today’s Music