Why is the Immaculate Conception celebrated today and not on Saturday?

 

Today, in Ireland at least, we are celebrating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which fell yesterday on the 2nd Sunday in Advent.  According to the General Instruction in the Divine Office (Page xcvi) it should transfer to Saturday, not Monday.  There is a reference to “Norms for the Liturgical Year”, n. 5. 

So I went looking for that on line and I found two versions, both dated 14 Feb 1969. 

This version on EWTN library site says Saturday:

5. Because of its special importance, the Sunday celebration gives way only to solemnities or feasts of the Lord. The Sundays of the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, however, take precedence over all solemnities and feasts of the Lord. Solemnities occurring on these Sundays are observed on the Saturdays preceding.

And this one  from the Liturgy Office of the Bishops Conference for England and Wales says Monday. 

5. Because of its special importance, the Sunday celebration gives way only to solemnities or feasts of the Lord. The Sundays of the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, however, take precedence over all solemnities and feasts of the Lord.  Solemnities occurring on these Sundays are transferred to the following Monday except in the case of their occurrence on Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) or on Easter Sunday.

What's the story? Usually when you amend a set of norms you reissue them with a new date.  I presume it is something to do with the introduction of Saturday vigil Masses which make it problemmatic to transfer a solemnity. 

Noticed this in the Norms as well:

58 For the pastoral advantage of the faithful, it is permissible to observe on the Sundays in Ordinary Time those celebrations that fall during the week and have special appeal to the devotion of the faithful, provided the celebrations take precedence over these Sundays in the Table of Liturgical Days. The Mass for such celebrations may be used at all the Masses at which the people are present.

Wonder how many priests ever chose to do that.  SS Peter and Paul could be candidate.  And plenty of others.

I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking.

Pope Francis' devotion to The Little Flower

Bergoglio, who has always considered the flower a “sign” of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and of her intercession, received one out of the blue, the day after the peace vigil for Syria


Story here and below:

On Sunday 8 September, the day after the long prayer vigil for peace in Syria – when some passages from texts written by Saint Thérèse of Lisieux were read out – Pope Francis received a white rose as a surprise. Francis considers the flower to be a “sign” linked to the devotion of the saint. The Archbishop of Ancona and Osimo, Edoardo Menichelli broke the news, with Francis authorisation.

Bergoglio told him about the rose a day before the prelate was due to present a book in Pedaso, in the Italian region of Marche. The prelate recounted the story during the presentation. The book presented was an essay by theologian and writer Gianni Gennari entitled “Teresa di Lisieux. Il fascino della santità. I segreti di una dottrina ritrovata” (“Thérèse of Lisieux. The fascination of sainthood. Secrets of a rediscovered doctrine”) and published by Lindau. This was the book Francis took with him when he flew to Brazil last July.

“The Pope told me he received the freshly-picked white rose out of the blue from a gardener as he was taking a stroll in the Vatican Gardens on Sunday 8 September,” Mgr. Menichelli said. “The Pope sees this flower as a “sign”, a “message” from Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, whom he had turned to in a moment of worry the day before.” The Archbishop passed on the Pope’s greetings to those attending the book presentation, adding that he had been authorised to tell them about the rose. The Pope did not say anything about the white rose having any connection to the peace vigil for Syria the previous evening. But it is not hard to imagine that one of the Pope’s worries at the time was the international situation, the massacres in Syria and the West’s proposed intervention in the Middle Eastern country.

What significance does the white rose have for the Pope? Bergoglio mentions it in “El Jesuita” (“The Jesuit”), a book interview written by Sergio Rubin and Francesca Ambrogetti when he was still a cardinal. In a description the two journalists give of Bergoglio’s library in Buenos Aires, they write: “We pause before a vase full of white roses standing on a shelf in the library. In front of it is a photograph of Saint Thérèse. “Whenever I have a problem,” Bergoglio explained to the journalists, “I ask the saint not to solve it, but to take it into her hands and to help me accept it and I almost always receive a white rose as a sign.” Pope Francis’ devotion for the Carmelite mystic who died at the young age of 24 in 1987, was canonized by Pius XI and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by John Paul II in 1997, is common knowledge. Francis himself told journalists about it on the flight back from Rio de Janeiro after World Youth Day. When she was still alive, Thérèse had promised that when she died she would shower “rose petals” down from the sky, a sign of her intercession. "A soul inflamed with love can not remain inactive … If only you knew what I plan to do when I’m in heaven … I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.” So during the peace vigil held in St. Peter’s Square on 7 September, the mysteries of the rosary were recited along with passages from the Gospel and verses from a piece of poetry written by the saint.

