December 9, 2004.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A reading from the book of Genesis.

After the man Adam had eaten of the tree,

the Lord God called to the man and asked him,

Where are you?

He answered,

I heard you in the garden, but I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.

Then he asked, Who told you that you were naked?

You have eaten then from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat.

The man replied, The woman who you put here with me, she gave me the fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.

The Lord God then asked the woman,

Why did you do such a thing?

The woman answered, The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.

Then the Lord God said to the serpent,

Because you have done this, you shall be banned said to the serpent,

Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals,

and from all the wild creatures.

On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. He will strike at your head while you strike at his heel.

The man called his wife Eve because she became the mother of all the living.

The Word of the Lord sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

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