The Second Eve and the Immaculate Conception

She holds, as the Fathers teach us, that office in our restoration which Eve held in our fall: - now, in the first place, what were Eve's endowments to enable her to enter upon her trial? She could not have stood against the wiles of the devil, though she was innocent and sinless, without the grant of a large grace. And this she had; - a heavenly gift, which was over and above and additional to that nature of hers, which she received from Adam, a gift which had been given to Adam also before her, at the very time (as it is commonly held) of his original formation. This is Anglican doctrine, as well as Catholic ; (...)If Eve was raised above human nature by that indwelling moral gift which we call grace, is it rash to say that Mary had even a greater grace? And this consideration gives significance to the Angel's salutation of her as "full of grace," - an interpretation of the original word which is undoubtedly the {46} right one, as soon as we resist the common Protestant assumption that grace is a mere external approbation or acceptance, answering to the word "favour," whereas it is, as the Fathers teach, a real inward condition or superadded quality of soul. And if Eve had this supernatural inward gift given her from the first moment of her personal existence, is it possible to deny that Mary too had this gift from the very first moment of her personal existence? I do not know how to resist this inference: - well, this is simply and literally the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. I say the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is in its substance this, and nothing more or less than this (putting aside the question of degrees of grace); and it really does seem to me bound up in the doctrine of the Fathers, that Mary is the second Eve.
Suppose Eve had stood the trial, and not lost her first grace; and suppose she had eventually had children, those children from the first moment of their existence would, through divine bounty, have received the same privilege that she had ever had; that is, as she was taken from Adam's side, in a garment, so to say, of grace, so they in turn would have received what may be called an immaculate conception. They would have then been conceived in grace, as in fact they are conceived in sin. What is there difficult in this doctrine? What is there unnatural? Mary may be called, as it were, a daughter of Eve unfallen.
John Henri Newman

Letter to Pusey, 1866

MULTIMEDIA : Magnificat (Marco Frisina, Mina)

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.

"Lectio divina is an authentic source of Christian spirituality recommended by our Rule. We therefore practice it every day, so that we may develop a deep and genuine love for it, and so that we may grow in the surpassing knowledge of Christ. In this way we shall put into practice the Apostle Paul’s commandment, which is mentioned in our Rule: “Let the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, live abundantly in your mouth and in your hearts; and whatever you must do, do it in the name of the Lord.”
Carmelite Constitutions (No. 82)
September 2010
Lectio: Luke 4,38-44
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Lectio: Luke 5,1-11
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Lectio: Luke 5,33-39
Friday, September 3, 2010
Lectio: Luke 6,1-5
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Lectio: 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Lectio: Luke 6,6-11
Monday, September 6, 2010
Lectio: Luke 6,12-19
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Lectio: Birthday of Mary - Matthew 1,1-16.18-23
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Lectio: Luke 6,27-38
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Lectio: Luke 6,39-42
Friday, September 10, 2010
Lectio: Luke 6,43-49
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Lectio: 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Lectio: Luke 7,1-10
Monday, September 13, 2010
Lectio: The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - John 3,13-17
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Lectio: B.V Maria Addolorata - John 19,25-27
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Lectio: Luke 7,36-50
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Lectio: Luke 8,1-3
Friday, September 17, 2010
Lectio: Luke 8,4-15
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Lectio: 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Lectio: Luke 8,16-18
Monday, September 20, 2010
Lectio: Matthew 9,9-13
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Lectio: Luke 9,1-6
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Lectio: Luke 9,7-9
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Lectio: Luke 9,18-22
Friday, September 24, 2010
Lectio: Luke 9,43b-45
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Lectio: 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Lectio: Luke 9,46-50
Monday, September 27, 2010
Lectio: Luke 9,51-56
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Lectio: St. Michael Gabrie e Raffaele - John 1,47-51
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Lectio: Luke 10,1-12
Thursday, September 30, 2010