December is the Month of the Divine Infancy & the Immaculate Conception

How exciting!  We enter a new Liturgical Year, the Season of Advent and the traditional Cycle of Christmas, when we meditate upon the Mystery of the Incarnation.  Unlike our cultural norms of indulgence and attending party after party, we who devoutly observe Advent, know this is a time of preparation and waiting.  We do not celebrate until Christ is born.  Until then, we make ourselves ready by performing penance and good deeds.  Joy is always greater when there has been some discipline preceding the event.

We commemorate the Divine Infancy this month as we prepare to celebrate Our Blessed Lord’s Nativity.  As well, we honor Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States of America.  With all the need presently in this country, let us flee to her in prayer, beseeching many graces.  The feast of the Immaculate Conception remains on December 8th in the trad calendar.  In the new, it has been transferred to the 9th and is a Holy Day of Obligation. 

Where can you get a good 2025 liturgical calendar?  At Nomen Christi Apostolate, we represent unity between traditional Catholics and those who attend the Novus Ordo.  Therefore we look at both calendars and when composing these monthly reviews, refer to both.  Admittedly, this can be confusing.  We recommend you choose the calendar you prefer and have it in your home to advise you of feasts each month…or hang both calendars!  Many parishes distribute calendars for free.  As for a trad calendar, here's a good one, which will also support the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter:

Fraternity Publications 2025 Liturgical Calendar

Let us remember the Ember Days of Advent on the 18th, 20th and 21st.  This is great time to do Christmas crafts with children, incorporating winter themes.  Encouraging children to perform acts of charity on these days would also be in keeping with the penitential character of the Ember Days, along with Advent.

A most Blessed Christmas and Christmas Season to all!

SAINT ANDREW CHRISTMAS PRAYER

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee,
O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires
through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ,
and of His blessed Mother.

Amen.

December: Month of the Divine Infancy & the Immaculate Conception

“And the Word was made flesh.”

John 1:14

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Blessings to all in this new Church year! We are now several days into Advent. This is the time when we are in waiting for Our Savior, a time to perform appropriate spiritual exercises. If you have arrived at Advent unprepared, try to get it together this week. Certainly, a good confession before Christmas is probably in order for all of us, as our celebrant told us this past Sunday. December is traditionally dedicated to the Divine Infancy or the Immaculate Conception. Of course, we celebrate both great feasts this month. Perhaps our Advent devotions could include one or both of these themes.

This month honors 5 Doctors of the Church, 2 of whom share the same day. Saint Ambrose is known for his writings on devotion to the Blessed Mother. Reading his work this month would be one way to honor the Immaculate Conception. St. Nicholas, popularly associated with Christmas, has his feast on the 6th. In addition to the feast of the Immaculate Conception, 4 days later, we honor Mary under the wonderful title of “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” As if all of this is not enough, we have the Ember Days as well! Time to ramp-up the penance heat, especially in the wake of a dire year for Holy Church. Towards the end of the month, we honor the Holy Innocents-let us remember pro-life intentions as well.

Wishes to my readers for a most blessed Christmas and let us pray for a triumphant New Year in the Church! Here are some notable feasts this month…

4-First Friday / St. John Damascene, Doctor, “Doctor of Christian Art,” “Doctor of the Assumption” / St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor, “The Golden-Worded”

5-First Saturday

6-2nd Sunday of Advent / St. Nicholas

7-St. Ambrose, Doctor, “Patron of the Veneration of Mary”

8-IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Patroness of the USA (holy day of obligation before the NWO takeover)

12-Our Lady of Guadalupe

13-3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday / St. Lucy, Patroness of the blind

14-St. John of the Cross, Doctor, “Doctor of Mystical Theology”

16-Ember Wednesday in Advent (prayer and penance, trad meat at one meal)

18-Ember Friday in Advent (prayer and penance)

19-Ember Saturday in Advent (prayer and penance-trad meat at one meal)

20-4th Sunday of Advent

21-St. Thomas, Apostle / St. Peter Canisius, Doctor, “Doctor of the Catechism”

24-Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

25-NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (holy day of obligation before the NWO takeover, solemnity-no Friday penance) / St. Anastasia

26-St. Stephen, Protomartyr, Archdeacon (one of the original 7 deacons ordained by the Apostles)

27-Sunday in the Octave of the Nativity (trad) / The Holy Family / St. John the Evangelist

28-The Holy Innocents