The Ordo (Order of prayer in the Liturgy of the hours and the Eucharist) lists all the days of the Church year and indicates what is celebrated that day and has details that help priests in preparing for the liturgy of the hours and Mass that day. For this coming Monday, December 9, the Ordo lists this day as the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patronal Feast of the United States of America. Then, it has in parenthesis, "Not a holy day of obligation this year." I must say I was more than a little surprised that the bishops of the United States did not make this solemnity in which Catholics are obliged to participate in Mass that day.
When the bishops decided to make holy days that fall on a Monday or Saturday non-obligatory, they did so, I believe, primarily because of regularly scheduled Masses on Saturday and Sunday evening that are always celebrating the Mass of Sunday. Some parishes, given the size of the Church, may not be able to schedule enough Masses for the holy day when it falls on a Saturday or Monday, to care for the needs of the people AND have their regularly scheduled weekend Masses.
The bishops still ask us to STRONGLY encourage our people to participate in holy days that falls on a Monday or Saturday. I am going to do this verbally at Mass this weekend AND schedule two opportunities for our parishioners to attend Mass this Monday at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. PLEASE consider participating in the Solemnity NOT because you are obliged to do so (because you aren't this year), but becuse of your love for The Lord and His Mother, Mary, and her continuing intercession for our country. We certainly need her help.
When the bishops decided to make holy days that fall on a Monday or Saturday non-obligatory, they did so, I believe, primarily because of regularly scheduled Masses on Saturday and Sunday evening that are always celebrating the Mass of Sunday. Some parishes, given the size of the Church, may not be able to schedule enough Masses for the holy day when it falls on a Saturday or Monday, to care for the needs of the people AND have their regularly scheduled weekend Masses.
The bishops still ask us to STRONGLY encourage our people to participate in holy days that falls on a Monday or Saturday. I am going to do this verbally at Mass this weekend AND schedule two opportunities for our parishioners to attend Mass this Monday at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. PLEASE consider participating in the Solemnity NOT because you are obliged to do so (because you aren't this year), but becuse of your love for The Lord and His Mother, Mary, and her continuing intercession for our country. We certainly need her help.
It very well might be the busiest 24 days of the year. I'm speaking of the days starting with the First Sunday of Advent until Christmas Eve. The Advent season calls us to preparedness, patience, and prayer, both at church and in other settings. It also is a time of public and private Christmas gatherings that can fill up the calendar and lead to stress instead of expectant joy which is the mood that is fostered by the practices and activities in Advent.
I pray that as you determine what you will be doing in these days leading up to Christmas, that you will prioritize the things of God that are truly part of the Advent season. This includes activities like daily Mass, a Day of Recollection (December 20), an Advent Reconciliation Service, charitable endeavors, the daily reflections from our "Little Books" and perhaps some extra time with Jesus in our 24/7 Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. If we are busy with these and other opportunities, I will predict a Christmas and Christmas season that will be joy-filled and truly meaningful in what Christmas is truly all about, the coming of the Lord of Glory.
I pray that as you determine what you will be doing in these days leading up to Christmas, that you will prioritize the things of God that are truly part of the Advent season. This includes activities like daily Mass, a Day of Recollection (December 20), an Advent Reconciliation Service, charitable endeavors, the daily reflections from our "Little Books" and perhaps some extra time with Jesus in our 24/7 Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. If we are busy with these and other opportunities, I will predict a Christmas and Christmas season that will be joy-filled and truly meaningful in what Christmas is truly all about, the coming of the Lord of Glory.
All of us, no doubt, remember the time when almost every business closed on Sundays. This was not only respectful of "The Lord's Day" and our need to participate in Mass and "rest" from our work week labors, but it also provided family time, which strengthened bonds between family members. This respite from work and our regular routines, has been the case on certain holidays, like Thanksgiving, until our present time. Now the idols of commercialism and materialism are urging us to worship them on "family days" like Thanksgiving with businesses now opening all day or part of the day on Thanksgiving.
I ask you to consider respecting the traditions of Thanksgiving and refrain from the lure of sales that is out there on that day. Even if you will not be with your extended family this Thanksgiving, some who do have families will be made to leave their families to serve you and other customers on this wonderful holiday. There are daily attacks on the family, which we need to work against by our words and actions. Here is the one day that if enough of us say no to this temptation, perhaps the retailers and others will consider leaving Thanksgiving as the family day it has always been. By the way, I invite you to join with your parish family at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving for Mass to thank God for the many blessings we have received as a country and as families who call God our Father.
I ask you to consider respecting the traditions of Thanksgiving and refrain from the lure of sales that is out there on that day. Even if you will not be with your extended family this Thanksgiving, some who do have families will be made to leave their families to serve you and other customers on this wonderful holiday. There are daily attacks on the family, which we need to work against by our words and actions. Here is the one day that if enough of us say no to this temptation, perhaps the retailers and others will consider leaving Thanksgiving as the family day it has always been. By the way, I invite you to join with your parish family at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving for Mass to thank God for the many blessings we have received as a country and as families who call God our Father.