On the Journey with Matt and Ken and Kenny, Episode 99: Mary and the Protestant Pulpit
Matt Swaim and former Baptist pastor Ken Hensley are joined by CHNetwork's Kenny Burchard, a former Foursquare Church pastor, to begin a series discussing what led each of them to embrace Catholic teaching on Mary.
Ken and Kenny share how they used to preach about Mary as Protestant pastors, why they used to think about her that way, and what it was that began to open their hearts to start thinking of Mary as more than just a background character in the Bible.
On the Journey with Matt and Ken and Kenny, Episode 100: Mary the Mother of Who?
Matt Swaim, Ken Hensley, and Kenny Burchard continue to share what they used to believe about Mary as Protestants, and how they eventually came to believe Catholic teaching about her.
The first Marian dogma they tackle is the question of Mary as Mother of God. But before a proper discussion can be had about that, Matt and Ken and Kenny explain why it's important to understand first what a dogma is, how it comes to be, and why the Church makes such strong statements about certain questions in the first place.
On the Journey with Matt and Ken and Kenny, Episode 101: The Perpetual Virginity of Mary
Matt Swaim, Ken Hensley, and Kenny Burchard continue to share what they used to believe about Mary as Protestants, and how they eventually came to believe Catholic teaching about her.
In this week's discussion about Mary's perpetual virginity, Matt and Ken and Kenny discuss the reasons why they used to reject this dogma, and what they discovered in Scripture and history that led them to eventually accept the idea of Mary as ever-virgin.
On the Journey with Matt and Ken and Kenny, Episode 102: Mary, the New Eve
Matt Swaim, Ken Hensley, and Kenny Burchard continue their multi-part series discussing what they used to believe about Mary as Protestants, and how they came to believe Catholic teaching about her.
Kenny, Ken, and Matt discuss the third Marian dogma, the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Rooted in the biblical story, Mary is presented in the New Testament as “Woman, par excellence” — the fulfillment of God’s original created intentions for woman.
The biblical mega-theme of Woman is traced through Genesis, seen in the biblical types of the Old Testament, and ultimately fulfilled in Mary, the New Eve.
On the Journey with Matt and Ken and Kenny, Episode 103: Mary, Ark of the New Covenant
Matt, Ken, and Kenny continue their series on the Marian dogmas, discussing what they used to believe about Mary as Protestants, and how they came to embrace the Catholic teaching about her.
In their last episode, they began to discuss the Immaculate Conception of Mary, looking at Mary as the New Eve, the fulfillment of God’s original created intentions for woman.
This week, they look at another theme in biblical typology: Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant. What is the evidence from Scripture that Catholics are correct in viewing Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant? What did the early Christians seem to make of this?
On the Journey with Matt and Ken and Kenny, Episode 104: The Immaculate Conception of Mary
Matt, Ken, and Kenny continue their series on the Marian dogmas, discussing what they used to believe about Mary as Protestants, and how they came to embrace the Catholic teaching about her.
In their last two episodes, they began to discuss the Immaculate Conception of Mary, looking at the biblical themes of Mary as the New Eve and Ark of the New Covenant.
This week, they address the question: If this teaching is true, why did the Catholic Church wait until 1854 to define it as true?
On the Journey with Matt and Ken and Kenny, Episode 105: Mary's Assumption and Queenship
Matt, Ken, and Kenny wrap up their series on the Marian dogmas, discussing what they used to believe about Mary as Protestants, and how they came to embrace the Catholic teaching about her.
What is the Biblical precedent for being assumed into heaven? How were queens treated in the Davidic Kingdom? And what does all that have to do with Mary?
On the Journey with Matt and Ken and Kenny, Episode 106: The Intercession of Mary and the Saints
Beyond the dogmas, there is the question of Marian devotion, and especially the idea of asking her intercession. To answer that, Matt and Ken and Kenny drill down on the concept of the Communion of Saints, and how Mary's unique role among the saints makes her a treasured advocate in heaven.
