On Monday, December 9, we celebrate a Holy Day of Obligation, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Holy Days of Obligation Masses are always celebrated at: 7:30am, 12:00 noon (livestreamed at stanndc.org/live), and 7:00pm.
This year, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation, and its celebration has been transferred to Monday, 9 December 2024. This is because December 8, 2024 is a Sunday this year.
Holy Days of Obligation are set apart due to the importance of understanding the Salvific mystery of Christ and His Church. The obligation to attend Mass underscores a particular mystery's significance in the redemption of the faithful. For example, the Immaculate Conception emphasizes the power of the Paschal Mystery above and beyond time, the protective role of grace, and the profound significance of our baptism. The celebration of these events in salvation history has a biblical precedent in the observance of feasts beyond the Sabbath throughout the year, which commemorates the action of God in the history of His people. For the same reasons, the people of God today - which is the Church - celebrate certain events in the history of redemption, such as the Immaculate Conception or the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a joyfully solemn and obligation character in praise and thanksgiving to God for His saving actions in history.