Epiphany 2012 on Friday

[Cristiano]

I respectfully disagree. Please give me a little time to make my case:

First of all, SP did not create a new rite of the church. There is one Roman Rite. However, Mass in that Rite can be said in two forms: the ordinary form (Missal of Paul VI) and “an extraordinary form” (Missal of Bl. John XXIII). **The use of the Missal of Bl. John XXIII is the exception, not the rule. ** I do prefer the EF to the OF, but I think it’s a dangerous position to try and pretend that the OF is inferior to the EF or act as if it didn’t exist. It is, after all, the Mass that Pope Benedict celebrates in Rome.

Summorum Pontificum said the old form of the liturgy (Mass, Office, et cetera) was never expressly abrogated and can be used optionally by priests. But just because a priest celebrates using the EF calendar, it does not mean that the ordinary laws of the Roman Rite do not apply to him and/or to his parishioners.

In the United States, the Bishops have said that the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (one of my favorite feast days, by the way) is to be celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and 8. Friday, January 6 is not a solemnity. Friday, January 6 is listed on the USCCB’s website as “Christmas weekday.”

Not being a solemnity, in the United States it is a day of abstinence from meat, although this can be replaced with some other penance in honor of the day Christ was crucified. Since the bishops consider January 6 a normal Friday, the normal rules apply.

If the bishops decided to celebrate Epiphany on January 6, than January 6 would be a solemnity.

This is the ordinary form of the Roman Rite. This is the law of the Roman Rite. Again, just because a priest celebrates using the EF calendar does not mean that the ordinary laws of the Roman Rite do not apply to him and/or to his parishioners.

The traditional Mass and office is an option, it is not the rule of the Roman Rite.

Now I would be the first to support moving Epiphany back to January 6 (and moving Ascension Sunday back to Ascension Thursday while we’re at it). But until this happens, we cannot ignore Church law because it does not comply with our liturgical preferences.

Traditionalist Catholicism is not it’s own Rite in the Church, it is part of the Roman Rite and is thus subject to the laws of the Roman Rite.

Viewing the historical situation in context, the TLM was on death’s door when the Code of Canon Law was written in 1983. Canon Law was obviously using the ordinary expression of the Roman Rite liturgy as the basis for it’s laws regarding the same.

Therefore, I strongly recommend doing a penance on Friday, January 6 along with your Epiphany celebrations. It’s not that hard. Hey, going to Mass when you’re not obliged too might count as a penance, taking care of the whole situation. If you choose to do abstinence, have what you’d have on any other Friday. I love to have a cheese pizza, or baked macaroni, or shrimp, or linguine with clams (not much of a penance now that I think about it). This isn’t an issue worth risking your soul over (not that any exist anyway).

Anyway, enough with my rant. Have a blessed Advent and a merry Christmas season!

BTW, I prefer the TLM and would love to go every week. Now I can only settle for once a month.

This does not sound like a rant at all, at least to me, but more like a well thought out and well explained argument. Thanks for the your feedback.

 

[ConstantineTG]

No; it doesn’t I have long remembered January 6th as being Old Christmas Day

Not all Eastern Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25th.

Yes, we can’t seem to agree what day it is on any given day

You can say one person’s Theophany is another person’s Christmas Eve

 

[OraLabora]

In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, Epiphany is always celebrated on January 6. In the Ordinary Form it is always the Sunday between January 2 and January 9.

No this not correct, in the OF it isn’t related to the form of the Mass but the locale. In the Benedictine abbey I am affiliated with, Epiphany is always celebrated on the 6th yet it’s an OF mass.

What is correct to say is that Epiphany can optionally be moved in the OF. I’m prettty sure in all cloistered orders, and many other orders and congregations, Epiphany is celebrated on the 6th. And nothing prevents a bishop from ordering it celebrated on the 6th in his diocese.

 

[Paxvobis]

No this not correct, in the OF it isn’t related to the form of the Mass but the locale. In the Benedictine abbey I am affiliated with, Epiphany is always celebrated on the 6th yet it’s an OF mass.

What is correct to say is that Epiphany can optionally be moved in the OF. I’m prettty sure in all cloistered orders, and many other orders and congregations, Epiphany is celebrated on the 6th. And nothing prevents a bishop from ordering it celebrated on the 6th in his diocese.

