Where is Dec. 9 a holy day this year?
Purple Catholic Saturday Post
Good morning and happy Saturday. This year we have one of those funny “glitches” in the calendar when a solemnity conflicts with a Sunday. The canonical norm for this is, since solemnities are not removed from a calendar due to a conflict, moving the solemnity to Monday, December 9.
In some dioceses, bishops have upheld the obligation to attend Mass on the Solmenity of the Immaculate Conception on December 9. Others have supressed that obligation. The whole situation has been a source of debate in online circles since on some Saturday and Monday solemnities, the obligation is supressed.
Since 1993 in the United States, only when Mary, Mother of God (Jan 1), the Assumption (Aug 15), and All Saints (Nov 1) is the obligation abrogated. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, regardless of what day it is on, has never been supressed nationally for being on a Monday.
That all being said, individual bishops can make different decisions for their dioceses and many have. Here is an incomplete list:
Where Dec. 9 is a Holy Day of Obligation
Arlington, Virginia
Cleveland, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
Lincoln, Nebraska
Marquette, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Gaylord, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Venice, Florida
Where Dec. 9 is not a Holy Day of Obligation
Detroit, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Chicago, Illinois
Jefferson City, Missouri
St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota
San Jose, California
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Don’t see your diocese on the list? Check with your local parish.
So what counts and what doesn’t?
Not to be a legalist, but there is the legimate question of what counts as attending both the Sunday obligation and the obligation of the Holy Day. Here are the acceptable combinations:
A Mass on Saturday Evening (after 4:00 p.m.) and a Mass on Monday
A Mass on Saturday Evening (after 4:00 p.m.) and a Mass on Sunday Evening (after 4:00 p.m.)
A Mass on Sunday Morning/Early Afternoon (before 4:00 p.m.) and a Mass on Sunday Evening (after 4:00 p.m.)
A Mass on Sunday Morning/Early Afternoon (before 4:00 p.m.) and a Mass on Monday
A Mass on Sunday Evening (after 4:00 p.m.) and a Mass on Monday
Note, however, that a Mass on Sunday evening after 4:00 p.m. will use the readings for the Second Sunday of Advent (since that takes precedence on December 8), but it is still applicable as a vigil for the Solmenity of the Immaculate Conception.
Second Sunday of Advent
This week we are entering the Second Sunday of Advent. This Sunday we will hear readings from Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; and Luke 3:1-6.
Here are some resources to help you prep for the readings this Sunday:
Have you wandered away from God? - Bishop Robert Barron (Winona-Rochester, Minnesota)
Repentance and returning to Yahweh - Fr. Sumit Dsouza, SJ (Bombay Jesuits)
In the Liturgy of the Hours, we are in Psalter Week II. In the Office of Readings we are continuing our reading from Isaiah on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. On Monday, we read from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans and on Thursday, we read from 1 Chronicles.
Here is a calendar for the rest of the week:
Monday, 9 December - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary*
Tuesday, 10 December - Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto (optional)
Wednesday, 11 December - Memorial of Saint Damasus I, pope (optional)
Thurdsday, 12 December - Feast of Our Lady of Guadaloupe
Friday, 13 December - Memorial of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr
Saturday, 14 December - Memorial of St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor
*Holy Day of Obligation in some dioceses. Check with your local diocese.
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight. …
[And} all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Luke 3:4, 6
In the news:
The United States
Catholic Charities of New York urges caution from the city on potential deportation policies - Crux
Catholic University of America facing $30 million deficit - The Pillar
Bible boom: Why are people buying so many Bibles? - Catholic News Agency
Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s canonization is “inevitable,” says foundation head - OSV News
Aliens and the Catholic Church - Paul Thigpen in Catholic Answers
The Vatican
“A general misconception about dialogue” - How an imam got talking with Pope Francis - The Pillar
Pope Francis: Homilies should be no longer than ten minutes - Vatican News
The World
Have a good weekend,
Matthew