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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino">Friday, 8 December, is a Holy Day of Obligation | Masses: 12:05pm & 5:15pm<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino">We celebrate the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother, Mary<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino">What is the Immaculate Conception?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino">“The Immaculate Conception is a Catholic dogma that states that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin or its stain. That’s what ‘immaculate’
means: without stain. On December 8<sup>th</sup> we celebrate this gift given to Mary, in preparation for the incarnation of our Saviour, Jesus.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino">The essence of original sin consists in the deprivation of sanctifying grace, and its stain is a corrupt nature. Mary was preserved from these defects by God’s grace; from the first instant
of her existence she was in the state of sanctifying grace and was free from the corrupt nature original sin brings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino">When discussing the Immaculate Conception, an implicit reference may be found in the angel’s greeting to Mary. The angel Gabriel said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you’ (Luke
1:28). The phrase ‘full of grace’ is a translation of the Greek word <i>kecharitomene</i>. It therefore expresses a characteristic quality of Mary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino">The grace given to Mary is at once permanent and of a unique kind. <i>Kecharitomene</i> is a perfect passive participle of <i>charitoo</i>, meaning ‘to fill or endow with grace.’ Since
this term is in the perfect tense, it indicates that Mary was graced in the past but with continuing effects in the present. So, the grace Mary enjoyed was not a result of the angel’s visit. In fact, Catholics hold, it extended over the whole of her life,
from conception onward. She was in a state of sanctifying grace from the first moment of her existence.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Blessings and peace,</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Fr Michael</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Reverend Michael B. Medas, MSW</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Catholic Chaplain | Director of Catholic Ministry</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">W11-012 </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">40 Massachusetts Ave.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Cambridge, MA 02139</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">“Jesus loves you always, even when you don’t feel worthy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">He is the one who always accepts you. Only believe, you are precious to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Bring all you are suffering to His feet, only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">He will do the rest.” Saint Mother Teresa<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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