On the Journey with Matt and Ken and Kenny, Episode 107: Frequently Asked Questions About Mary
In this episode, they address some of the common objections non-Catholics have about Mary: the Rosary as "vain repetition," Mary as Mediatrix, apparitions of Our Lady, Marian consecration, and more. Matt, Ken and Kenny share their own experience of wrestling with these questions on their way into the Catholic Church.
“Christian iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by words. Image and word illuminate each other.” (CCC 1160)
The Immaculate Conception - Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (c. 1767)
The Immaculate Conception is one of four Marian Dogma’s of the Catholic Church. A dogma is a principle that is considered by the Church to be an infallible divine revelation, a truth of the Church. The other three Marian dogma’s are: Mary’s divine motherhood Mary’s perpetual virginity, and Mary’s assumption into heaven.
The Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived without original sin or its stain – “immaculate” means without stain. Original sin is the deprivation of sanctifying grace. Mary was preserved from original sin by God’s grace from the first instant of her existence, at the moment of her conception.
The Immaculate Conception - Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1628)
The symbols represented in the paintings of the Immaculate Conception are taken from the reference to Mary in Revelation 12:1, “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” Sometimes there will be a dragon beneath Mary’s feet in reference to the dragon of Revelation 12:4 that “stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered, that when she should be delivered, he might devour her son.” Angels are usually in attendance, the moon may be crescent, and her hands are pressed together in prayer.
This oil on canvas by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo was one of seven altarpieces commissioned by King Charles III of Spain for the Church of Saint Pascual in Arnjuez. In Tiepolo's Immaculate Conception all of the identifiers are represented. Mary is surrounded by angels, crowned with a circle of stars, she stands on a crescent moon, her hands are connected in prayer and the glow of the sun is her backdrop. Here she is trampling a snake which represents her victory over the devil.
Luke 1:28
The Catholic Church bases this dogma on the statement made by the Angel Gabriel when he greets Mary saying “Hail full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
Revelation 12: 1
"And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."
Revelation 12: 3 - 4
"Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the starts in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth."
----------- Picture Source - Public Domain
For church supplies and gift items related to the Catholic Church please visit Lynn's Timeless Treasures
The Immaculate Conception is one of four Marian Dogma’s of the Catholic Church.A dogma is a principle that is considered by the Church to be an infallible divine revelation, a truth of the Church.The other three Marian dogma’s are:Mary’s divine motherhood, Mary’s perpetual virginity, and Mary’s assumption into heaven.
Some people think that the term the Immaculate Conception refers to Christ’s conception in Mary’s womb without a human father. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived without original sin or its stain – “immaculate” means without stain.Original sin is the deprivation of sanctifying grace.Mary was preserved from original sin by God’s grace from the first instant of her existence, at the moment of her conception.
The Catholic Church bases this dogma on the statement made by the Angel Gabriel when he greeted Mary by saying, “Hail full of grace!The Lord is with you.”(Luke 1:28) The phrase “full of grace” is a translation of the Greek word kecharitomene.The following video taken from "Mary, A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother" by Dr. Edward Sri explains Mary's Immaculate Conception and shows how this teaching is supported by Scripture.
The Immaculate Conception is one of four Marian Dogma’s of the Catholic Church.A dogma is a principle that is considered by the Church to be an infallible divine revelation, a truth of the Church.The other three Marian dogma’s are:Mary’s divine motherhood, Mary’s perpetual virginity, and Mary’s assumption into heaven.
Some people think that the term the Immaculate Conception refers to Christ’s conception in Mary’s womb without a human father. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived without original sin or its stain – “immaculate” means without stain.Original sin is the deprivation of sanctifying grace.Mary was preserved from original sin by God’s grace from the first instant of her existence, at the moment of her conception.
