o assist us in preparing for the
coming of the Redeemer. Purity of heart is the most necessary and
helpful requirement for receiving God worthily, and for participating in
the fruits of our Redemption through Christ. To remind us of this, Holy
Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, this primary feast of purity, in Advent.

The Church, moreover, intends to remind us that the coming of Christ,
our promised Redeemer, depended on the consent of the Blessed Virgin.
The Redeemer could not appear before she was born of whom He was to be
born. The aurora must precede the rising sun. Thus also Mary, the
spiritual aurora, had to be conceived and born before the appearance of
the Sun of Justice in this world.

PRACTICE

IN MARY appeared the woman who was to crush the serpent's head, who was
to repair by her willing co-operation with God's designs the damage
wrought by the disobedience of our first parents, and who was to become
our mother and mighty advocate with God.

The designs of God concerning Mary were fully accomplished. God also has
designs concerning us. Our life was planned by Him from all eternity,
and we were destined to co-operate with Him harmoniously and
conscientiously in working out our salvation. Have we corresponded with
God's designs? Did we not oppose them by yielding to our evil
inclinations and passions? What a disparity between God's intentions
concerning us and our own co-operation, between His merciful designs and
our cowardly resistance to them!

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

O GOD, who through the immaculate conception of the Virgin didst prepare
a worthy dwelling-place for Thy divine Son; grant that, as in view of
Thy Son Thou didst preserve her from all taint, so Thou wouldst
vouchsafe unto us that cleansed from all sin by her intercession we too
may arrive at Thine eternal glory. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).

_Prayer_

BEHOLD, Virgin immaculate, at thy sacred feet I bow, while my heart
overflows with joy in union with thine own, because from eternity thou
wast the Mother-elect of the eternal Word, and was preserved stainless
from the taint of Adam's sin. Forever praised, forever blessed be the
Most Holy Trinity, who in thy conception poured out upon thy soul the
riches of that matchless privilege. I humbly pray thee, most gracious
Mother, obtain for me the grace to overcome the b