Sunday 8 December 2022 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary

+ From the Gospel according to Luke 1, 26 – 38)

At that time, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Maria. Entering her, he said: «Rejoice, full of grace: the Lord is with you».
At these words she was greatly disturbed and wondered what she meant by a greeting like this. The angel said to her: «Fear not, Mary, because you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive a son, you will give birth to him and you will call him Jesus. the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel: “How will this be, since I know no man?” The angel answered her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with his shadow. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; ».
Then Maria said: «Here is the servant of the Lord: let her be done to me according to your word». And the angel left her.

She word of the Lord.