The month of December is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated on December 8. The first 24 days of December fall during the liturgical season known as Advent and are represented by the liturgical color purple. The remaining days of December mark the beginning of the Christmas season. The liturgical color changes to white or gold — a symbol of joy, purity and innocence.

Missionary:That especially in mission countries Christians may show with acts of fraternal love that the Child born in the stable at Bethlehem is the luminous Hope of the world.

3. Francis Xavier, Memorial
4. John Damascene, Opt. Mem.
6. Nicholas, Opt. Mem.
7. Second Sunday of Advent, Sunday
8. Immaculate Conception, Solemnity
9. Juan Diego (USA), Opt. Mem.
11. Damasus I, Opt. Mem.
12. Our Lady of Guadalupe (USA), Feast
13. Lucy, Memorial
14. Third Sunday of Advent, Sunday
21. Fourth Sunday of Advent, Sunday
23. John of Kanty, Opt. Mem.
24. Christmas Eve, Sunday
25. Christmas, Solemnity
26. Stephen, Feast
27. John, Feast
28. Holy Family, Sunday
29. Thomas Becket, Opt. Mem.
31. Sylvester I, Opt. Mem.

The Gospels for the Sundays in December are taken from St. Mark, St. John and St. Luke and are from Year B Cycle 1 of the readings.

The liturgy of Advent focuses on remembering Christ's first coming at Bethlehem which then directs our mind to Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. The readings focus on the people of the Old Testament awaiting the Messiah, John the Baptist, heralding the way for Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary and her maternal preparations.

The main Feasts of Advent are St. Francis Xavier (December 3), St. Nicholas (December 6), Immaculate Conception (December 8), St. Juan Diego (December 9), St. Damascus (December 11), Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12), St. Lucy (December 13), and St. John of the Cross (December 14).

Christmastide begins with the First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of Christmas on December 24th and ends on the Sunday after Epiphany. Christmas and Easter are the only solemnities with octaves attached in the revised calendar. The Christmas octave differs from Easter in that it includes some major feasts: St. Stephen (December 26), St. John the Evangelist (December 27), Holy Innocents (December 28), St. Thomas Becket (December 29) and the feast of the Holy Family (December 30). The octave closes on January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

The feast of St. Ambrose (December 7), is superceded by the Sunday liturgy.

The month of December is filled with expectation and celebration. Preparation is the key word for the first 24 days of December. Everyone is getting ready for Christmas — shopping and decorating, baking and cleaning. Too often, however, we are so busy with the material preparations that we lose sight of the real reason for our activity.

Christmas is a Christian feast — and we must reclaim it as such! In the same way that a family eagerly prepares for a baby, so in Advent should we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. We should keep Advent as a season of waiting and longing, of conversion and of hope and keep our thoughts on the incredible love and humility of our God in taking on the flesh of the Virgin Mary. Let us not forget to prepare a peaceful place in our hearts wherein our Savior may come to dwell.

The best person we can turn to for help during Advent is Mary, Christ's and our Mother. She awaited the day of His birth with more eagerness than any other human being. Her preparation was complete in every respect. Let's crown our preparation and borrow something of Mary's prayerfulness, her purity and whole-hearted submission to God's will.