My Dear Friends,

Today, December 8th, is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, but today, in the Catholic Church, we are celebrating the 2nd Sunday of Advent. Because the Sundays of Advent have a special place in the liturgy, the Immaculate Conception is bumped to tomorrow, December 9th . The Immaculate Conception is also a Holy Day of Obligation, but this year, because it is bumped from Sunday to Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is lifted.

Of course, even though it is not a Holy Day this year, it is still an important day that we as Catholics celebrate, and it would be fitting to come to Mass Monday morning to celebrate our Lady. She is the Mediatrix of All Graces precisely because of this feast, which celebrates the conception of our Blessed Mother in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. The Catholic Church recognizes the importance of conception by honoring our Blessed Mother with this feast day, but it is not the only conception so honored.