The Immaculate Conception is an infallible declaration of the Church

There is no set list of ex cathedra teachings, but that’s because there are only two, and both are about Mary: her Immaculate Conception (declared by Pope Pius IX in 1854 and grandfathered in after the First Vatican Council’s declaration of papal infallibility in 1870) and her bodily Assumption into heaven (declared by Pope Pius XII in 1950). But neither of these was earth-shattering to Roman Catholics, because these beliefs had been nurtured through devotion, prayer, and local teaching for centuries before becoming official papal teaching. Ex cathedra is the theological term for a teaching that has been declared infallibly by the Roman Pontiff. In short, ex cathedra means that the pope can explicate an article of divine revelation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in full possession of his role as Peter’s successor. When he does so he is protected from error. This ex cathedra possibility was supported by the Second Vatican Council. However, this does not mean that every time the pope speaks he is speaking infallibly. - See more at:

 http://www.uscatholic.org/church/2011/05/there-list-infallible-teachings#sthash.6WhmhnF9.dpuf

Explaining the Immaculate Conception

What Is the Immaculate Conception?

By Scott P. Richert

 

A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared at Lourdes, France, in 1858, where she announced, "I am the Immaculate Conception." Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Hanceville, Alabama.

(Photo © Scott P. Richert)

 

Question: What Is the Immaculate Conception?

Few doctrines of the Catholic Church are as misunderstood as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Many people, including many Catholics, think that it refers to the conception of Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That event, though, is celebrated at the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord (March 25, nine months before Christmas). What is the Immaculate Conception?

Answer: The Immaculate Conception refers to the condition that the Blessed Virgin Mary was free from Original Sin from the very moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne. We celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8; nine months before is December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Fr. John Hardon, S.J., in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, notes that "Neither the Greek nor Latin Fathers explicitly taught the Immaculate Conception, but they professed it implicitly." It would take many centuries, though, for the Catholic Church to recognize the Immaculate Conception as a doctrine, and many more before Pope Pius IX, on December 8, 1854, would declare it a dogma.
In the Apostolic Constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX wrote that "We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."
As Father Hardon further writes, the Blessed Virgin's "freedom from sin was an unmerited gift of God or special grace, and an exception to the law, or privilege, which no other created person has received."
Another misconception people have is that Mary's Immaculate Conception was necessary to ensure that Original Sin would not be passed on to Christ. This has never been a part of the teaching on the Immaculate Conception; rather, the Immaculate Conception represents Christ's saving grace operating in Mary in anticipation of His redemption of man and in God's foreknowledge of Mary's acceptance of His Will for her.
In other words, the Immaculate Conception was not a precondition for Christ's act of redemption but the result of it. It is the concrete expression of God's love for Mary, who gave herself fully, completely, and without hesitation to His service.
For more on the development of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, see the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

On government property by government employees(military heroes) comes this bit of beauty in honor of Jesus

Air Force astonishes museum with an instrumental flash mob

Started as a single cellist and turned into a grand musical spectacle for museum visitors

• Thursday, December 05, 2013                    

Starting with a single cellist on the floor of the National Air and Space Museum's Milestones of Flight gallery and swelling to 120 musicians, The United States Air Force Band exhilarated museum visitors yesterday with its first-ever flash mob.
The four-minute performance featured an original arrangement of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring/Joy to the World," led by the Band's commander and conductor, Col. Larry H. Lang.
Unsuspecting museum visitors including tourists and school groups were astonished as instrumentalists streamed into the gallery from behind airplanes and space capsules, and vocalists burst into song from the Museum's second floor balcony.

http://www.military1.com/air-force/article/412126-air-force-astonishes-museum-with-an-instrumental-flash-mob
 

 

 

From the Deacon's Bench comes this incredible story of forgiveness & mercy

Pope invites reformed killer of nun to Rome

December 8, 2013 By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details from Vatican Radio: 

Eighteen years after Samunder Singh stabbed and murdered a Catholic nun in northern India, the former prisoner has been invited to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican. Sr. Rani Maria was murdered in 1995.

