Holy days of obligation: Must the readings be for the feast for the obligation to be met?

[Fone_Bone_2001]

I am curious if a Mass obligation can be met by attendance at a Mass/Liturgy that is for something other than the feast for which the obligation exists.

This Q&A says the answer is yes, the obligation is met. Michelle Arnold quotes canon law - §1 The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated in a Catholic rite either on a holy day itself or on the evening of the previous day (canon 1248) - and asserts that, as it clearly states, you fulfill an obligation merely by attending Mass on that day or the previous evening, even if that Mass has nothing to do with that feast (i.e. a wedding Mass, funeral Mass, Divine Liturgy of a sui iuris eastern Catholic church that does not follow the Roman liturgical calendar, etc.).

It seems - if a holy day of obligation fell on a Saturday - you could even fulfill that obligation by attending a typical parish’s Sunday Vigil Mass according to canon 1248 (although your Sunday obligation would then remain unfulfilled, I’m guessing).

I have, however, read other Catholics assert things like, “The Mass must be the Mass for that feast.” This post from a few years ago even asserts that the USCCB declared that “to satisfy the Holy Day obligation one must attend a Mass with the Holy Day readings.”

Did the USCCB endorse such an interpretation? Or is Michelle Arnold correct? Just wondering and wanting to make sure that if this ever comes up I don’t give anyone false information.

To clarify: I feel silly for asking what seems answered (by the canon law quote), but I remain mildly nervous due to some individuals’ insistence to the contrary. I simply want to make sure there’s not something they know that I don’t.

 

[tbtcom1213]

You meet your obligation of a holy day when you attend Mass on that day or the evening prior. The following Holy days are mandatory in the United States:

1. Immaculate Conception December 08 (even if on Saturday or Monday)
2. Nativity of the Lord December 25 (even if on Saturday or Monday)
3. Mary Mother of God January 01 (precept abrogated if on Saturday of Monday)
4. Ascension Thursday* (*Can be transferred to following Sunday check local diocesan calendar)
5. Assumption of Mary August 15 (precept abrogated if on Saturday or Monday)
6. All Saints November 01 (precept abrogated if on Saturday or Monday)

It doesn’t matter what propers (entrance antiphon, other collects and antiphons etc) or readings are used for that Mass but as long as you hear and assist physically at Mass if possible then you meet your obligation. However at a majority of Masses you attend on any day of obligation the propers and readings will be the same depending on the time of day. You have answered your own question by citing the relevant section in Canon Law.

 

[YoungTradCath]

You just have to attend mass on the Days of Precept. That is, every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation. You may attend a Saturday vigil mass instead of Sunday mass, because technically it is a Sunday mass. As to Holy Days, I believe you must go to mass on the day of the Obligation unless that day has a proper vigil itself (such as Easter with the Easter Vigil). That is to say, you must go to mass on All Saints Day, for example.

 

[MarkThompson]

You just have to attend mass on the Days of Precept. That is, every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation. You may attend a Saturday vigil mass instead of Sunday mass, because technically it is a Sunday mass. As to Holy Days, I believe you must go to mass on the day of the Obligation unless that day has a proper vigil itself (such as Easter with the Easter Vigil). That is to say, you must go to mass on All Saints Day, for example.

No:
Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

 

[YoungTradCath]

What counts as “evening?”

 

[MarkThompson]

What counts as “evening?”

It is not defined. Generally this is taken as being after 4:00 PM, a judgment rooted – if memory serves – in some ruling about when vespers could be celebrated. According to a post in this thread, that was in 1953’s Christus Dominus. There was another lengthy thread about this isue here if you’re interested.

Incidentally, post 23 of that thread contains the following information relevant to the original question in this thread:
The New commentary on the Code of Canon Law by John P. Beal, James A. Coriden, and Thomas J. Green, states on page 1445: “…an afternoon mass before 4:00 PM is not an evening Mass and does not satisfy the obligation. The precept may be satisfied at any Catholic Mass, i.e., not only when the texts are those of the Sunday or holy day. For example, attendance at a wedding Mass after 4:00 on a Saturday fulfills the Sunday obligation.”
Contrary, however, to the first statement in that excerpt, and relevant again to the 4:00 PM question, I know that the cathedral of Las Vegas has an anticipated Mass at 2:30 on Saturday afternoon. (This is apparently to provide for the needs of gaming- and entertainment-industry workers who have to work very long hours on the weekends.) As I said in the first thread I linked above:
I would be inclined to think that the general principle to be divined from this is that a Mass on Saturday is an anticipated Mass for purposes of the Sunday obligation if it is said after 4:00 pm or if the bishop determines that it does.

