days of obligation..

[Monica4316]

I read that on feast days of obligation, Catholics should go to Mass and avoid work… tomorrow is a feast day of obligation in the US, but not in Canada. I live in Canada. I would not be able to go to Mass, unfortunately but would it be wrong to work on that day, if you live in Canada? Is it no longer a day of obligation here, while remaining a feast day?

thank you

 

[Aelred_Minor]

I have always assumed that if something is not a Holy Day of Obligation in your country that the obligation to rest (if possible) for it does not apply either. It’s a good question to make sure of though, so I’ll await someone who can produce a more definitive answer.

 

[Monica4316]

thanks!

 

[rom422]

I am not a priest, but I think Aelred Minor is right.

We need to avoid servile work on feast days of obligation, as you said. However, if your employer requires you to work on a feast day of obligation, you may go to work. Even if the employer does not explicitly require you to come to work, if it is necessary to maintain your job status (like, for example, you have a deadline to meet and you must work to keep your employment secure), then you may go to work. Remember what our Lord said: The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

That said, I encourage keeping the Lord’s day holy as much as we are able to. A spiritual reading, teaching kids their catechism, visiting an elderly person, etc - more than just watching ball games - seem to be better ways of keeping the Lord’s day holy.

 

[Monica4316]

thanks for the reply! I guess it’s also true that I don’t even have a day of obligation, in Canada… I don’t really know for sure how this all works.

 

[LilyM]

thanks for the reply! I guess it’s also true that I don’t even have a day of obligation, in Canada… I don’t really know for sure how this all works.

The Bishop’s Conference of each individual country (in the case of Canada the Canadian Catholic bishops conference) determines what days are HDOs in that country. So canada would have at least some differences from America and every other country.

Here in Australia the feast of the Immaculate Conception isn’t an HDO whereas the feast of the Assumption back in August was. I believe in America the Assumption isn’t an HDO.

If it’s not an HDO there’s no obligation to refrain from work - why would there be if there’s no obligation to attend Mass? There are all sorts of feast days every week in the calendar, we’re not obliged to stop work for every single one

 

[Monica4316]

Thanks!

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I read that on feast days of obligation, Catholics should go to Mass and avoid work… tomorrow is a feast day of obligation in the US, but not in Canada. I live in Canada. I would not be able to go to Mass, unfortunately but would it be wrong to work on that day, if you live in Canada? Is it no longer a day of obligation here, while remaining a feast day?

thank you

If it is not a holy day of obligation then you do not have to observe the day as one. It’s not a holy day of obligation either in England and Wales. I’ve been to the book shop at the cathedral today and it was open.

 

[puzzleannie]

I read that on feast days of obligation, Catholics should go to Mass and avoid work… tomorrow is a feast day of obligation in the US, but not in Canada. I live in Canada. I

there is no obligation by Catholics to avoid necessary work on holy days.

If the observance of the day is moved to Sunday, as it is in Canada, there is no Mass obligation on the actual day, either.
In the US the feast of the Immaculate Conception is one of the holy days that never moves because she is the patroness of our country.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Attached is a copy of Canada’s Liturgical calendar 2011-12 and Canada’s 2011-12Ordo. They both show that in Canada the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM is celebrated today, 8th December 2011. The solemnity couldn’t be transferred to a Sunday because the Sundays of Advent outrank solemnities.

 

[Monica4316]

Attached is a copy of Canada’s Liturgical calendar 2011-12 and Canada’s Ordo 2011-12. They both show that in Canada the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM is celebrated today, 8th December 2011. The solemnity couldn’t be transferred to a Sunday because the Sundays of Advent outrank solemnities.

It is true that it is celebrated today… but a feast day can be a feast day without being a day of obligation. I read that in Canada, the feast of the Immaculate Conception is not a day of obligation, though of course it’s still a feast

 

[Matthew_Holford]

It is true that it is celebrated today… but a feast day can be a feast day without being a day of obligation. I read that in Canada, the feast of the Immaculate Conception is not a day of obligation, though of course it’s still a feast

Yes quite correct it doesn’t have to be a holy day of obligation. It isn’t a holy day of obligation here in England and Wales either. For those of us where it’s not a holy day of obligation we don’t have an obligation to go to Mass. Of course, we can still celebrate the feast.