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for Family, invited Singh after the pope expressed his desire to meet him. Accompanying him will be a Catholic priest and a nun, the younger sister of the slain Rani Maria.
The priest, popularly known as Swami Sadanand, was instrumental in counseling Singh after the killing. The Carmelite of Mary Immaculate regularly met him in jail.
“I am excited after getting the news,” 40-year old Singh told ucanews.com. He stabbed the Franciscan Clarist nun 54 times and left her to die on a road side at the behest of some landlords who had opposed her work among poor farm laborers. Singh was just 22 when he committed the crime. He was subsequently arrested and sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life term. Singh, who with the guidance of the Catholic priest became a Christian while serving a 12-year jail term, is busy preparing his travel documents.
The invitation to the Vatican is to attend a special screening of a documentary on the killing, called The Heart of a Murderer, by award winning Australian-Italian director Catherine McGilvray.
The documentary depicts the murder, Singh’s conversion and his acceptance by the murdered nun’s family. McGilvray, in an interview, said when she first heard the story, she was moved by the images of “the mother kissing her daughter’s murderer and of the assassin becoming like a real brother to the sister of his victim.”
Pope Francis was reportedly moved by the film.
The family of the slain nun had publically forgiven him and accepted him as one of their family members. Every year on the Hindu festival of siblings, the sister of Rani Maria ties a rakhi, or ceremonial thread, onto Singh. The ritual is a common practice among siblings.
The murdered nun was declared a Servant of God, the first major step toward canonization, in 2007.

Pope delivers message of the Immaculate Conception at his Angelus address

Angelus: Immaculate Conception fruit of God’s Love

(Vatican Radio) The Immaculate Conception of Mary is “inscribed in God’s plan; it is the fruit of God’s love which saves the world.” These were Pope Francis’ comments during his weekly Angelus address for the second Sunday of Advent which coincides with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

On this Feast, the Holy Father said, our gaze turns to the “beauty of the Mother of Jesus, our Mother!” It is with great joy, he continued, that the Church contemplates the words of Saint Luke “full of grace” (Lk 1:28). Mary, moreover, guides us as we journey towards Christmas, teaching us “how to live this time of Advent waiting for the Lord.” Pope Francis went on to say that the Immaculate Conception was inscribed in God’s plan; it was the fruit of God’s love whereby the world was saved.

After leading the crowds in Saint Peter’s Square in praying the Angelus, the Pope expressed spiritual closeness to the Church in North America, which is celebrating the 350^th anniversary of its first parish: Notre-Dame de Québec.

The Holy Father concluded his Angelus address by wishing everyone a happy feast of Our Lady, and a good lunch.


Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/08/angelus:_immaculate_conception_fruit_of_god%E2%80%99s_love/en1-753870
of the Vatican Radio website

Sunday is December 8th: 2nd Sunday of Advent or Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception? Depends.

Advent is well under way and we arrive at that date of December 8th, traditionally the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.  Since celebrated in Advent, and because the Church proclaims the Gospel of Gabriel's visit to Mary to announce she will bear a Son and name Him Jesus, most people never realized what we were celebrating anyway.  The Immaculate Conception is that glorious pronouncement of the Church, taught infallibly, that Mary herself was conceived without sin so she would be the one and only vessel to carry Jesus; the ark of the New Covenant!

This year, December 8th falls on Sunday and it happens to be the 2nd Sunday in Advent.  So in most of the world, the Sunday will be celebrated with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception moved to Monday, December 9th.  The Bishops of the USA are among those who have declared this to be so, and have released us poor overworked and over stressed Catholics from any obligation to even celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception at all.  Some nations, moving it to Monday too, still oblige their faithful to attend Mass.  Now in Europe, including Italy and Vatican City, they have decided that the Immaculate Conception indeed is the celebration of the day and the 2nd Sunday of Advent does not exist.  Confused yet?  So simply, the Pope will celebrate Immaculate Conception.  Your parish in America will celebrate 2nd Sunday of Advent.

