Posted on 12/05/2014 2:33:09 PM PST by NYer
In these USA Monday, 8 December, is a Holy Day of Obligation because Our Lady under the title of Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of our nation.
So, several readers have asked about fulfilling the Mass obligation. Here’s is one:
If I have already fulfilled my Sunday mass obligation for December 7, if I go to mass again on the evening of December 7, will that fulfill my obligation for December 8th even if it is not the “official” anticipated mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception?
Ah… my old nemesis!
I posted on this scenario in the past and differing opinions were offered. I find in this instance that the otherwise brilliant and distinguished Dr. Ed Peters, canonist extraordinaire is wrong about this one. At least I think there is a doubt to be raised about this situation. A principle of interpretation of law in our Church is that when an obligation or burden is imposed, then we have to interpret the law strictly, that is, in such a way as we favor the people upon whom the burden is placed.
And so, for Sunday and Monday one has two obligations. The obligation to hear Holy Mass for Sunday (every Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation), and the obligation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
Can one Mass satisfy two obligations? I think so. Others don’t. The situation is at least doubtful, so I think we get the benefit of the doubt. At least I don’t remember ever seeing an official clarification about this point from the Pont. Comm. for Legislative Texts of from the Cong. for Divine Worship. I hope that, if there is one, someone will send it to me.
And so, I answer that one fulfills one’s Sunday obligation anytime from the evening of Saturday, 6 December, through midnight on Sunday, 7/8 December.
The obligation for the Monday, 8 December, Immaculate Conception, is fulfilled anytime from Sunday evening through Monday, 8/9 December at midnight.
Therefore, if one attended Mass at 5:00 PM on Sunday, 7 December, in order to fulfill one’s Sunday obligation, I think one would also fulfill the Monday Obligation.
However, just to introduce a wrinkle into this reckoning, if one went to the 5:00 PM Mass and then stuck around for the 7:00 PM Mass also, then there is NO QUESTION that one has fulfilled both obligations. Rigid canonists might say that 2 obligations require 2 Masses. That is not, however, what Canon Law says.
Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.
A person who has gone to Mass on Sunday evening has simultaneously gone on the day itself and in the evening of the preceding day. It happens to have been one Mass.
That said… I am NOT advocating slithering out of going to Mass on Monday. I want each and everyone of you to make plans to find a Mass on Monday for this beautiful feast. My fellow Americans… we are obliged to hear Mass. Make that plan! Do more, not less. And do more love, even if it’s hard.
And, remember, people in a state of grace may receive Holy Communion at both Masses, in the course of one day. You can receive twice a day, provided that the second time in in the context of Holy Mass. Danger of death, of course, changes everything.
In Madison, we have an Extraordinary Form Pontifical Mass at the Throne at 7 PM at the Bishop O’Connor Center.
Ping!
I disagree with this author’s assessment. The only reason a Saturday evening Mass fulfills the Sunday obligation is because it is a vigil of the Sunday Mass. The Sunday Mass is NOT a vigil for the Immaculate Conception Mass.
His logic is weak.
John Todd Zuhlsdorf (born October 28, 1959) is an unassigned American Catholic priest who is incardinated in the Diocese of Velletri-Segni and is a Catholic Internet personality, often known as "Father Z".
Zuhlsdorf was formerly a weekly columnist for the Catholic newspaper The Wanderer, and has appeared on EWTN and the Fox News Channel. He is best known for his blog Fr. Z's Blog (previously named: What Does the Prayer Really Say?), in which he advocates for reverent celebration of both authorized forms of the Roman Rite liturgy of the Mass, the ordinary form and the extraordinary, and for revival of the sacrament of Penance.
"The Staggers," the blog of the British magazine New Statesman, listed Fr. Zuhlsdorf's site as one of the top ten Christian blogs in the world.
Formerly a Lutheran, Zuhlsdorf's conversion to Catholicism thirty years ago was set into motion after hearing a piece of sacred polyphony on the radio. He was ordained a priest by Pope John Paul II on May 26, 1991. He is president of the Tridentine Mass Society of Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
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Thanks for the "heads up" on him.
I solved that issue years ago. I attend DAILY MASS.
SOMETIMES I forget that it's Sunday since I go every day.
Both Ed Peters and Cdl. Burke say Fr. Z is wrong on the idea that one mass can fulfill two obligations on two different days.
hey NYER my church is not going recognize this Monday as holy day of obligation I think maybe next year
Beside my pastor is pretty lazy
There is no obligation for those that are Christ. Embrace what Paul says in Galatians 2. Go into His house of worship with joy and because you WANT to, not because you HAVE to!
I agree, Al. Going to church Saturday evening fulfills the Sunday obligation as do the Sunday Masses.
Period.
The Holy Day of Obligation can be fulfilled on Monday — not on Sunday.
Fr. Z got it wrong.
A Sunday evening Mass can satisfy the Monday Holyday obligation, if the Sunday obligation has already been satisfied on Saturday evening or Sunday morning. In fact, in most churches, the Sunday evening Mass texts would be those for the Holyday, not for Sunday.
That’s not my experience. Here in the Dallas area, Sunday evening Mass is quite common. Of the Sunday evening Masses I’ve attended, they’ve all been the Sunday readings ... same readings as all the other Sunday Mass times.
I wasn’t talking about regularly scheduled Sunday evening Masses. I meant Sunday evening Masses celebrated because Monday is a holyday.
Well, in that case ... wouldn’t that be a vigil for the feast day Mass and not a Sunday Mass?
Correct. But I never had a Sunday evening Mass unless there was a holyday on Monday.
It’s odd that this is coming up so much this year, considering that Christmas and Mary, the Mother of God occur on a Saturday or a Monday every several years.
Anyway, it is the TIME of the Mass that matters, not the prayers and readings. I.e., if the holyday is on a Saturday, and you go to Mass on Saturday evening, and the Mass being celebrated is the Sunday Mass, you have satisfied your holyday obligation. But you have to to Mass on Sunday to satisfy the Sunday obligation. Same thing if you don’t go to Mass Sunday morning, and go to Mass Sunday evening, and they are celebrating the Mass of the holyday occurring the next day. You have satisfied your Sunday obligation, but you have to go to Mass again on Monday.
Sounds as though you are saying we are obligated to want to.
You have to realize that arguing about these things is just an indoor sport for Catholics.
My parish has a regular Mass on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. Would that be “evening” in regard to a Mass obligation on Monday or would it be a Sunday-daytime? Our Saturday “evening” Mass is at 5:00 p.m.; is that half-hour decisive?
(I’m just asking because I think rules are interesting. We’ll go to Mass Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and Monday at 11:00 a.m. The Confusion Brothers will be all be altar servers.)
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