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<p class="p1"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Tmrw, 8 December,</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> Monday, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception,
<span class="s1"><b>a Holy Day of Obligation</b></span>.<span class="apple-converted-space">
</span>We have two <b>Masses:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>12:05pm & 7:30pm</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<li class="li1" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Attending Mass on this Holy Day honors God’s saving work in Mary, gives thanks for the grace that prepared her to bear Christ, and deepens our understanding of God’s plan of salvation.
It also strengthens our devotion to Mary as a model of holiness and as the first disciple who perfectly received God’s grace.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Patristic Quotes Explaining the Immaculate Conception</span></b></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt">:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Immaculate Conception teaches that Mary,
<b>by a special grace of God</b>, was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her conception in order to be a fitting mother for Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p2"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">St. Irenaeus (c. 180 AD)</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> taught Mary’s unique holiness when he wrote:<br>
<i>“The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied through the obedience of Mary.”</i><br>
(<i>Against Heresies</i>, c. 180 AD)<br>
This early comparison presents Mary as a “New Eve,” whose holiness reverses the fall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">St. Ephrem the Syrian (306AD–373AD)
</span></b><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">explicitly attributes to Mary a state “without stain.” Later Catholic theology reads this as a strong patristic witness to the <i>conceptual root</i> of the Immaculate Conception.<b>
</b>“You alone and your Mother are more beautiful than any others, for in you there is no stain, and in your Mother no stain.”<br>
—<i>Carmina Nisibena</i> 27.8 (c. 363)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="p2"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">St. Augustine (c. 415 AD)</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> affirmed her exceptional purity, writing:<br>
<i>“We must not speak of any sin in the holy Virgin Mary.”</i><br>
(<i>On Nature and Grace</i>, c. 415 AD)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Blessings and peace,</span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Fr Michael</span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Reverend Michael B. Medas, MSW</span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Catholic Chaplain | Director of Catholic Ministry</span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">W11-012 </span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">40 Massachusetts Ave.</span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">Cambridge, MA 02139</span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="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-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-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-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-family:Palatino;mso-ligatures:none">He will do the rest.” Saint Mother Teresa<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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