 

[jimrob]

Attending Mass on a Sunday or Holy day of Obligation satisfies the requirement, even if it is not the Mass of the day.

Attending a vigil Mass in the evening before a Sunday or Holy day of Obligation only satisfies the requirement if it is the appropriate Mass for the following day or the proper vigil Mass where one is provided.

That leaves an interesting situation where a major immovable feast (eg Christmas) falls on a Monday. A vigil Mass on the Sunday evening can satisfy the obligation for the Sunday (right day, wrong Mass) or for the Monday feast (right Mass, wrong day) but not for both.

 

[MarkThompson]

Attending a vigil Mass in the evening before a Sunday or Holy day of Obligation only satisfies the requirement if it is the appropriate Mass for the following day or the proper vigil Mass where one is provided.

Where do people keep coming up with this idea? No.

 

[Digitonomy]

I have, however, read other Catholics assert things like, “The Mass must be the Mass for that feast.” This post from a few years ago even asserts that the USCCB declared that “to satisfy the Holy Day obligation one must attend a Mass with the Holy Day readings.”

I can appreciate your confusion. I hesitate to link to that entire thread, since it was such a font of misinformation, but here it is.

What I think happened there was that one of the USCCB’s liturgists was familiar with questions about what masses were required, and what readings must be used when. For instance, a pastor might ask, “Since we have a vigil mass scheduled at 5pm on Saturday already, can that count as our mass for the Saturday holy day?” Answer: only if the proper holy day readings are used.

However, what masses churches are required to provide is a different question from what masses a Catholic is required to attend, and that’s why the USCCB liturgist’s answer was at odds with most canonists who have studied the question. It’s clear from the canon that the obligation is to attend “a mass” during the specified time, not to attend a mass with particular readings.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I am curious if a Mass obligation can be met by attendance at a Mass/Liturgy that is for something other than the feast for which the obligation exists.

This Q&A says the answer is yes, the obligation is met. Michelle Arnold quotes canon law - §1 The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated in a Catholic rite either on a holy day itself or on the evening of the previous day (canon 1248) - and asserts that, as it clearly states, you fulfill an obligation merely by attending Mass on that day or the previous evening, even if that Mass has nothing to do with that feast (i.e. a wedding Mass, funeral Mass, Divine Liturgy of a sui iuris eastern Catholic church that does not follow the Roman liturgical calendar, etc.).

It seems - if a holy day of obligation fell on a Saturday - you could even fulfill that obligation by attending a typical parish’s Sunday Vigil Mass according to canon 1248 (although your Sunday obligation would then remain unfulfilled, I’m guessing).

I have, however, read other Catholics assert things like, “The Mass must be the Mass for that feast.” This post from a few years ago even asserts that the USCCB declared that “to satisfy the Holy Day obligation one must attend a Mass with the Holy Day readings.”

Did the USCCB endorse such an interpretation? Or is Michelle Arnold correct? Just wondering and wanting to make sure that if this ever comes up I don’t give anyone false information.

To clarify: I feel silly for asking what seems answered (by the canon law quote), but I remain mildly nervous due to some individuals’ insistence to the contrary. I simply want to make sure there’s not something they know that I don’t.

On a holy day of obligation (all Sundays and solemnities of precept) as a Catholic you are obliged to go to Mass. That is the extent of the obligation. You are not obliged to go to a particular Mass but to any Mass. Therefore, the orations, lections, and chants at the Mass at which you fulfill your obligation do not matter.

The obligation can be fulfilled in any sui iuris Eastern, Latin, or Oriental Catholic church. If you fulfil it in an Eastern or Oriental Catholic church, which follow different liturgical calendars, the chants, orations, and lections will certainly not be for the celebration that makes Mass on that day obligatory. In certain circumstances it can be fulfilled at an Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy (again following a different calendar).

You can also fulfil the obligation on the day itself or on the previous evening. So, for a Sunday at anytime within the twenty-fours of the Sunday and anytime on Saturday evening or night (but not Saturday morning or afternoon).

It isn’t possible to get a two-for-one deal. If there are to consecutive holy days of obligation (HoD), e.g. a HoD on Saturday or Monday, you must fulfil both obligations. Therefore, one Mass will not satisfy both.

