In just a few days, we will be celebrating Our Lady's Immaculate Conception, the amazing moment when God chose to preserve a human being, Mary, from all stain of Original Sin. This day, December 8, is a Holy Day of Obligation.
What is a Holy Day of Obligation? It is a special day set aside to honor the Lord and his saving work, present in the Church. On these days, Catholics are obligated to attend Mass to participate in these universal celebrations.
Now that COVID restrictions have largely been lifted, and our Bishop has reminded us in this letter of the obligation to attend Mass unless prevented by serious factors, I want to invite you to these Holy Days of Obligation. Each one is an amazing opportunity to enter more deeply into Jesus’ saving work – a work that is continuing at St. Philip's today. These days are treated as if they were Sundays because the events and people they commemorate are indispensable to us as Catholics.
They are listed here, beginning with the upcoming December 8 Holy Day:
December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Mass Schedule: Tuesday, December 7 7 PM Vigil Mass
Wednesday, December 8 6:30 AM | 12:15 PM | 7 PM
December 25: Solemnity of the Nativity Our Lord Jesus Christ Mass Schedule: 4 PM Christmas Eve (2 concurrent Masses in the Church and CLC) 7 PM Christmas Eve 12 AM Midnight Mass 10 AM Christmas Day
January 1, 2022 Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God* (*In 2022, Jan. 1 falls on a Saturday and is not a Holy Day of Obligation) Mass Schedule: 10 AM New Year's Day
Solemnity of the Ascension* *Transferred to Sunday, May 29
August 15: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (*In 2022, Aug. 15 falls on a Monday and is not a Holy Day of Obligation) Mass Schedule to be announced
November 1: Solemnity of All Saints Mass Schedule to be announced
If you have a moment, I’d ask that you consider adding these dates to your calendar right now. Rearranging our daily schedules can sometimes be difficult. I pray that we as the Church view each day above as a “holy day of opportunity,” a chance to participate in the highest form of prayer, the Mass. In order to assist with this, I've added a link below so that you can add these days directly into your digital calendar – a great reminder to celebrate with joy!
Sincerely Yours in Christ, Fr. Raymond McDaniel, Pastor