Days of obligation

[Anastasia13]

My Orthodox priest told me that we (Armenian Orthodox) come when we can as we can rather than the Roman days of obligation. I gather it is some kind of sin for a Catholic to miss mass. Do Eastern Catholics have days of obligation like the Romans do? What kind of sin is it? If you do not have an Eastern Catholic church near you all the time, do you have to attend a Western mass like a Roman mass?

 

[Molokai_fire]

Hi
As a catholic you should attend mass EVERY Sunday of the year as well as Mary Mother of God, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Corpus Christi, Assumption of Mary, All Saints Day,Immaculate Conception and Christmas mass if not midnight mass.
Remember that the Mass is a beautiful and Holy Celebration that should be attended with a full knowledge and reverence. Don’t side-line Mass as a ‘maybe’, it is a ‘must’. Attend an Armenian Church if there is one near by, if not go to a Roman Catholic Church. You may notice some differences, but both are liturgically accurate and recognized as authentic.
P.S. Make a big deal out of being Catholic, if you do others will follow.
God Bless

 

[Aramis]

It is a grave sin to miss divine worship on the great feasts and sundays without just cause.

My pastor’s definition of just cause includes weather bad enough that schools are closed for weekday holy days, and equivalently bad for sundays. It also includes any serious illness or injury. It also includes incarceration, required to work, or unable to physically get to a parish within safe and reasonable travel.

When we miss, we are supposed to say the hours and read the readings as a family.

Since this is the same as his prior 3 predecessors…

 

[theistgal]

Hi
As a catholic you should attend mass EVERY Sunday of the year as well as Mary Mother of God, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Corpus Christi, Assumption of Mary, All Saints Day,Immaculate Conception and Christmas mass if not midnight mass.
Remember that the Mass is a beautiful and Holy Celebration that should be attended with a full knowledge and reverence. Don’t side-line Mass as a ‘maybe’, it is a ‘must’. Attend an Armenian Church if there is one near by, if not go to a Roman Catholic Church. You may notice some differences, but both are liturgically accurate and recognized as authentic.
P.S. Make a big deal out of being Catholic, if you do others will follow.
God Bless

The OP is Armenian Orthodox, not a Catholic, and therefore does not have the same obligation to “make a big deal out of being Catholic”.

To the OP: Orthodox (and Eastern Catholics btw) do not see the “obligation” in the same way - the DL and other services (Vespers, Matins, etc.) are spiritual medicine and you are taught to desire them and take them as often as you possibly can. (FWIW that’s also the view in Western monasticism.)

My understanding, however, is that even in Orthodoxy you may be considered “excommunicated” if you do not attend at least 3 Sundays in a row. (You may want to verify that with your priest. )

 

[Zekariya]

For those who want an Eastern Catholic list:

CCEO Canon 880
3. Holy days of obligation common to all the Eastern Churches, beyond Sundays, are the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Dormition of the Holy Mary Mother of God and the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul except for the particular law of a Church sui iuris approved by the Apostolic See which suppresses a holy days of obligation or transfers them to a Sunday.

My understanding, however, is that even in Orthodoxy you may be considered “excommunicated” if you do not attend at least 3 Sundays in a row. (You may want to verify that with your priest. )

I know this is true for the Eastern Orthodox Church.

 

[theistgal]

For those who want an Eastern Catholic list:

CCEO Canon 880
3. Holy days of obligation common to all the Eastern Churches, beyond Sundays, are the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Dormition of the Holy Mary Mother of God and the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul except for the particular law of a Church sui iuris approved by the Apostolic See which suppresses a holy days of obligation or transfers them to a Sunday.

I know this is true for the Eastern Orthodox Church.

It may be true but once again, the normal practice for EOs when discerning this type of information is to contact their priest.

 

[Zekariya]

It may be true but once again, the normal practice for EOs when discerning this type of information is to contact their priest.

I realize that. There are always circumstances that have a play in these things.