In summary the propers of the Mass do not matter; it is going to Mass the fulfils the obligation.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Attending Mass on a Sunday or Holy day of Obligation satisfies the requirement, even if it is not the Mass of the day.

Attending a vigil Mass in the evening before a Sunday or Holy day of Obligation only satisfies the requirement if it is the appropriate Mass for the following day or the proper vigil Mass where one is provided.

That leaves an interesting situation where a major immovable feast (eg Christmas) falls on a Monday. A vigil Mass on the Sunday evening can satisfy the obligation for the Sunday (right day, wrong Mass) or for the Monday feast (right Mass, wrong day) but not for both.

You say two contradictory things in this post, which are incorrect and may therefore mislead others viewing this thread. The Church requires us to assist at Mass on all holy days of obligation. That is all Sundays and solemnities of precept. These latter days vary from country to country. The obligation is met by going to Mass. The propers used at the Mass have no effect as to whether or not the obligation is met. The obligation is met by going to Mass on the day itself or on the previous evening. As a Latin (Roman) Catholic you can fulfil the obligation in any Catholic church: Eastern, Latin, or Oriental. As these churches have different calendars you very likely wouldn’t go to a Mass of the particular celebration giving rise to the obligation if you, say, attended a celebration of Mass in an Oriental Catholic Church.

The obligation is to go to Mass; not to a Mass with particular propers.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

What counts as “evening?”

It’s not defined. I believe that each diocesan bishop can decide the earliest time at which Mass in the evening can count for the following day. In the USA it seems to be fixed at 4.00 p.m. In my diocese (and episcopal conference) no ruling has been given as to the earliest time.

 

[ConstantineTG]

The precept is to attend a Catholic Liturgy on the day of or on the evening before the day of obligation. There is no condition on what the reading should be. Note that you can fulfill your obligation in any Catholic Church, including those of Eastern Rites. The readings will definitely be different from Church to Church, Rite to Rite.

 

[FrDavid96]

I am curious if a Mass obligation can be met by attendance at a Mass/Liturgy that is for something other than the feast for which the obligation exists.

This Q&A says the answer is yes, the obligation is met. Michelle Arnold quotes canon law - §1 The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated in a Catholic rite either on a holy day itself or on the evening of the previous day (canon 1248) - and asserts that, as it clearly states, you fulfill an obligation merely by attending Mass on that day or the previous evening, even if that Mass has nothing to do with that feast (i.e. a wedding Mass, funeral Mass, Divine Liturgy of a sui iuris eastern Catholic church that does not follow the Roman liturgical calendar, etc.).

It seems - if a holy day of obligation fell on a Saturday - you could even fulfill that obligation by attending a typical parish’s Sunday Vigil Mass according to canon 1248 (although your Sunday obligation would then remain unfulfilled, I’m guessing).

I have, however, read other Catholics assert things like, “The Mass must be the Mass for that feast.” This post from a few years ago even asserts that the USCCB declared that “to satisfy the Holy Day obligation one must attend a Mass with the Holy Day readings.”

Did the USCCB endorse such an interpretation? Or is Michelle Arnold correct? Just wondering and wanting to make sure that if this ever comes up I don’t give anyone false information.

To clarify: I feel silly for asking what seems answered (by the canon law quote), but I remain mildly nervous due to some individuals’ insistence to the contrary. I simply want to make sure there’s not something they know that I don’t.

This question just keeps coming up.

The precept of the Church is to attend Mass on a Sunday, which includes all the time from Saturday evening (at the time of First Vespers, which is 4 PM) until Sunday night.

The Church makes no stipulation that the readings must match the readings of that particular Sunday–absolutely none.

There are any number of reasons why the readings might be different from those of the actual Sunday. Here is a good example. Let’s say that you attend the installation of a new bishop on a Sunday morning (10 AM) at the cathedral. The readings will not be that of Sunday, but instead the appropriate readings for the installation (or perhaps ordination) of a new bishop. I don’t think that any reasonable person who attends that Mass would have any question that the Mass would fulfill the Sunday obligation.

The choice of readings has nothing to do with whether or not that Mass fulfills the Sunday obligation.

There are Church norms for which readings can be chosen on a Sunday. There are times when the priest-celebrant can choose alternate readings, and there are times when he cannot. Yes, there is an obligation on the part of the priest to make licit choices by following the Church’s liturgical laws.

