Mary
in Christian Tradition
Feasts
of Mary
Madonna
and Child - Filippino Lippi
The
Calendar of the Catholic Church, with its feasts, scriptural readings
and prayers, is a good guide to Christian belief about Mary and her
role in our life. The universal calendar, revised in 1970, celebrates
feasts of Mary almost every month.
There
are major feasts of Mary and feasts of lesser rank. Many of the feasts
originate early on in the churches of the east, which still celebrate
them today. Besides these feasts, devoted particularly to Mary, other
feasts of our Lord, like the feast of Christmas, the Annunciation, the
Visitation, and the Presentation give Mary a special place.
The
major feasts of Mary point to the most important reasons for honoring
Mary, and they explain our relationship to her. They contain the substance
of the Church's belief about her.
The
Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (January 1)
The Immaculate Conception of Mary (December 8)
The Assumption of Mary (August 15)
Feasts of the Lord in which Mary is noted
Other Feasts of Mary
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