The Catholic Church bases this dogma on the statement made by the Angel Gabriel when he greeted Mary by saying, “Hail full of grace!The Lord is with you.”(Luke 1:28) The phrase “full of grace” is a translation of the Greek word kecharitomene.The following video taken from "Mary, A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother" by Dr. Edward Sri explains Mary's Immaculate Conception and shows how this teaching is supported by Scripture.
On Sundays: O Mary, the Immaculate Conception, you are the New Eve. All that Adam and Eve longed for - and tried to steal from God - you give to us as the Mother of God. May we share in Your holiness by our union with you.
On Mondays: At your nativity, O Blessed Virgin, the way by which earth will be united to heaven is born. By the grace of your birth, we are led away from our slavery, and are blessed with holy joy.
On Tuesdays: May we live every day, O Blessed Virgin Mary, the miracle of the Annunciation. United with you, may our life be a constant Yes to the presence of the Word made flesh. May we turn with our yearning to the humanity of God.
On Wednesdays: O Mother of God, may we experience through you all the graces of the Visitation: you bring Jesus close to us; we rejoice with new life; your Magnificat becomes our hope.
On Thursdays: O Blessed Mother, God chose you to offer his fatherly love more generously to the world. You are the Mother of the Life by which we live - Jesus. He leads us to you. Through your maternal mediation, all things are made new.
On Fridays: Our Lady of Sorrows, your presence at the cross instills a grace that displaces horror. Your faith contains a light greater than any darkness in my heart. Be with me in my Calvary.
On Saturdays: O Blessed Lady assumed into heaven, give me the ability to await God's future and to abandon myself to the Lord's promises. (1)
The Canticle of Mary
The Magnificat
Luke 1:45-55
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen
____
Virgin with the Angels - William Bougueraeu Innocence- William Bougueraeu
Our Lady of Sorrows - Giovanni Battista Salvide Sassoferrato
(1)Father Peter John Cameron, O.P., Magnificat Year of Faith Companion, page 220.
Novena to
the Immaculate Conception
November 29 – December 7
O God, who
by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy
dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of
this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain, so too You would permit
us, purified through Her intercession, to come unto You.Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world
without end.Amen.
Day One
O most Holy Virgin, who was pleasing to the Lord and became His mother, immaculate in body and spirit, in faith and in love, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, who by your blessed Immaculate Conception, from the first moment of your conception did crush the head of the enemy, receive our prayers as we implore you to present at the throne of God the favor we now request... (State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Day Two
O Mary, ever blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Queen of angels and of saints, we salute you with the most profound veneration and filial devotion as we contemplate your holy Immaculate Conception, We thank you for your maternal protection and for the many blessings that we have received through your wondrous mercy and most powerful intercession. In all our necessities we have recourse to you with unbounded confidence. O Mother of Mercy, we beseech you now to hear our prayer and to obtain for us of your Divine Son the favor that we so earnestly request in this novena... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Day Three
O Blessed Virgin Mary, glory of the Christian people, joy of the universal Church and Mother of Our Lord, speak for us to the Heart of Jesus, who is your Son and our brother. O Mary, who by your holy Immaculate Conception did enter the world free from stain, in your mercy obtain for us from Jesus the special favor which we now so earnestly seek... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Day Four
O Mary, Mother of God, endowed in your glorious Immaculate Conception with the fullness of grace; unique among women in that you are both mother and virgin; Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ, we ask you to look down with a tender heart from your throne and listen to our prayers as we earnestly ask that you obtain for us the favor for which we now plead... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him thegranting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Day Five
O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the
Virgin Mary, did prepare a fitting dwelling for your Son, we beseech you that
as by the foreseen death of your Son, you did preserve her from all stain of
sin, grant that through her intercession, we may be favored with the granting
of the grace that we seek for at this time... (State your intention here...)O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with
your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in
heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if
it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Day Six
Glorious and immortal
Queen of Heaven, we profess our firm belief in your Immaculate Conception
preordained for you in the merits of your Divine Son. We rejoice with you in
your Immaculate Conception. To the one ever-reigning God, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, three in Person, one in nature, we offer thanks for your blessed
Immaculate Conception. O Mother of the Word made Flesh, listen to our petition
as we ask this special grace during this novena... (State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of
Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have
