Today is December 8.

Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Fellow Catholics, have you gone to Mass yet?

To those who don't know, Immaculate Conception is when Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. Immaculate = no stain.

For those who do not believe, I'm not forcing you to believe but this is what we believe as Catholics. This is also true because we do not box in God. God chose His mother within the fabric of time and space and found Mary. Since He is all holy, shouldn't He choose to make His mother holy and sinless? It is only fitting that God should do it. It wouldn't make any point for a holy God to choose an unclean person. That was His decision to make, period.

I went to Mass this morning. Gosh, how I missed morning masses. Today was special since the children of the school were in Mass as well. It took me back to my elementary days back home. Children read the readings. I noticed that the words were different to conform to the children so they can understand. For example, in the first reading, instead of hearing the word serpent you would hear snake. The same went through with the Gospel, when Mary said, "how can this be for I know not man," it was read, "how can this be for I am not married."

I have wondered in my mind how many of those children know what they're doing or why they're doing what they're doing. I have the fear that many of these children may know now but lose it in the future. Children tend to lose their catechism because they have difficulty seeing it in action. They need to be shown how to walk the walk.

I suppose this is one of the reasons why I do what I do. After reading much of Sacred Scripture from the beginning, mind you, I have come to know that I must share this fire burning within me. I am no expert, that I am not, but hopefully with the grace of Adonai, I will be able to set others on fire also.