Religious orders, such as the Benedictines, can vary from the norm. They don’t exist within regular diocesan structures (correct me if I’m wrong). I should have mentioned that I was speaking in general terms.

 

[OraLabora]

Religious orders, such as the Benedictines, can vary from the norm. They don’t exist within regular diocesan structures (correct me if I’m wrong). I should have mentioned that I was speaking in general terms.

Be that as it may, Epiphany is still Jan. 6 in the General Roman Calendar. I believe it is moved at the behest of the local conference of bishops, it’s not the other way around. Therefore in the OF it is quite possible to celebrate it on the 6th depending on locale.

 

[Paxvobis]

Be that as it may, Epiphany is still Jan. 6 in the General Roman Calendar. I believe it is moved at the behest of the local conference of bishops, it’s not the other way around. Therefore in the OF it is quite possible to celebrate it on the 6th depending on locale.

Yes, you’re right.

Be that as it may, the norm as decided by the U.S. episcopal conference is the Sunday between January 2 and 8.

 

[dochawk]

Theophany, “appearance of God”, one of the 12 Great Feasts commemorates Christ’s baptism in the River Jordan by the Forerunner and Evangelist John. It’s really not the same feast as what the Latin Church celebrates as Epiphany which has become strongly tied to the Magi in the West.

As with many things, same point, different emphasis. Father covered this yesterday

Theo, God; phantom, manifestation.

Theoponny includes the baptism & “This is my begotten Son,”’ the visit of the Magi, and other manifestations. The East focuses on the baptism, while the west has come to focus on the Magi, but the origin of the feasts is the same.

Not all Eastern Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25th.

Yes they do; there is simply a dispute as to when that day occurs.

January 5 will always be a day of fasting because its the eve of a Great Feast.

Unless it falls on a Sunday . . .

hawk

 

[ConstantineTG]

Unless it falls on a Sunday . . .

There is fasting from the Vespers of the Feast until the Divine Liturgy on the Feast Day itself, I believe.

 

[w_s_s]

This does not sound like a rant at all, at least to me, but more like a well thought out and well explained argument. Thanks for the your feedback.

Yes, it is a nice argument. Unfortunately it fails to recognize the practical fact that all traditional societies will be celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family on Jan 8, and not Epiphany (*). So a seemingly logical argument based on what seems to be the law simply fails to hold up when compared to reality. So why is that?

I’m not an expert, so I can only make a non-authoritative guess. And my guess is that the presumption is that the EF calendar is simply a different animal than the OF calendar and, for the same reason that, for example, the feast of the Holy Family is not celebrated within the octave of Christmas in the EF, so also Epiphany is not transferred.

 

[TrueLight]

All I know is that we celebrated Epiphany yesterday and I received my first blessed chalk!

 

[PhilOSophia]

I now attend the TLM. Epiphany has always been on the 6th January. So I had a bacon sandwich.

It doesn’t make sense to fast on that day. As a child, I always knew it was a special day. I think St. Francis said “only a devil would fast on a feast day”.

I understand they transfer feasts to make it easier for people to get to Mass. I think transferring the feast of the three kings is a convenience too far. It messes with the symbolism and the natural seasons of the Church.

Personally, I’ve had enough of ‘Convenience Catholicism’. I think the less you do the lazier you become.

 

[5Loaves]

It doesn’t make sense to fast on that day. As a child, I always knew it was a special day. I think St. Francis said “only a devil would fast on a feast day”.

I have to remember this quote.
I was so confused on yesterday, Friday, which was the Feast of Theophany for us, a major Feast and our wall calendar said “strict fast” but white, not fasting pink, which made no sense to me. (The white not fasting pink made perfect sense on the Feast.) My son pointed out that “strict fast” is in *italics * indicating Old Calendar for those for whom today is the Nativity of Christ, so yesterday was the strict fast of the Eve of the Nativity. Silly me! :doh2:

I had a milk shake. Fridays are generally no dairy, meat, eggs for us. I don’t miss the meat but I miss the dairy.

 

[TrueLight]

So I have chalk on my door and my kids think it makes us look like weirdos.

 

[w_s_s]

So I have chalk on my door and my kids think it makes us look like weirdos.

