Holy Days of Obligation

[Pete_1]

Does attending a vigil mass fulfill the holy day obligation? e.g can i go to a vigil mass on all saints day to fulfiull the all saints day obligation.

Or do I have to attend a regular mass.

 

[davidv]

Does attending a vigil mass fulfill the holy day obligation? e.g can i go to a vigil mass on all saints day to fulfiull the all saints day obligation.

Or do I have to attend a regular mass.

A vigil Mass always fulfills ones “obligation”.

If a parish makes available a vigil Mass it is the “regular mass”.

 

[scott122]

There is no obligation to attend Mass on All Saints’ Day this year because it falls on a Saturday. The vigil Mass will be the Sunday Mass, not All Saints.

Now how come All Souls’ Day is being celebrated on Sunday? In the past it was moved to Monday when it fell on Sunday.

 

[Pete_1]

There is no obligation to attend Mass on All Saints’ Day this year because it falls on a Saturday. The vigil Mass will be the Sunday Mass, not All Saints.

Now how come All Souls’ Day is being celebrated on Sunday? In the past it was moved to Monday when it fell on Sunday.

I live in Scotland.

 

[Phemie]

A vigil Mass always fulfills ones “obligation”.

If a parish makes available a vigil Mass it is the “regular mass”.

Yes, a Vigil Mass fulfills your obligation.

No, a vigil Mass is not the “regular mass”. An anticipated Mass is the ‘regular Mass’, a true Vigil Mass is a totally different thing from the ‘regular Mass’. I wish we could keep those two terms straight.

Only a few feasts have a Vigil. The rest of the time, the Mass is anticipated on the eve of the feast. Yes, an anticipated Mass fulfills your obligation.

Actually, the way Canon Law reads, any Mass on the evening prior or on the day of the feast fulfills your obligation.

 

[Pete_1]

Yes, a Vigil Mass fulfills your obligation.

No, a vigil Mass is not the “regular mass”. An anticipated Mass is the ‘regular Mass’, a true Vigil Mass is a totally different thing from the ‘regular Mass’. I wish we could keep those two terms straight.

Only a few feasts have a Vigil. The rest of the time, the Mass is anticipated on the eve of the feast. Yes, an anticipated Mass fulfills your obligation.

Actually, the way Canon Law reads, any Mass on the evening prior or on the day of the feast fulfills your obligation.

Thanks, do you have the Canon Law reference?

 

[Phemie]

Thanks, do you have the Canon Law reference?

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.

 

[Pete_1]

Thanks

 

[psr13]

I don’t understand the whole thing of making a holy day of obligation an obligation because it falls on a Saturday. Maybe it’s because I’m new to Catholicism. However, is it really that difficult to go to Mass twice a week?

 

[Chatter163]

Now how come All Souls’ Day is being celebrated on Sunday? In the past it was moved to Monday when it fell on Sunday.

This is a feature of the Ordinary Form, i.e., 1970 missal and kalendar.

It is not a feature of the Extraordinary Form, where it is still moved to Monday this year.:extrahappy:

 

[Pixie_Dust]

I don’t understand the whole thing of making a holy day of obligation an obligation because it falls on a Saturday. Maybe it’s because I’m new to Catholicism. However, is it really that difficult to go to Mass twice a week?

If it falls on a Saturday it is NOT an obligation. I’m pretty new to being Catholic myself so I’m not sure why it’s that way, but I did go to Mass yesterday for All Saints and I will go today as well. I used to be Baptist and went to services Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday or Thursday evening and didn’t think twice about it. I sing in the choir and I’ve occasionally gone to more than one Sunday Mass just to help with the singing. It’s certainly not a problem for me! I wish my schedule allowed me to attend Mass daily.

 

[Phemie]

If it falls on a Saturday it is NOT an obligation. I’m pretty new to being Catholic myself so I’m not sure why it’s that way, but I did go to Mass yesterday for All Saints and I will go today as well. I used to be Baptist and went to services Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday or Thursday evening and didn’t think twice about it. I sing in the choir and I’ve occasionally gone to more than one Sunday Mass just to help with the singing. It’s certainly not a problem for me! I wish my schedule allowed me to attend Mass daily.

We have to remember that there are people from around the world on this site and not all have All Saints as a holy day of obligation (Canada doesn’t) and not all those who DO have it as a HDOO have it abrogated because it fall on either a Saturday or a Monday.

 

[Chatter163]

If it falls on a Saturday it is NOT an obligation.

In the United States this is true, but not necessarily elsewhere. It is up to each bishops’ conference.

