“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” – St. Luke quoting the Prophet Isaiah introduces to us Saint John the Baptist. He was the only one of the prophets who pointed out the Saviour. He was privileged to be a forerunner of Jesus. He was sent to prepare the way to the Lord, so he appeared in the wilderness to proclaim a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins according to the words spoken by the Prophet Isaiah. This great prophet is called an evangelist of The Old Testament because he wrote a lot about the coming Saviour. The both prophecies of St. John the Baptist and of the Prophet Isaiah are not out-of-date but encourage us to come back to the Lord and make room for Him in our hearts.
This week we celebrate one of the greatest Marian celebrations:
Wednesday, December 8th, the Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1854 Pope Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin”. Only two people were without any sin: our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Mother. This feast refers to Mary’s sinlessness not to Jesus’ as some mistakenly may think.
What is the Hour of Grace held on December 8th?
According to several private apparitions given to Sister Pierina, Italian nun and mystic, in 1946 and 1947, the Blessed Virgin, under the title the Mystical Rose, has requested that an hour of grace should be kept at noon on December 8th. During this Hour of Grace many spiritual graces would be granted. The Blessed Virgin promised that whatever a person asked Her for during this Hour of Grace (even in impossible cases) would be granted to them, if it was in accordance with the will of the Eternal Father. The Hour of Grace should be kept in this way: Put away all distractions; begin the Hour of Grace by praying three times the 51st Psalm with outstretched arms; the rest of the Hour of Grace may be spent in silent communication with God, adoring the Sacred Host, meditating upon the Passion of Jesus, saying the Holy Rosary, praising God in your own way or by using favourite prayers, singing hymns, etc.
God bless,
Fr. Peter