Posted on 12/27/2004 8:33:25 PM PST by narses
Q: I have been getting some confusing facts concerning Holy Days of Obligation. Catholic calendars note one thing, but then I get different opinions from parish secretaries. Can you clear up this confusion?
A: The 1983 Code of Canon Law identifies Sunday as "the primordial holy day of obligation" in the universal Church.
In addition to Sunday there are 10 other days of obligation:
1. The Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas) 2. The Epiphany (Jan. 6.) 3. The Ascension (40 days after Easter) 4. The Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) 5. Holy Mary, the Mother of God (octave day of Christmas, Jan. 1) 6. The Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) 7. The Assumption (Aug. 15) 8. St. Joseph (March 19) 9. Ss. Peter and Paul (June 29) 10. All Saints (Nov. 1)
The 1983 Code of Canon Law also states that the conference of Bishops (usually the bishops of a particular country of a region) can suppress or transfer the observance of these days, after approval from the Apostolic See (i.e. the Vatican)
In the United States six of the universal holy days are observed. They are #1, 3, 5, 6, 7, & 10 from above.
As for the other four, Epiphany is observed on Sunday, so is Corpus Christi. However, St. Joseph and Ss. Peter and Paul are not observed as a day of obligation for participating in Mass.
Several years ago the National Conference of Catholic Bishops determined that the holy days of Mary, the Mother of God (Jan. 1), the Assumption (Aug. 15) and All Saints (Nov. 1) would not be observed with the obligation of participating in Mass whenever they would be a Saturday or Monday. Whenever these holy days are a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday then they would be observed with the obligation of participation in Mass. This decision was approved by the Vatican.
The reasoning for this decision is based upon the distances that priests in a number of areas of the country have to travel between parish or mission churches to offer Mass. If the holy days were Saturday or Monday then the priest would be involved in extensive travel in addition to Sundays.
In the past year the conference of Bishops received approval to transfer the holy days of Ascension Thursday to Sunday. The bishops of each province had to agree to this transfer before it was permissible. In Nebraska, which is the Metropolitan Province of Omaha or the the dioceses of Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, the bishops determined that Ascension Thursday should be observed on the 40th day after Easter rather than moving it to a Sunday.
Church calendars and missalettes are printed to follow the determinations of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
More of the AmChurch innovations.
"Holy Mary, the Mother of God (octave day of Christmas, Jan. 1)"
I thought this was originally the feast of the circumcision (OK, pretty sure I spelled that wrong, I used to call it the feast of the bris), and then later it became "world peace day" (bleh!). When did it become "Holy Mary, the Mother of God" feast, and why ISN'T is a holy day of obligation all of a sudden?
Let me repeat what I just said on another, totally unrelated, thread. THINGS ARE MOVING TOO FAST FOR ME THESE DAYS!
I know, it is.
Pray for and encourage vocations.
Since the get-go, Bishops have had the power of binding and losing in their Jurisdictions. This is not novel. This is Christian Doctrine.
The bishops can decide whatever they will. By this convert to the Church, January 1 is a day of honoring the lovely woman Jesus gave to me to be my mother - period. And regardless of who rules what, I will go to Mass on January 1 to try and thank Jesus for Mary, and to thank Mary for being willing to be the mother of this sometimes cranky Virginia Catholic.
I went to the bishops' website looking for some clues:
Topic: Home > Liturgy > Liturgical Calendar
No documents in topic.
Thanks guys, good work!
(Maybe they are out working on making things even more 'relevant'. Lord, preserve us from liturgists!)
Then I went to New Advent and looked at the Feast of the Circumcision from the old Encyclopedia. Yes, it was called that in our youth and the name has been changed. But, even in the old days, Mary was included:
"Today, also, while in both Missal and Breviary the feast bears the title "In Circumcisione Domini et Octav Nativitatis", the prayers have special reference to the Blessed Virgin, and in the Office, the responses and antiphons set forth her privileges and extol her wonderful prerogatives. The psalms for Vespers are those appointed for her feasts, and the antiphons and hymn of Lauds keep her constantly in view."
I have no doubt a moronic genteelism was part of the reason for the name change (I call it the Feast of the Euphemism). Nothing much is lost by it -- only the mystical significance of Christ as the New Man, and the Church's self-understanding as part of a new creation.
These people have no faith.
" (I call it the Feast of the Euphemism). Nothing much is lost by it -- only the mystical significance of Christ as the New Man,..."
Feast of the Euphenism, that's pretty good. Another aspect that is now obscured is the fact that Jesus was Jewish.
Thanks to all for your answers, it's nice to know my memory is not failing...yet!
>>I have no doubt a moronic genteelism was part of the reason for the name change<<
As a child I remember going from Holy Ghost to Holy Spirit. The nuns explained that it was because of Casper the Friendly Ghost confusion.
Maybe we just had nuns with a good sense of humor!
Sad for me that it is not a HolyDay!
Correct -- It used to be the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ.
"Bishops have had the power of binding and losing in their Jurisdictions. "
Yeah, mine has bound us into fiscal and too often moral bankruptcy all the while losing convicted sex criminals into our once Catholic schools. Gee, thanks.
"These people have no faith."
They do have parties though. Lots of them.
The Consecration Who, the day before He suffered, took bread into His holy and venerable hands, and having raised His eyes to heaven to you, God, His Almighty Father, giving thanks to You, He blessed, + it broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: "Take and eat of this, all of you, FOR THIS IS MY BODY."
*Facing His death, He gave Thanks and the Miracle of Transubstantation occured
31 The Jews therefore, who were with her in the house and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up speedily and went out, followed her, saying: She goeth to the grave to weep there.
32 When Mary therefore was come where Jesus was, seeing him, she fell down at his feet and saith to him. Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping, and the Jews that were come with her weeping, groaned in the spirit and troubled himself,
34 And said: Where have you laid him? They say to him: Lord, come and see.
35 And Jesus wept.
36 The Jews therefore said: Behold how he loved him.
37 But some of them said: Could not he that opened the eyes of the man born blind have caused that this man should not die?
38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, cometh to the sepulchre. Now it was a cave; and a stone was laid over it.
39 Jesus saith: Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith to him: Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he is now of four days.
40 Jesus saith to her: Did not I say to thee that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God?
41 They took therefore the stone away. And Jesus lifting up his eyes, said: Father, I give thee thanks that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people who stand about have I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 When he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth.
44 And presently he that had been dead came forth
*Jesus began with Thanksgiving and the miracle of Lazarus followed.
We see Jesus facing death, weeping etc. He responds with Thanksgiving and miracles follow.
Why not try and imitate Jesus and begin with Thanksgiving and wait on the Lord even when we are, seemingly, facing the death of a Liturgy, or a Diocese etc?
Amen Hallelujah, Brother!
"It sounds like your Diocese needs a miracle ..."
It does. To thank God for moral turpitude and fiscal madness simply doesn't ring true. Perhaps in your mind that is sense, in mine, it is madness.
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