 

[Pixie_Dust]

We have to remember that there are people from around the world on this site and not all have All Saints as a holy day of obligation (Canada doesn’t) and not all those who DO have it as a HDOO have it abrogated because it fall on either a Saturday or a Monday.

Sorry, I should have prefaced my comment with “In the US…”

 

[FrDavid96]

Does attending a vigil mass fulfill the holy day obligation? e.g can i go to a vigil mass on all saints day to fulfiull the all saints day obligation.

Or do I have to attend a regular mass.

Pete,

It all comes down to one important question:

Which Mass is the priest celebrating at that particular Mass? In other words, which Mass text is he using? Which prayers and readings? There’s no way that the two could be combined, so it will always be a matter of one-or-the-other.

Take this year for example, Saturday is All Saints, Sunday is All Souls. Let’s say you go to a Saturday evening Mass at 7:00 PM…

If the priest is celebrating the Mass of All Saints (Sat.), then it counts for All Saints, and does not fulfill your Sunday obligation. Nothing else would change that. *

If the priest is celebrating the Mass of All Souls (Sun.), then it counts as a Sunday vigil Mass and you are fulfilling your Sunday obligation, but NOT the obligation to attend All Saints (if such an obligation exists in Scotland).

I suppose we could quote canon and liturgical law, but I don’t think it’s realy necessary, and could lead to confusion. It’s a simple matter of asking which Mass is being celebrated–nothing else matters.
* Now, if the local bishop (or in some circumstances, the pastor) has given a dispensation of some kind, then that changes things considerably. In theory, it's possible for the bishop to give a dispensation from the Sunday obligation for anyone who attends an All Saints Day Mass on Saturday (day or evening) but I don't think that's very likely. Possible, but very unlikely.

 

[agapewolf]

I don’t understand the whole thing of making a holy day of obligation an obligation because it falls on a Saturday. Maybe it’s because I’m new to Catholicism. However, is it really that difficult to go to Mass twice a week?

Maybe can you think of the priests, musicians, and other liturgy people?

How really difficult is it to do 8 masses in one weekend. How bout that question?

 

[FrDavid96]

Maybe can you think of the priests, musicians, and other liturgy people?

How really difficult is it to do 8 masses in one weekend. How bout that question?

A courteous thought. Many Catholics don’t realize how much work does go into a Mass.

But at the same time, “it goes with the job” We do have a moral obligation to celebrate the major feast days. Sometimes they happen on Saturdays or Mondays. But the value of celebrating the feast is not diminished by the amount of work required to make that happen.

 

[FrDavid96]

There is no obligation to attend Mass on All Saints’ Day this year because it falls on a Saturday. The vigil Mass will be the Sunday Mass, not All Saints.

Now how come All Souls’ Day is being celebrated on Sunday? In the past it was moved to Monday when it fell on Sunday.

Scott,
All Souls Day is immovable. Even when it falls on a Sunday, it must be celebrated on Nov. 2.

 

[psr13]

Maybe can you think of the priests, musicians, and other liturgy people?

How really difficult is it to do 8 masses in one weekend. How bout that question?

Well that was worded quite rudely. Um, last time I checked priests were priests. If you are a musician at church or some other type of person there it comes with the territory. It’s not like it happens every weekend. I’m sorry, but I come from a long line of people very involved with Protestant churches. My grandpa works full-time as a social worker in a county he doesn’t live in and is also a counselor. He is at his church every night and every Saturday. It is common for people in Protestant churches to be at church quite often, including the minsters and musicians. I understand that this is a different church, but it just seems strange to a lot of us converts. I realize that it isn’t an obligation in all places, but people didn’t use to have a problem going on this day.

 

[agapewolf]

I wasn’t being rude at all. Its an honest question.

I actually found the question “how hard is it to go to 2 masses in one week” question rude. That is only thinking about your own personal situation and how easy it is for you. Not about anyone else’s situation.

as far as it “comes with the territory” comment. I play at least 4 masses every weekend. Most of the time it is more due to a wedding or a funeral. When Christmas comes on a Saturday or a Monday, it is at LEAST 8 masses in one weekend for me. As in… Saturday night mass, 3 sunday morning, RUN to get lunch, go to a 4 PM christmas eve vigil, dinner, then Midnight mass, get out at 2:30 AM, to be back at my church by 7:30 AM the next morning to do 3 more masses. By then, going to a family function means me sleeping on the couch.

And where do you get the facts to back up the statement that “people didn’t use to have a problem going on this day”? What is this statement based on?