December 2017

December is the Month the Church Dedicates to the Immaculate Conception

“We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.”
(Given at St. Peter's in Rome, the 8th of December, 1854, Pius IX)

Click here, to read the Apostolic Constitution by Pope Pius IX - defining the dogma of Immaculate Conception.

Below listed are the feasts falling in December 2017:

December 1: FIRST FRIDAY/Feria

December 2: FIRST SATURDAY/St. Bibiana Virgin and Martyr, Simple.

THE HOLY SEASON OF ADVENT BEGINS

December 3: I Sunday of Advent, Double of the I Class; Commemoration of St. Francis Xavier, Confessor.

December 4: St. Peter Chrysologus Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, Double; Commemoration of St. Barbara Virgin and Martyr.

December 5: Commemoration of St. Sabbas Abbot.

December 6: St. Nicholas Bishop and Confessor, Double.

December 7: St. Ambrose Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, Double.

December 8: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Double of the I Class.
                [PART I – Feast of the Immaculate Conception through the centuries]
                [PART II – The necessity for the Ark of the Covenant to be free from any stain]
                [PART III – The Apostolic Constitution by Pope Pius IX]

December 9: Feria

December 10: II Sunday of Advent, Double of the I Class; Commemoration of St. Melchiades Pope and Martyr; Commemoration of Translation of the Holy House of Loretto [Regional Calendars of Spain, Belgium etc.].

December 11: St. Damasus I Pope and Confessor, Simple.

December 12: Feria

December 13: St. Lucy Virgin and Martyr, Double.

December 14: Feria

December 15: Feria

December 16: St. Eusebius Bishop and Martyr, Simple.

The Commencement of the Great ‘O’ Antiphons.
(Let us also accompany our Blessed Mother Mary and St. Joseph, from Galilee to Bethlehem, for Cesar Augustus has decreed that all should be enrolled into their own cities [St. Luke, ii. 1-5])

December 17: III Sunday of Advent, Double of the I Class/O Sapienta.

December 18: Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as “Our Lady of ‘O’”, Greater Double [Regional Calendars of Spain, Ireland etc.]/O Adonai.

December 19: Feria/O Radix Jesse.

December 20: EMBER WEDNESDAY/O Clavis David.

December 21: St. Thomas Apostle, Double of the II Class/O Oriens.

December 22: EMBER FRIDAY/O Rex Gentium.

December 23: EMBER SATURDAY/O Emmanuel.

December 24: Vigil of Christmas.

December 25: Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Double of the I Class, with an Octave.
                [PART I – The prophecies in Old Testament leading to the Nativity]
                [PART II – Sermons and Homilies of our Fathers]
                [PART III – History of Christmas]
                [PART IV – Mystery of Christmas]

December 26: St. Stephen Protomartyr, Double of the II class; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity.

December 27: St. John Apostle and Evangelist, Double of the II class; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity.

December 28: The Holy Innocents, Double of the II class; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity.

December 29: St. Thomas Becket (of Canterbury), Bishop and Martyr, Double; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity.

December 30: Of the VI day within the Octave of the Nativity, Double.

December 31: Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity, Double; Commemoration of St. Sylvester I Pope and Confessor; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity.

O Mary Conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.