Immaculate Conception
Today is a solemnity of the church. The Church classifies different days according to the liturgy that is being used. A solemnity is the highest status. On this special day you will notice that the Gloria is sung, and the Creed is recited, too. To help put the Immaculate Conception in its proper place it is comparable to Christmas and Easter. Included in this special group are also All Saints Day, Pentecost, Mary the Mother of God, and Saints Peter and Paul. Just from the titles you inherently know these are important dates of the Church.
Feast days are next in line. Many of the apostles and other saints are assigned feast days. At mass we will have a Gloria but not the Creed. Then there are Memorials and memorials. The “M” are for saints that are doctors of the church or other special circumstances. The “m” are for other saints. Not that they are not important, they certainly are, but the church has a hierarchical structure.
For today, we are talking about the Mother of God. I always keep in mind, what if Mary had said no. There would be no salvation, no forgiveness of sins, no Catholic Church. What a different world this would be. But thankfully, as we celebrate the conception of Mary, we know the future. I invite you to come to church and sing the Magnificat with Mary. Let your soul magnify the Lord.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen