Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

    The true date for the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is February 25 (see chapter 5). This celebration is currently 

referred to as the Annunciation. It is our remembrance of the angel Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin 

Mary of the Incarnation of Christ. Christians celebrate this day as the first holy day of the human life of our 

Savior Jesus Christ, the day when Jesus was conceived solely by a miracle of God within the womb of the 

Virgin Mary, the day when God became Incarnate in Christ. Jesus is more important than Mary. Since Christ 

is before Mary, this day should be named according to the event in Christ's life, His Blessed Incarnation and 

Virgin Conception. This celebration should be renamed  The Incarnation of Jesus Christ,  or  The Virgin 

Conception of Jesus Christ,  or similar wording, to emphasize the Incarnation. On this day we also recall the 

event in the Virgin Mary's life of the angel's announcement to her, but the focus must be first and foremost on 

Jesus the Messiah. The Annunciation should be called The Incarnation, since this name points to the most 

important event of that day. 

    Currently, the Church gives too little emphasis to this day when God became man. Greater emphasis should 

be placed on this event by the Church, since this was the beginning of the life of Jesus Christ as a human being. 

The Solemnity of the Annunciation is not currently a holy day of obligation. I suggest making this day a holy 

day of obligation, if it falls on a day other than Sunday. And when February 25 falls on a Sunday, the 

Solemnity of the Incarnation should still be observed. And when February 25 falls (as it occasionally will) 

during the days of Lent, the Solemnity of the Incarnation should still be observed.

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The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ (November 25) 

    Our celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ is an important and holy day in the liturgical calendar of the 

Church. This celebration should take place on the true date of Christ's Birth, November 25 (see chapter 4). 

The Virgin Mary asked us to celebrate her birthday on the true date, about a month earlier than the date in the 

liturgical calendar. Her request to the Church cannot be denied. Nor can anyone deny that the celebration of 

the Birth of Christ is even more important than our celebration of Mary's birth. Therefore the celebration of 

the Birth of Christ must also take place on the true day (Nov. 25), a month earlier than the current date (Dec. 

25) for that celebration. Yes, the date for our celebration of Christmas should be moved to the true date for the 

Birth of Christ, November 25. 

    There are cultural obstacles to accomplishing this change. The secular culture in most parts of the world has 

adopted Christmas as if it were a pagan holiday, a holiday about gifts and food and fictional stories told to 

children. Gift buying in advance of Christmas plays a significant role in the current retail economy. Changing 

the date for the celebration of Christmas will likely be opposed by those who are devoted more to the pagan 

holiday than to the Christian Holy Day. Even so, we must remember and celebrate Christ's Birth on the true 

date. 

    The Birth of Jesus Christ was a true Virgin Birth, occurring solely by a miracle of God and not in the usual 

way.

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 Christmas is a remembrance and celebration of the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ. The Birth of Christ 

must be known and celebrated everywhere in the Church as a true Virgin Birth. 

Martyrdom of Holy Innocents 

    The Church (in the West) currently celebrates the martyrdom of the Holy Innocents on Dec. 28, three days 

after Christmas. In the East, this celebration is placed on Dec. 27. But, in either case, no one thinks that the 

infants were killed so soon after the birth of Christ. The celebration is placed close to Christmas because it is 

closely connected to the Birth of Christ. Herod was trying to kill the Christ child by killing all of the male 

children two years  of age and younger in Bethlehem and in all that region (Mt 2:16). I believe that the 

martyrdom of the Holy Innocents occurred in the spring of 13 

B.C.

, about 1  year after the Birth of Christ (see 

chapter 6). However, I think that the celebration of this event should remain close to Christmas in the 

calendar, because its meaning is connected with the Birth of Christ. Since Christmas will be moved to Nov. 25, 

our celebration of the martyrdom of the Holy Innocents should remain soon after November 25. 

    In the same way, other celebrations closely connected with the Birth of our Lord, such as the feast of the 

Holy Family (Catholic) or the Veneration of St. Mary (Orthodox), which have been traditionally celebrated 

close to Christmas, should remain close to the date of Christmas. Some differences in the liturgical calendar, 

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