By Chris Sparks
On the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God, during Holy Mass, I heard the rustling of garments and saw the most holy Mother of God in a most beautiful radiance. Her white garment was girdled with a blue sash. She said to me, You give Me great joy when you adore The Holy Trinity for the graces and privileges which were accorded Me. And She immediately disappeared (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 564).
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated annually in the United States on Dec. 8, is one of the most important feasts we celebrate for us American Catholics. Why?
Because Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, is also patroness of the United States, officially declared by Bl. Pope Pius IX 175 years ago.
Pure and unparalleled
The beauty of the Immaculate Conception is wonderfully captured by St. Faustina in a poem:
O Mary, Immaculate Virgin,
Pure crystal for my heart,
You are my strength, O secure anchor,
You are a shield and protection for a weak heart.O Mary, you are pure and unparalleled,
Virgin and Mother at one and the same time;
You’re beautiful as the sun, by nothing defiled.
Nothing is worthy of comparison to the image of Your soul.Your beauty enthralled the Thrice-Holy One’s eye,
That He came down from heaven, forsaking th’eternal See’s throne,
And assumed from Your Heart Body and Blood,
Hiding for nine months in the Virgin’s Heart.O Mother, Virgin, this will no one comprehend,
That the infinite God is becoming a man;
It’s only love’s and His inscrutable mercy’s purpose.
Through You, Mother — it’s given us to live with Him for ever.O Mary, Virgin Mother and Heaven’s Gate,
Through You salvation came to us;
Every grace to us streams forth through Your hands,
And faithful imitation of You only will sanctify me.O Mother, Virgin — most beautiful Lily.
Your Heart was for Jesus the first tabernacle on earth,
And that, because Your humility was the deepest,
Wherefore You were raised above Angel choirs and Saints.O Mary, my sweet Mother,
To You I turn over my soul, my body and my poor heart.
Be the safeguard of my life,
Especially at death’s hour, in the final fight (Diary, 161).
Good role model
Saint Faustina is the great Secretary and Apostle of Divine Mercy, but she’s also a good role model of Marian devotion. She was obedient to Our Lady, who also appeared to her throughout her life summoning St. Faustina to fidelity to the mission her Son had given to St. Faustina. Our Lady also made very clear what virtues St. Faustina needed to prioritize: humility, purity, and love of God (see Diary, 1415).
Living according to the calls of Our Lady, St. Faustina’s whole life was characterized by a love for God, and therefore a love for those whom God loves, especially the poor. She was outstanding for her love for those in need, whether that need was material or spiritual. Her generosity has reaped a rich harvest, and will continue to reap a rich harvest till the end of the world.
One crucial aspect of her generosity was praying and offering penance on behalf of her native land, Poland. In a number of places in her Diary, she records being asked by Heaven to intercede for Poland. Given the terrible violence and suffering that came upon Poland after St. Faustina’s death, these calls for intercession make sense.
We should do the same for our country.
Pray for our country
As the Marian Fathers are under the particular patronage of the Immaculate Conception, it’s especially fitting for them and all Marian Helpers to pray for the U.S.A.
One way to pray for our country is to include the common good of the nation in your daily Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet intentions, have Masses said for the USA, or include her in the intentions of your other prayers and devotions.
You can also ask for the help of the angels assigned to our country and the different communities within it. Certain Church traditions tell us that the choir of angels called “principalities” have a special responsibility for cities, nations, and other human communities like parishes. But they, like God, are more or less free to act as we invite or ignore their intercession. So why not throw open the door to their help? Why not give the heavenly host as free a hand in human affairs as we can?
So this month when we celebrate our nation’s birth, let’s ask the angels for their help. Let’s open the door to Heaven taking an even greater hand in the affairs of our nation, and welcome the intervention of our patroness in our time of such great need.
Prayer to the Principalities of the United States of America
Holy and angelic Principalities given charge of the nation, states, cities, dioceses, and parishes of the United States of America, we thank you for your ongoing, often unseen work of protecting and defending our earthly secular and sacred communities.
We know that God has tasked you with a great work of love and mercy for us all, and that we will only know the full fruits of your labors in the next life. We also know that God has so arranged the order of creation that you are most free to act for love of God and the human communities in your care when those communities invite your help and intervention.
We turn to you now in a time of great trouble in our nation, a time of division, confusion, danger, and fear. We invite you to act for the good of our nation, for the good of our communities at every level, and for the good of all of our souls. Help us to love God and neighbor. Help us to resist the snares and temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Protect and defend us from every enemy, foreign and domestic, and most importantly, from the enemies of our salvation and sanctification.
Under the leadership of the Patroness of the United States, Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception and Queen of Angels, please come to our assistance. We need you now more than ever.
Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception and Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Holy angelic Principalities of the United States, pray for us.
Amen.
Chris Sparks is the author of the Marian Press book How Can You Still Be Catholic? 50 Answers to a Good Question.
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