Going to Mass on Aug. 15th?

[Deacon_Tony560]

I noticed that the National Catholic Bishop’s Conference has said that since the Feast of the Assumption of Mary falls on a Monday this year that there will be no obligation. Some of our older parishioners get upset about this and feel that it should continue.

 

[Edwin1961]

Deacon Tony560:

I noticed that the National Catholic Bishop’s Conference has said that since the Feast of the Assumption of Mary falls on a Monday this year that there will be no obligation. Some of our older parishioners get upset about this and feel that it should continue.

I believe in the Eastern Catholic Churches the 15th. is still an obligation for us. I think our pastor was sommenting on it because it is the fourth most important day in our liturgical year behind Pascha, Christmas, Theophany in that order.

 

[Kielbasi]

Some of our older parishioners get upset about this and feel that it should continue.

Why would they be upset about it? There will still be masses on August 15, and they can still attend if they wish.

By “older”, I take it you mean retired, and not nearly as difficult for someone without a job to make it to church on a weekday as opposed to younger folks who need to be at work on the Assumption, an ordinary work day for the majority of people.

 

[Deacon_Tony560]

So far there is no Mass scheduled at our parish. Daily Masses are Tues.-Fri.

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

My parish is Assumption Grotto. We ARE having masses.

In fact, I expect Assumption to be jam-packed for all the events that day.

I do really have a problem with Bishops pushing off Holy Days of obligation like that. All they are doing is playing into the notion that we are all too busy. We need to unbusy ourselves for God and I wish the Bishops would challenge us as such.

 

[patg]

Deacon Tony560:

I noticed that the National Catholic Bishop’s Conference has said that since the Feast of the Assumption of Mary falls on a Monday this year that there will be no obligation. Some of our older parishioners get upset about this and feel that it should continue.

What is the relationship between forcing someone to attend church (under pain of eternal torture) when it is very difficult to do so…

and

Honoring Mary???

Everyone is quite free to attend all the masses they want - what does the threat of a day of obligation do to further our love, devotion, and relationship with God?

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Kielbasi:

Why would they be upset about it? There will still be masses on August 15, and they can still attend if they wish.

By “older”, I take it you mean retired, and not nearly as difficult for someone without a job to make it to church on a weekday as opposed to younger folks who need to be at work on the Assumption, an ordinary work day for the majority of people.

This is a consideration, people have to make a living. However, most places offer Masses at times to accomodate that or a vigil (but I guess not this year, since an anticipatory mass would fall on a Sunday).

 

[Kielbasi]

So far there is no Mass scheduled at our parish. Daily Masses are Tues.-Fri.

Maybe they should, even if its not a holy day of obligation. Many parishes schedule an additional mass on Ash Wednesday yet that’s not a holy day either.

 

[DJMarshall85]

The reason why people get upset is this:

The fact that this is yet another “watering down” in the United States Church. The reason why we have Holy Days of Obligation seperate from Sundays, is to learn more about the lives of certain saints and Christ, and to learn to develop greater devotion. By abrogating the obligation, less and less people learn about these wondeful events in our history. They figure that these events are not that important. Also, I think it is a matter of laziness on the side of some American Roman Catholics. Don’t you think that spending an extra 1 and a 1/2 hours seperate from Sunday, in order to memorialize some great event and worship Our Lord, is worth a little extra trouble? IMHO, I don’t think having to go to work is an excuse, because every Parish I’ve been to already accomodates this. And being too tired from work isn’t an excuse. After all, Jesus went through a lot more suffering for us than just being a little too tired…

Ok, I’ll step off the soap box now.

Pax,
Dean

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

patg:

What is the relationship between forcing someone to attend church (under pain of eternal torture) when it is very difficult to do so…

and

Honoring Mary???

Everyone is quite free to attend all the masses they want - what does the threat of a day of obligation do to further our love, devotion, and relationship with God?

How sad that we have come to a point where people find any Mass a chore or a torture, be it Sunday or Holy Day of obligation. Considering that the Mass is a sacrifice, it just seems fitting that we make a sacrifice for an hour or so in order to participate. Then again, sacrifice has been stuffed into the closet along with talk of sin, devotion, humility, and justice.

As to your comment about honoring Mary. Please consider what Jesus said on the Cross.

When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!"7Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. (John 19: 26-27)

Now lets think about the Mystical Body. St. Louis de Montfort writes about this in his book, True Devotion with regards to Mary. If Christ is the Head of the Mystical Body and we are the members, then technically she too is our Mother. God is the Father, Mary is our Mother and we are the adoptive children. For the members to not come through the mother we would have a head being born, but a dismembered body.

It is the lost sense of devotion to the Blessed Mother that should make it a cause to keep these Holy Days of Obligation in place.