 

[dzheremi]

My understanding, however, is that even in Orthodoxy you may be considered “excommunicated” if you do not attend at least 3 Sundays in a row. (You may want to verify that with your priest. )

According to my priest, this is a “rule” of the Byzantines, not us. I would think that the Armenians are with us in this, but I don’t know for sure. There is an Ethiopian man who comes to our liturgy (with his family sometimes) only about 3-4 times a year because he lives in another state and we are apparently the closest OO church to him, but still about 6 hours away. Obviously with a family of several young children, a wife, and a job, it is not possible to attend more often than he already does. In the ~1.5 years I’ve been attending, I have seen him maybe 5 times. There is no sign whatsoever that he is ever in trouble upon showing up, but rather he and his family are welcomed with open arms as dear friends and family in the faith.

I have also attended my first liturgy yesterday in about 2 months (because I have been out of state, in an area of California with no OO churches), and was not excommunicated or in any way prevented from approaching the chalice.

 

[Zekariya]

According to my priest, this is a “rule” of the Byzantines, not us.

You are correct. I’ve only encountered this rule in EO Churches not OO Churches.

 

[5Loaves]

To the OP: Orthodox (and Eastern Catholics btw) do not see the “obligation” in the same way - the DL and other services (Vespers, Matins, etc.) are spiritual medicine and you are taught to desire them and take them as often as you possibly can. (FWIW that’s also the view in Western monasticism.)

According to my priest, this is a “rule” of the Byzantines, not us. I would think that the Armenians are with us in this, but I don’t know for sure. There is an Ethiopian man who comes to our liturgy (with his family sometimes) only about 3-4 times a year because he lives in another state and we are apparently the closest OO church to him, but still about 6 hours away. Obviously with a family of several young children, a wife, and a job, it is not possible to attend more often than he already does. In the ~1.5 years I’ve been attending, I have seen him maybe 5 times. There is no sign whatsoever that he is ever in trouble upon showing up, but rather he and his family are welcomed with open arms as dear friends and family in the faith.

I have also attended my first liturgy yesterday in about 2 months (because I have been out of state, in an area of California with no OO churches), and was not excommunicated or in any way prevented from approaching the chalice.

In situations such as you describe (lack of access to a priest), or if a Catholic is unable to attend Mass due to illness, care of someone who requires their care, and perhaps other impediments I’m not immediately recalling, the “Sunday Obligation” is dispensed.

Catholics under the Canons of both the Latin Church and the Eastern Churches may attend an Orthodox Church and may receive Holy Eucharist there is the Orthodox priest will commune them. However, again, if one does not have access to a Catholic priest then the “obligation” is dispensed.

CCEO Canon of the Eastern Catholic Churches: Canon 671 §2. If necessity requires it or genuine spiritual advantage suggests it and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is permitted for Catholic Christian faithful, for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers, in whose Churches these sacraments are valid. [This means any valid Orthodox Church.]

CIC Canons of the Latin Church: Can.844 §2. Whenever necessity requires it or true spiritual advantage suggests it, and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism is avoided, the Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister are permitted to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid.

 

[theistgal]

Catholics under the Canons of both the Latin Church and the Eastern Churches may attend an Orthodox Church and may receive Holy Eucharist there is the Orthodox priest will commune them. However, again, if one does not have access to a Catholic priest then the “obligation” is dispensed.

I would be very cautious about saying this. Some Catholics seem to think that Orthodox priests are obligated to give them the Eucharist or other Sacraments simply because the Catholic Church has told them that’s permissible. It is not ordinarily permissible from the Orthodox standpoint!

And please keep in mind - it is perfectly OK to attend a Liturgy or Mass without receiving the Eucharist! The obligation is to attend, not to receive!

 

[5Loaves]

I would be very cautious about saying this. Some Catholics seem to think that Orthodox priests are obligated to give them the Eucharist or other Sacraments simply because the Catholic Church has told them that’s permissible. It is not ordinarily permissible from the Orthodox standpoint.

Thank you for indirectly pointing out my significant typo in that sentence, which ought to have read “and may receive Holy Eucharist there IF (not “is”) the Orthodox priest will commune them.”

A Catholic should never have that expectation and it’s very sad when such ignorance, and arrogance, would lead one to think there is ever any obligation for an Orthodox priest to commune them. Certainly we know, I and others here know, of circumstances where Catholics are offered Penance and Eucharist by an Orthodox priest because the priest has made that decision for a specific need.

 

[Vico]

…If you do not have an Eastern Catholic church near you all the time, do you have to attend a Western mass like a Roman mass?

Yes, the obligation is fulfilled only in a Catholic church.