So Thursday is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and I know I am supposed to go to mass that day and I know that it has something to do with Mary but I am ashamed to say that until I watched this video clip I had no idea it had anything to do with Ann and Joachim. It's interesting to see the reactions and thoughts of everyday people and what their perceptions are of this celebratory day in the church. Regardless of whether or not these folks are Catholic, watching this clip just brought me back to thinking about how little we actually understand certain things about the faith and church traditions...be they of our own or those of others.
At this season of "winter holidays" we sometimes get rather touchy about what we allow to be "celebrated" in schools and proclaimed in communities. The spirit of the season not only has to compete with materialism and commercialism but also intolerance, judgement and political correctness. Kids can't have Christmas parties in school, people get offended by the Star of David, and Santa Claus can be seen by some as a pagan way of celebrating the season. My point here is that all of this gets in the way of a time of year when we all i9n some way or another feel drawn to be more charitable, more loving and more willing to enjoy those around us.
These qualities hearken us back to out roots of sinlessness in baptism and Mary's being born without original sin. It is a feast day that helps keep us in line with where our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies should especially be at this time of year as we move through Advent and prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ and a rebirth of our own souls.
I hope to keep this in mind and spread this understanding to my loved ones this holiday season :)
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