Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This upcoming Monday is December 8th, which is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. In a year in which our liturgical schedule has been slightly different, with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day falling the way that they did, we continue the trend with the Immaculate Conception. Although not quite as complicated as it was last year, it still might be a bit confusing. And so, to be clear, the Immaculate Conception IS a Holy Day of Obligation. Allow me to explain a bit more as to why that is.
The first thing that could use a bit of explanation is how a Holy Day of Obligation sometimes isn’t obligatory. There are only a handful of Holy Days of Obligation that fall outside the regular Sunday celebration. These include Christmas, New Year’s Day, the Assumption, All Saints’ Day, and the Immaculate Conception. Usually, there’s no confusion these days, just go to Mass and participate in the liturgical celebration. However, given the complexity of modern living, the bishops in the US have recognized that it can be burdensome to require the faithful to attend Mass on consecutive days. And so, in the event that a Holy Day falls on a Saturday or a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is dispensed. There are two exceptions to that: Christmas and the Immaculate Conception.
Christmas is such an important Solemnity that it should make sense why you must go to Mass on that day. The birth of the Savior is in many ways, a linchpin of our faith, with the Incarnation being a demonstration of God’s tremendous love for humanity and our salvation. The Immaculate Conception is quite important, too. The fact that God selected Mary to be born without Original Sin is a singular and extraordinary grace bestowed only on her. And with it, such freedom from sin would enable her to say yes to God’s invitation to be the mother of the Messiah. It’s all worth celebrating, hence it being a Holy Day in the first place.
But the other reason is the fact that Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of our country. Just like St. Charles is our parish patron saint, so too, does the US have a patron saint as well. And in order to recognize and celebrate that reality, we hold onto the annual celebration of the Immaculate Conception as a Holy Day of Obligation, whether it falls on a Saturday or Monday, or anywhere else during the week. And so, my friends, given the timing of things this year, St. Charles will offer two opportunities to join us for Mass on December 8th. If you’re around in the morning, you can join us for the daily 9 AM celebration. Or you can be with us on Monday evening at 7 PM. I recognize that December is a busy time of year for all of us, but I hope you’ll make the time to attend Mass that day.
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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