One further point of confusion; I believe those who follow the 1962 missal an attend the older traditional Latin rite Mass will also celebrate the Immaculate Conception. 

Now for the Deacon's opinion:  I like leaving the 2nd Sunday of Advent on the 8th.  There are only 4 Sunday's in Advent and they build to the great celebration of Christmas!  I like moving the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception to Monday, December 9th.  I don't like making the day a freebie; why release Catholics from Mass?  Yes, I get it, about work and school but wouldn't the same rules apply about missing Mass for good reason on the 9th as it would on the 8th?

Catholic Churches could accommodate with schedules by region that would emphasis before work, lunch hour, early evening(like 5 PM) and later evening(like 7 or 7:30 PM).  Catholic schools and seminaries could take that date off to make more Priests available for Masses in the parishes.  Why not try?

We have lost the sense that these Holy Days of Obligation are important.  We forget that the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption used to be the two days that were never excused for Mass attendance. 

I also think it confuses the Body of Christ that you can watch Mass from the Vatican early tomorrow morning and it's one thing, then go to Mass at your locale and it's another.  But that is a valid option as the Bishops of each country have that responsibility.

In any event, will you join me and find a Mass on December 9th for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception?

Rest in Peace; the last horse I will ever own! Impressive Lindsey!!

The end of an era for the Talbot family here in Abita Springs.  My wife and son were always into horses and owned and showed them for years.  In 1996 when we moved to Abita Springs we brought four of them with us.  I'll never forget on the first day we arrived here and let the horses run in our huge pasture, they broke right through the barbed wire and explored the countryside.  When Wendy's father died late in 1996 we also took in one more horse; her dad's prized palomino champion named Impressive Lindsey.  One by one as horses came and went, then the older ones began to die off, Lindsey was the last of the line.  She lived 25 years, not necessarily a remarkable length of life, and spent all but 8 of those years here on my property.  She gave birth to several foals and lived peacefully on the pasture until yesterday morning.  For the first time in over 30 years, Wendy and I are out of the horse business.  The end of an era; time passages!  Here is a picture of her with Wendy's dad winning an important horse competition at the World Show in Tulsa Oklahoma:

Deacon Bill Ditewig remembers Pearl Harbor Day, Advent, Catholics and War!

An Advent Remembrance: War and Peace

Dec7 by Deacon William T. Ditewig, Ph.D.

7 December 1941.  Seventy-two years since that particular “Day of Infamy.”  World War II had, of course, begun years earlier.  By the time it ended, at least 70 million people were dead.  Pope John Paul II, in his 2004 Message for the World Day of Peace, referred to the Second World War as “an abyss of violence, destruction and death unlike anything previously known.”  How does a world recover from such madness?  For those of us who were born following the War, we have lived with its effects our whole lives, even though specific memories of the War continue to fade with the passing of the World War II generation.
For Catholics, I believe it is important to understand the Second Vatican Council as the Catholic Church’s response to World War II: the conditions that led to the War and the world that emerged after it.  Pope John XXIII announced his plans for the Council only fourteen years following the end of War.  Opening the Council, he observed:

We feel we must disagree with those prophets of gloom, who are always forecasting disaster, as though the end of the world were at hand.  In the present order of things, Divine Providence is leading us to a new order of human relations which, by men’s own efforts and even beyond their very expectations, are directed toward the fulfillment of God’s superior and inscrutable designs. And everything, even human differences, leads to the greater good of the Church.

