First Day of Serious Christmas Baking!

 My husband took a couple of days off in order to pinch hit for me while I concentrate on the Christmas baking. He takes plates of cookies to his co-workers and we give friends and neighbors a share of the baked Christmas cheer. It's a win/win situation as I can bake and try new recipes and have plenty ha people happy to be test tasters. Today, I got five batches done but two of them were refrigerator cookies and the dough was already prepared and ready for baking. I'm currently waiting for the last three cookie sheets to enter and exit the oven and I'm done with baking for today. Still have to prepare dinner, however . . .

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

December 8th is a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States, a day on which we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (the Immaculate Conception has been, since 1846, the Patroness of the United States). Note that it is she, Mary herself, who is the Immaculate Conception; the day does not refer to Mary's conceiving Jesus by the Holy Ghost, but to the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, by Mary's father, St. Joachim. What makes her conception immaculate is not that she was conceived by the Holy Ghost of a virgin, as was Christ Our Lord, but that from the very moment of her conception, she was filled with grace by God, Who knew, in His omniscience, that she would say "yes" to the Angel Gabriel and become the Mother of the Savior. Exactly nine months from now, on September 8, we will celebrate Mary's birthday. As noted, the Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States. Given the antics of the current administration, the unthinking votes of so many Catholics, and the current treatment of Christians in general, you have to wonder how Mary can bear the sadness this must bring to her heart. I'm sure she is gathering the millions of souls from the legally murdered babies through abortion to her arms but sheds many tears over the future these unwanted children could have brought to the world. The Blessed Mother knows what it is like to watch a Son die through no fault of her own. How much worse it is to watch other mothers pay to have their unborn killed.