I’m curious, do you understand the Assumption? I didn’t, until recently. I had trouble accepting much of the Marian stuff because of poor catechesis. However, I suspended my judgment and began to explore writings of the church and saints to get a better understanding. Now, I will follow through with the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary that will take place on August 15th according to that prescribed by St. Louis de Montfort.

Here is something from Fr. John A. Hardon on St. Louis de Monfort:

therealpresence.org/archives/Saints/Saints_007.htm

Don’t write off Mary. I almost did and now I am glad I didn’t. I’m only 43 so I can assure you she was never emphasized in my catechism. But, with the devoted people in my parish, young and old, I have learned to sit back and just do that … learn.

 

[Deacon_Tony560]

Amen! Some good points, Dean and Diane.

 

[dumspirospero]

Heck…I always find a way to make it to a Holy Day of Obligation…even at the risk of angering an employer…I don’t consider it a chore or an inconvenience…and I would even be willing to lose my job if need be to make it to Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation…because I firmly believe in “Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven…”

 

[MrS]

Lux_et_veritas:

My parish is Assumption Grotto. We ARE having masses.

In fact, I expect Assumption to be jam-packed for all the events that day.

Assumption Grotto in Detroit???

 

[DJMarshall85]

dumspirospero:

Heck…I always find a way to make it to a Holy Day of Obligation…even at the risk of angering an employer…I don’t consider it a chore or an inconvenience…and I would even be willing to lose my job if need be to make it to Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation…because I firmly believe in “Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven…”

:yup:

I give my principal plenty of warning that we’ll need a substitute, and I try my best to devote Holy Days to the Lord. Even though the principal is not Catholic, he does understand. And it’s against the law to prevent a religious observance of an employee…

Pax,
Dean

 

[kmktexas]

Kielbasi:

Why would they be upset about it? There will still be masses on August 15, and they can still attend if they wish.

By “older”, I take it you mean retired, and not nearly as difficult for someone without a job to make it to church on a weekday as opposed to younger folks who need to be at work on the Assumption, an ordinary work day for the majority of people.

In our parish, some are upset because, even though there is still Mass, it won’t be the Mass for the Assumption, but rather for a weekday in Ordinary time. I haven’t looked yet, but this is what happened with Assension “Thursday”. Our pastor used to recognize the day and offer the “old” Mass of the day but someone complained to the diocese and he isn’t allowed to do that anymore.

BTW, the upset parishioners are all in their 30s and 40s.

Another issue is that on Holy Days (I don’t think there are any this year), there are usually additional Masses, including one on the evening of or the evening before. This gives working people, who often can’t go to Mass during the week, an extra opportunity to assist at Mass. And that’s a good thing.

 

[grammyof3]

I am spending the summer in upstate NY. The local Catholic Church here is down to only one weekday Mass, on Tuesday. The priest has three parishes under his care. There are no Masses scheduled for any Monday. It must be the priest’s day off.

If I can not find a Mass in a neighboring county I will spend time in front of my statue of Our Lady of Grace saying the Rosary and do some Bible reading.

Those of you who still have a Mass to go to, enjoy them and attend…while you still have the chance!

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

MrS:

Assumption Grotto in Detroit???

Yes, do you commute? I know people come from long distances to this parish. I just found it 3 months ago and it is only 15 minutes from my home.

 

[MrS]

Lux_et_veritas:

Yes, do you commute? I know people come from long distances to this parish. I just found it 3 months ago and it is only 15 minutes from my home.

I grew up just a few miles from Grotto…am an hour away now. But we have two great new priests locally… Fr Jeff Njus at St Thomas in Ann Arbor, and Fr Jerry Garonski at Old St Pat’s … both young, zealous, and orthodox… in the mold of Fr Ricardo and Fr Hedges… so I guess I am okay for now…

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Deacon Tony560:

I noticed that the National Catholic Bishop’s Conference has said that since the Feast of the Assumption of Mary falls on a Monday this year that there will be no obligation. Some of our older parishioners get upset about this and feel that it should continue.

They didn’t remove the feast day from the calandar! August 15th is still the Feast of the Assumption. It’s just not a day of Obligation this year.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

kmktexas:

In our parish, some are upset because, even though there is still Mass, it won’t be the Mass for the Assumption, but rather for a weekday in Ordinary time. I haven’t looked yet, but this is what happened with Assension “Thursday”. Our pastor used to recognize the day and offer the “old” Mass of the day but someone complained to the diocese and he isn’t allowed to do that anymore.

BTW, the upset parishioners are all in their 30s and 40s.

Another issue is that on Holy Days (I don’t think there are any this year), there are usually additional Masses, including one on the evening of or the evening before. This gives working people, who often can’t go to Mass during the week, an extra opportunity to assist at Mass. And that’s a good thing.

I don’t think that they can do that because the Solemnity of the Assumption ranks higher than an ordinary weekday. If Mass is said it should be the Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption.