Immaculate Conception
Tomorrow is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the six non-Sunday Holy Days where a Catholic is obligated to attend Mass. The day has been observed from the middle ages, although it took until 1854 for the pope to define the Immaculate Conception as dogma.
Oddly enough, the two dogmas which most often get confused in the minds of the faithful are the Immaculate Conception and the Virgin Birth. Many Catholics mistakenly believe that the name “Immaculate Conception” refers to Christ’s miraculous conception in the womb of the Virgin. No friends. The name for that event is the Virgin Birth. The Immaculate Conception refers to Mary’s conception in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. That particular conception is called Immaculate in that from the time of her conception, she was filled with the grace of God.
Macula non est in te. Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis.
I’ll be attending the anticipated Mass this evening.