I believe that the confusion here comes from the Church (meaning first of all local bishops) reminding priests that they must follow the norms in choosing the readings. However, saying that the readings must be correct is not the same as saying that the choice of readings has any bearing on whether or not a Catholic person fulfills the obligation.

 

[OraLabora]

This is an interesting question. There’s a practical application in my case. I normally attend Mass at a Benedictine monastery, the one to which I’m affiliated. Moreover I work far from my home with a very long commute which simply makes attending Mass on a weekday very impractical for me.

Now, in Canada where I live most of the solemnities other than Christmas, Jan. 1, and Easter, are transferred to the following Sunday. So technically I would meet, say, my requirement to attend Epiphany Mass by attending a Sunday parish Mass the following Sunday.

But at the abbey, they always celebrate the feast on the day of the feast, so Epiphany will be always be on January 6th and January 8th this year (Sunday following Epiphany) will be the Baptism of the Lord, which is transferred to the Monday in the diocese but not at the abbey.

As it happens other than Sundays, Christmas day and Jan. 1 there are no other days of obligation in Canada. But the practical reality is that I rarely hear the readings for feasts like Epiphany or Ascension. The other practical reality of this is that my pocket Magnificat missal is not usually correct for Sundays to which a feast has been transferred or for the day from which the feast was transferred; I have to bring my hard-cover missal.

 

[Fone_Bone_2001]

Thanks, everyone. Your answers have confirmed what I thought I had found. I just wanted to make sure that the people who assert otherwise aren’t aware of something that I’m not, but from all the quotations and explanations given, I’m pretty certain that those who assert things like “it must be a Mass for that feast” are just plain 100% mistaken.

Thanks!

 

[puzzleannie]

I am curious if a Mass obligation can be met by attendance at a Mass/Liturgy that is for something other than the feast for which the obligation exists.

This Q&A says the answer is yes, the obligation is met. Michelle Arnold quotes canon law - §1 The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated in a Catholic rite either on a holy day itself or on the evening of the previous day (canon 1248) - and asserts that, as it clearly states, you fulfill an obligation merely by attending Mass on that day or the previous evening, even if that Mass has nothing to do with that feast (i.e. a wedding Mass, funeral Mass, Divine Liturgy of a sui iuris eastern Catholic church that does not follow the Roman liturgical calendar, etc.).
.

the question has been answered with the appropriate canon law citation so there is no need to look at “other Catholic things,” nor to speculate or entertain any anxiety about this question.

 

[Fone_Bone_2001]

the question has been answered with the appropriate canon law citation so there is no need to look at “other Catholic things,” nor to speculate or entertain any anxiety about this question.

Yeah, I know. You’re right.

In my defense, though, I’m not a canon lawyer (or a lawyer of any kind). And I’m aware that snippets of legal documents out of context don’t always mean what they seem to, to untrained eyes. That’s why I wanted to check. Those who were asserting something to the contrary of what I had found seemed so confident… how was I to know for sure, without checking, that they didn’t know something I was unaware of?

 

[Phemie]

It’s not defined. I believe that each diocesan bishop can decide the earliest time at which Mass in the evening can count for the following day. In the USA it seems to be fixed at 4.00 p.m. In my diocese (and episcopal conference) no ruling has been given as to the earliest time.

Every time I’ve seen a reference for ‘evening’ in this context the footnote has always sent me to 1953’s “Christus Dominus” which first allowed Evening Masses but forbid their celebration before 4 pm.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Every time I’ve seen a reference for ‘evening’ in this context the footnote has always sent me to 1953’s “Christus Dominus” which first allowed Evening Masses but forbid their celebration before 4 pm.

I know, with total confidence, that I’ve read somewhere that the decision is left to each diocesan bishop. For example, he could say that a Mass on Saturday doesn’t count for the Sunday obligation unless it’s at 6 p.m. or later. What I cannot remember is where I read it. That also poses the problem: if I can’t remember the source, we don’t know how authoritative that source is.

Last year I emailed my diocesan bishop’s office to ask what the time was in our diocese. They said they didn’t know they had to set a time so they looked into it further. They came back to me and said that neither our diocese nor this country’s bishops’ conference have decided what time on Saturday Masses start to fulfil the Sunday obligation. They also assured me that we have no ruling regarding 4 p.m. I’ve never read “Christus Dominus”. But, doesn’t that set the time for Evening Prayer and it’s been implied that that ought to be the earliest time for Mass on Saturday to count for Sunday’s obligation?