Epiphany? 12 days or 8? What gives?

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ThomasAquinas25

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So Today was Epiphany. So what happened to 12 days after Christmas? Sorry, still new to the Church. :confused:
 
Just a side note…
Yesterday, in the Eastern Catholic rites, we did celebrate the Circumcision of Our Lord. Eastern Catholic Churches STILL celebrate some of the feasts that the West has abandoned. In fact, my pastor says that we celebrate the Christmas season 40 days AFTER Christmas! That would be up to February 2.

God IS with Us!
Edwin
 
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Edwin1961:
Just a side note…
Yesterday, in the Eastern Catholic rites, we did celebrate the Circumcision of Our Lord. Eastern Catholic Churches STILL celebrate
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Every so often I wonder what happened to that feast. It is only recently that I finally seemed to memorize that it is the Mother of God feast now around here (unnnhhhh, actually I had to ask my spouse to be positive).
 
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Edwin1961:
That would be up to February 2.
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Candlemas! AKA The Presentation of the Lord or The Purification of the Blessed Mother. In the East I believe it is called the meeting of Simeon and Anna, can you help out here Edwin. The secular world degrades it to Groundhog day, when really we should be celebrating Christ, “A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:32) For more info, check this site: newadvent.org/cathen/03245b.htm
 
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Edwin1961:
Just a side note…
Yesterday, in the Eastern Catholic rites, we did celebrate the Circumcision of Our Lord. Eastern Catholic Churches STILL celebrate some of the feasts that the West has abandoned.
Click to expand...
Although the Lord’s circumcison is not the focus of the Solemnity, that is what the Gospel mentions, it is the same Gospel passage that was read durring the old solemity. I just see it as a name change, it’s the same in my heart. If you think about this important solemnity, it forshadows Good Friday. For on New Year’s day, Christ gave up part of his flesh and bleed as prequil to what is to come. And who was there wincing as he cried? The blessed Mother, just as she was standing at the Cross lamenting as her son offered himself up for the world. I do not see honoring the Mother of God on New Years day in any way throws out the significance of the Old title, I just see that the Solemnity got a face lift and it honors the blessed mother who brought the Lord to the Rabbi to bleed and be given the name of Salvation.
 
In the UK Epiphany is on the 6th, making this Thursday a day of obligation.

Why is it transferred to the nearest Sunday in the USA? Is it to aid people in practising a half-hearted Catholicism without “inconvenient” things like days of obligation other than Sunday, or is there a good reason?
 
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asteroid:
In the UK Epiphany is on the 6th, making this Thursday a day of obligation.

Why is it transferred to the nearest Sunday in the USA? Is it to aid people in practising a half-hearted Catholicism without “inconvenient” things like days of obligation other than Sunday, or is there a good reason?
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Nope, no good reason that I’m aware of. The excuse of “priest shortages” help the Bishops rationalize the process of eliminating Holy Days of Obligation, imo.

Transferring Holy Days to Sundays really disappoints me- especially Ascension Thursday and Epiphany.

I can live with removing the obligation on those few Holy Days that are left when they fall on Sunday or Monday, though.
 
Psalm45:9:
Candlemas! AKA The Presentation of the Lord or The Purification of the Blessed Mother. In the East I believe it is called the meeting of Simeon and Anna, can you help out here Edwin.
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I know I am not Edwin but I can help you out.

In the East, February 2nd is the Encounter of Our Lord with Simeon.
 
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asteroid:
In the UK Epiphany is on the 6th, making this Thursday a day of obligation.

Why is it transferred to the nearest Sunday in the USA? Is it to aid people in practising a half-hearted Catholicism without “inconvenient” things like days of obligation other than Sunday, or is there a good reason?
Click to expand...
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campion:
Nope, no good reason that I’m aware of. The excuse of “priest shortages” help the Bishops rationalize the process of eliminating Holy Days of Obligation, imo.

Transferring Holy Days to Sundays really disappoints me- especially Ascension Thursday and Epiphany.

I can live with removing the obligation on those few Holy Days that are left when they fall on Sunday or Monday, though.
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You also must realize that the United States is a predominantly Protestant and quasi-Christian country. And so, our civil calendar does not follow the Catholic Calendar. Christmas and New Years Days are bank holidays. Christmas because all denominations celebrate it, New Years just because everyone parties on New Years Eve, anyways, Epiphany has never been a bank holiday. The Bishops felt that having too many Holy Days of obligation in row would cause many people to not come to them. When it comes to Holy Days people sometimes think, “why do I have to go to Mass, when I just did the other day?” Having December 25th and January 1st and 6th be days of obligation was felt to be too much of a burden for the Catholic population. And so, Epiphany was moved to the 2nd Sunday after Christmas. In the Western Part of the United States, Ascension Thursday has been moved to the last Sunday before Pentecost. Corpus Christi has been moved to the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost. The bishops here also decided that if a Holy Day falls on a Saturday or a Monday, then it is no longer a day of obligation, which I personally can’t understand. Christmas Day is the only day that remains an obligation no mater what day of the week it falls on.
 
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