Dec 8: Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception

A blessed Feast to all brothers and sisters in Christ! 💞

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Prayer intentions for today:

1. For long-awaiting married couples to finally be able to conceive.

2. Protection of the unborn, most especially those in unwanted pregnancies.

3. For mothers, most especially single mothers. 

Last but not the least, since today we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary’s purity and sinlessness since her conception:

4. Purity & chastity – most especially if you or someone you know are struggling with sins under the 6th and 9th commandments: pornography, impure and lustful thoughts, and immoral acts.  Disobedience to the 6th and 9th has been the dominant cause of separation between married couples. Exposure of young adolescents–most especially boys–to such things also lead them astray early on.  Worse is, their influence also leads others astray.  And worst is, this will greatly affect the rest of their adult lives too, most especially if they get married.  Yes, you may still have a good career, a nice house, lots of money, but that won’t mean anything if you’re damned in the end.  As it says many times in the Bible that no unclean person can ever enter Heaven (Eph 5:5-6, Col 3:5-7, Gal 5:19-21, 1Cor 6:9-10). And Hell is real, fyi.            

**If you have particular persons in mind, best to state their names.
**Best to pray these intentions with the Rosary.   
**Also good to pray the prayer of Pope Francis: https://www.usccb.org/prayers/pope-francis-prayer-immaculate-conception

If you’re in desperate need of help (whether physical, spiritual, etc.) for yourself or someone else but afraid to ask because you’re a fallen-away Catholic, a life-long atheist or agnostic, a pagan, a Protestant who has been told Catholics are a bunch of idolaters who are going to Hell 😂, whatever that is…today is a good day to ask the Virgin Mary for her heavenly assistance.  “Desperate situations call for desperate measures,” as they say, so why not try?  Just ask her humbly, and she will listen to you.  All she has for her children is love. And we are all her children. So just get on your knees and say something like: “Virgin Mary, I don’t know you, actually I’ve been taught to hate you…but my father/mother/whoever is suffering immensely (you can say other petitions)  and I’ve been praying to God to no avail but now I’m desperate. And as ashamed as I am to ask you for help, if you’re there, please hear me. Please help me. Pray to God for me. Plead our case to your Son.  Thank you.” Then pray a Hail Mary (if you don’t know the words, google it).      

It’s also best to invoke the name of St. Joseph today in your prayers as this is the last day of the Year of St. Joseph.  If you humbly and confidently invoke the “heavenly tag team” of Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph in your prayers (long as your prayers are aligned with the will of God and not just praying for a Ferrari 🙄), I’m certain our Lord Jesus Christ will listen.  After all, how can He ever say no to His very own dear parents? If you’ve been praying for a spouse, ask for the Most Blessed Spouses‘ extra powerful intercession today as they are both celebrated today.    

Just a reminder, whenever you would ask for the Virgin Mary’s help, ask with reverence.  Because if the Almighty Father Himself–being the God that He is–greeted the Virgin Mary with praise through the Angel Gabriel’s salutation, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” (Luke 1:28), then there’s no reason why you should treat her otherwise. That’s just pretty commonsensical.   

Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.