From Season to Season

I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bride adorned with her jewels. - Isaiah 61:10, Entrance Antiphon for the  Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception When, in 1854, Blessed Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he was giving full voice to an ancient and venerable tradition: “The Virgin Mary, in the first moment of her conception, by a singular 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” ( Ineffabilis Deus ).  Although it might seem out of place in the quiet, dark procession of these Advent days, this celebration of the Immaculate Conception, embodies the promise of Advent. “In this feast,” Henri Nouwen, “it seems that all the quiet beauty of Advent suddenly bursts forth into exuberance and ...

Francisca was born in São João del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1810. Born into poverty (with no record of her father), she and her brother were orphaned when their mother died in 1820. Francisca never received any formal education and remained illiterate throughout her life. As she grew into adulthood, she chose to never marry and devoted her life to her faith, particularly her devotion to the Blessed Virgin.    Blessed Francisca de Paula Jesus Isabel In time, she won the love of the local people, who came to honor her as Nha Chica —“Aunt Chica.” She eventually settled in the village of Baependi and many came to ask her counsel and prayers. She received everyone with a spirit of true hospitality. In time, she used her meager resources to begin construction of a chapel in honor of the Virgem da Conceição (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), next to her small home. This chapel remains a popular place of pilgrimage. Nha Chica died in Baependi on June 14, 1895, ...

When, in 1854, Blessed Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he was giving full voice to an ancient and venerable tradition: “The Virgin Mary, in the first moment of her conception, by a singular 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” ( Ineffabilis Deus ).   Although it might seem out of place to interrupt the quiet, dark procession of the days of Advent with today’s joyous celebration of the Immaculate Conception, this solemnity, as Henri Nouwen has observed, embodies the promise of Advent. “In this feast,” he writes, “it seems that all the quiet beauty of Advent suddenly bursts forth into exuberance and exultation. In Mary we see all the beauty of Advent concentrated. She is one in whom the waiting of Israel is most wholly and purely manifested; she is the last of the remnant of Israel for whom God shows ...