the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the
granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Day Seven
O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, and my mother,
from the sublime heights of your dignity turn your merciful eyes upon me while
I, full of confidence in your bounty and keeping in mind your Immaculate
conception and fully conscious of your power, beg of you to come to our aid and
ask your Divine Son to grant the favor we earnestly seek in this novena... if
it be beneficial for our immortal souls and the souls for whom we pray. (State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with
your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in
heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if
it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Day Eight
O Most gracious Virgin Mary, beloved Mother of
Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, intercede with him for us that we be granted the
favor which we petition for so earnestly in this novena...O Mother of the Word
Incarnate, we feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf
will be graciously heard before the throne of God. O Glorious Mother of God, in
memory of your joyous Immaculate Conception, hear our prayers and obtain for us
our petitions. (State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with
your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in
heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if
it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Day Nine
O Mother of the King
of the Universe, most perfect member of the human race, "our tainted
nature’s solitary boast," we turn to you as mother, advocate, and
mediatrix. O Holy Mary, assist us in our present necessity. By your Immaculate
Conception, O Mary conceived without sin, we humbly beseech you from the bottom
of our heart to intercede for us with your Divine Son and ask that we be granted
the favor for which we now plead... (State your intention here...)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with
your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in
heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if
it be the Divine Will. Amen.
“For those who believe in God no explanation is necessary.
For those who do not believe in God no explanation is possible.”
George Seaton (Stenius) (Prologue to The Song of Bernadette)
On December 8, 1854 Pope Pius IX in Ineffabilis Deus declared the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception which defined “the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and 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, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."
A little over three years later on February 11, 1858 in Lourdes, France, Bernadette Soubirous, a sickly, asthmatic girl went in search of firewood and received a remarkable vision. This humble, uneducated, uncatechized young girl, whose poverty stricken family of six lived in a jail cell that was deemed too unhealthy for prisoners was visited by The Blessed Virgin Mary in a hidden, damp grotto called the “pig’s shelter” because this was where the pigs feeding in the area took shelter from storms.
There were eighteen visions in all, the last taking place on July 16, 1858. During the third Apparition, Bernadette held out a piece of paper and a pencil to the Virgin Mary so that she might write down her name, but Our Lady replied: “What I have to say to you does not have to be written down.” The Virgin then asked Bernadette, “Would you do me the kindness of coming here for 15 days? I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the other.”
On March 25th during the sixteenth Apparition Our Blessed Mother Mary told Bernadette her name. She said, “Que soy era Immaculada Conception.” It is highly unlikely that Bernadette ever heard of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception before these visions, but God in His perfect Wisdom and timing, chose Bernadette, a sickly, poor, meek and humble young girl to deliver His message of confirmation of Pope Pius IX Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Our Blessed Mother Mary.
On April 18 1925, Bernadette’s body was exhumed for the third time. She had been dead over forty six years, yet her body remained incorrupt. A crystal coffin was made for Saint Bernadette's body. She was placed in a chapel in the Church of St. Gildard at the convent in Nevers where she lived for thirteen years. She has remained undisturbed and on view in this chapel since August 3, 1925. Our Blessed Mother’s words had been true “I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the other.”
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 8
The first instant of human creation, or the moment that a person is conceived is when the soul created by God is infused into the body. The Immaculate Conception is Catholic doctrine stating that from the first instant of its creation, the soul of the Virgin Mary was free from original sin; this doctrine is not to be confused with that of the Virgin Birth, which states that Jesus was born of a virgin mother.
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the anniversary of the Apostolic Constitution, Ineffabilis Deus, issued by Piux IX December 8, 1854, which 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 Savior of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin.”
For a more detailed Catholic explanation of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary please visit
New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia, Immaculate Conception Ineffabilis Deus, Apostolic Constitution issued by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854 found online at http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9ineff.htm