I’ll bet you did it like this: 20+C+M+B+12
Instead of like this: MM+C+M+B+XII

Maybe that’s why they say that

 

[Smugleaf]

Liturgically in some countries, the Solemnity of the Epiphany is celebrated on the Sunday after the Epiphany, however it is still on the calendar as January 6th, in some countries it is still a Holy Day of Obligation to attend on that day (and in fact in the Old Rite Calendar, it would be, as no feasts in the Old Calendar are moved to Sunday), countries like the US and the UK the Bishops conference has moved it to the Sunday after.

However to answer your question, IIRC a solemnity takes precedence over the Friday penance (Abstaining from meat), and the penitential obligation is therefore abrogated, and to be treated as a feast day.

Came here to say this. It’s always on the 6th in Poland, for example, because it’s understood that most businesses will be closed so people will not have to work. I’d imagine it’s moved to the Sunday in some countries where obtaining a work-free day due to what is essentially a religious celebration might not be as easy or convenient.

And yes, solemnity takes precedence.

I’ll bet you did it like this: 20+C+M+B+12
Instead of like this: MM+C+M+B+XII

Maybe that’s why they say that

My family always did C+M+B+Year. Is that wrong?

 

[Paxvobis]

So I have chalk on my door and my kids think it makes us look like weirdos.

If being Catholic makes me a weirdo, than I’m definitely a weirdo.

I feel disconnected from the rest of the trads because I’m celebrating Epiphany today in stead of last Friday. I only go to the EF once a month.

Did you sprinkle your home with Holy Water?

 

[porthos11]

I now attend the TLM. Epiphany has always been on the 6th January. So I had a bacon sandwich.

It doesn’t make sense to fast on that day. As a child, I always knew it was a special day. I think St. Francis said “only a devil would fast on a feast day”.

I understand they transfer feasts to make it easier for people to get to Mass. I think transferring the feast of the three kings is a convenience too far. It messes with the symbolism and the natural seasons of the Church.

Personally, I’ve had enough of ‘Convenience Catholicism’. I think the less you do the lazier you become.

While I wouldn’t point an accusing finger, I wouldn’t have omitted Friday penance on this basis. Regardless of what Mass we prefer (I attend the Extraordinary Form almost exclusively), the Code of Canon law currently in effect is that of 1983, and the Calendar it uses is that of the Ordinary Form. If Epiphany at the Ordinary Form was on Jan 6th this year, then Friday penance is lifted. If it was moved to Sunday where you live, then Friday Jan 6th was a ferial day of Christmas, and Friday penance was in effect.

This is just my layman’s understanding (sufficient to guide my own decisions pertaining to that day). I don’t know how canon lawyers will eventually try to reconcile the two Calendars for the purposes of legislation.

 

[5Loaves]

My family always did C+M+B+Year. Is that wrong?

This Bulletin Insert article on Epiphany Chalk by Paul Turner is what I use with our RCIA. He gives it as 20+C+M+B+12. It’s just a pious practice, I’m sure it isn’t “wrong” to do it the way you do it. Such practices usually have variations. Hey, I like w s s’s Roman numeral thing!

So I have chalk on my door and my kids think it makes us look like weirdos.

TrueLight: I’m sure there’s more than chalk on your door making you look like weirdos-- in the best possible way.

 

[TrueLight]

I’ll bet you did it like this: 20+C+M+B+12
Instead of like this: MM+C+M+B+XII

Maybe that’s why they say that

Yes, you got me. I did.

Either way, chalk writing on your door in something that looks likes you’re adding numbers or some sort of formula involving Roman numerals, looks like weird stuff.

Did you sprinkle your home with Holy Water?

No, I didn’t. Was I supposed to do that too?

TrueLight: I’m sure there’s more than chalk on your door making you look like weirdos-- in the best possible way.

Like what? I look pretty normal. I think.

 

[ProVobis]

I just got back from the EF of the Mass and I bought a calendar for the next year. If I look at the solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord, there is a fish next to it because it is on a Friday. Am I missing something or is it wrong? Abstinence during a solemnity?

I know that in the Byzantine Church the abstinence is moved to Thursday.

Same thing for the Solemnity Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 15th and for the Solemnity of St. Peter & Paul on June 29th (In the Byzantine Church looks like it is still a day of abstinence).

I attended an EF at noon and a Maronite liturgy at 7 pm. You mean I could have eaten a hamburger in the evening?