The rose devotion and message did not begin with Bergoglio. On 3 December 1925 Fr. Putigan, a Jesuit, began a novena to ask for something very important. He also asked for a sign, to know whether his prayers had been heard. He asked for a rose to be sent to him. He didn’t speak to anyone about the novena or about the unusual request he made to the saint. Then, in the third day of the novena he received the rose he had asked for and his prayer was therefore answered. He then started another novena and on the fourth day of this prayer, a nurse/nun brought him a white rose and said to him: “Saint Thérèse sends you this rose.” So the Jesuit decided to spread the word about this “miraculous” novena which he named after the roses, making it famous worldwide.

23rd daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

A bird caught in birdlime has a twofold task: It must free itself and cleanse itself. And by satisfying their appetites, people suffer in a twofold way: They must detach themselves and, after being detached, clean themselves of what has clung to them.

22nd daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

The pure and whole work done for God in a pure heart merits a whole kingdom for its owner.

21st daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

God is more pleased by one work, however small, done secretly, without desire that it be known, than a thousand done with the desire that people know of them. Those who work for God with purest love not only care nothing about whether others see their works, but do not even seek that God himself know of them. Such persons would not cease to render God the same services, with the same joy and purity of love, even if God were never to know of these.

20th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

The soul that in aridity and trial submits to the dictates of reason is more pleasing to God than one that does everything with consolation, yet fails in this submission.

19th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

The soul that carries within itself the least appetite for worldly things bears more unseemliness and impurity in its journey to God than if it were troubled by all the hideous and annoying temptations and darknesses describable; for, so long as it does not consent to these temptations, a soul thus tried can approach God confidently, by doing the will of His Majesty, who proclaims: Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will refresh you [Mt. 11:28]

18th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

Since a double measure of bitterness must follow the doing of your own will, do not do it even though you remain in single bitterness.

17th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

O sweetest love of God, so little known, whoever had found the rich mine is at rest!

16th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

Deny your desires and you will find what your heart longs for.  For how do you know if any desire of yours is according to God?

[Ed:  that's a bit of a difficult one]

15th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

God values in you the inclination to dryness and suffering for love of him more than all the consolations, spiritual visions, and meditations you could possibly have.

14th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

God desires the least degree of obedience and submissiveness more than all those services you think of rendering him.

13th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

God desires the smallest degree of purity of conscience in you more than all the works you can perform.

Ignatian Spiritual Exercises

A dear friend sent me this link to an online Ignatian Prayer Adventure.  A very supportive way to do the Spiritual Exercises - if you can give the time and space required.

For those who question why a Carmelite would be promoting Ignatian prayer, I would say there is only one type of prayer.  And the more spiritual books I read the more common the approaches seem to be.  Root out sin, proceed with humility, know yourself and you will be in a position to talk to God and hear Him in return.  God can drag you along and come to you when you don't deserve it but you can't make your own short-cuts.

The website has tabs for each day of the first week.  Can't see an easy way to get to week 2, but if you go into the URL you can change the number after "week-" to whichever week you want.

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/an-ignatian-prayer-adventure/week-1/#thethe-tabs-1-7

12th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

The blind person who falls will not be able to get up alone; the blind person who does not get up alone will go off on the wrong road.

11th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

Whoever falls while heavily laden will find it difficult to rise under the burden.

10th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

If you do not fear falling alone, do you presume that you will rise up alone? Consider how much more can be accomplished by two together than by one alone.

9th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

Those who fall alone remain alone in their fall, and they value their soul little since they entrust it to themselves alone.

8th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

The virtuous soul that is alone and without a master is like a lone burning coal; it will grow colder rather than hotter.

7th daily sayings of light and love (St John of the Cross)

A tree that is cultivated and guarded through the care of its owner produces its fruit at the expected time.