How do we cooperate with Divine Providence in attaining this “new order of human relations”?  The bishops of the Council were not seeking simple superficial updating of the Church; they were setting out to create a new understanding of the Church in a world already gone mad and in need of the “soul and leaven” a renewed Church might provide.  Pope Paul VI, in his famous speech at the General Assembly of the United Stations in October 1965, famously proclaimed:

Paul VI at the United Nations

And now We come to the high point of Our message: Negatively, first: the words which you expect from Us and which We cannot pronounce without full awareness of their gravity and solemnity: Never one against the other, never, never again.  Was it not principally for this purpose that the United Nations came into being: against war and for peace?  Listen to the clear words of a great man, the late John Kennedy [himself a veteran of World War II], who declared four years ago: “Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.”  Long discourses are not necessary to proclaim the supreme goal of your institution.  It is enough to remember that the blood of millions of men, numberless and unprecedented sufferings, useless slaughter and frightful ruin are the sanction of the covenant which unites you, in a solemn pledge which must change the future history of the world No more war, war never again.  It is peace, peace which must guide the destinies of peoples and of all mankind.

What is particularly telling is the fact that when Pope Paul returned to Rome from this trip, he went immediately to the St. Peter’s and shared his insights with the assembled Council Fathers who, in their own turn, adopted the pope’s message as their own.  They were in the midst of their own work on their capstone document, Gaudium et spes, “The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.  In particular, they began working on the section dealing with war and peace, incorporating the insights of Pope John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris and Pope Paul’s speech to the UN.

No more war, war never again!

As we remember the personal, national and global tragedies of the Second World War, may we this Advent renew our commitment and preparation for the new order of human relations foreseen by Pope John.  May we, like Mary pregnant with the Christ, work to bring Christ and his Gospel to the world in the real, concrete terms envisioned by the Council and now renewed for us again by the words and deeds of Pope Francis.

Sound of Music Live: great production, 3 hours of Carrie Underwood, and 3 hours of wholesome Catholicism; all on NBC

Does America finally want wholesome TV again?  Are we ready, as a people, for focus on family Christianity, good overcoming evil?  Well if Thursday night's production of The Sound of Music, on NBC of all places, is any indication, then maybe the answer is yes.  If not yes, at least the answer to the previous question could be hopefully! 

I said in another place that for me it was beyond awesome to turn on the TV, experience the drama and uncertainty of "live" TV, see Carrie Underwood for 3 hours, visibly witness so much Catholicism, and well presented Catholicism, did I mention 3 hours of Carrie Underwood, and great family TV!

The ratings results are pretty impressive; a huge majority of all TV watching Americans flocked to the Sound of Music.  The usual criticisms have begun as well but appear to be remarkably petty.  I'm still amazed at how many "viewers" of the Thursday night production still feel a comparison between this effort and the movie is even warranted.  Apples & oranges!  Did I mention Carrie Underwood?

Here is a good article that kind of represents what I'm saying here:

Ratings: ‘Sound of Music’ Gives NBC’s Biggest Thursday Since ‘ER’ Finale

TV | By Tim Molloy on December 6, 2013           Follow @timamolloy                     

                    

 

NBC executives are toasting this morning with tea (a drink with jam and bread): “The Sound of Music Live” gave the network its biggest non-sports Thursday since the finale of “ER” in 2009.

The holiday special, starring Carrie Underwood, earned a 4.6 rating/13 share the key 18-49 demographic, and 18.5 million viewers overall. That gave NBC its highest Thursday total viewership since the “Frasier” finale in 2004.

Also read: NBC’s ‘Sound of Music Live’: Hollywood’s Best Reactions

For the first time this fall, NBC beat a CBS lineup anchored by “The Big Bang Theory,” broadcast TV’s highest-rated scripted show. “Big Bang” tied for the top show in the demo with a 4.6 rating, and was second in total viewers with 15.3 million. NBC is the top-rated network this season, but Thursday nights have been a weak spot.

Also read: ‘Sound of Music’ Ratings: 5 Milestones It Hit for NBC

The strong numbers paid off a big gamble for NBC. As noted at the top of the show, it was the first time in 50 years a network had attempted a live musical. The three-hour running time gave over a full night of primetime to the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, updating the beloved story by adding an “American Idol” as Maria and “True Blood” star Stephen Moyer as Capt. Von Trapp.