I had said I wasn’t going to post anymore to this thread, but I feel like I need to say something.
FWIW, I’m still not convinced. Every single priest with whom I’ve spoken (now at seven, each from different American seminaries) say that Mass Saturday evening does not work to satisfy the obligation. Now, we could all be wrong. And, none of the priests with whom i’ve spoken are Canon Law experts. I freely admit that I am not an expert in the field. But, basically, it sounds to me like we’re telling the faithful, “Yes, IC is important, but not so important that you actually need to celebrate the feast itself.” The readings may not matter in terms of meeting the obligation, but they very much matter in terms of one’s spirituality and praying with the Church’s liturgy.
I thought the dispute centered around when the solemnity technically ends, as Sundays in Advent trump solemnities. I admit there was real ambiguity there.
If the argument
instead boils down to, “The readings should matter,” then isn’t it clear that Saturday evening
can count for the Immaculate Conception, since canon law is clear that any Mass on the day of obligation satisfies that obligation? (thus the classic example of how a wedding Mass or funeral Mass fulfills a Sunday obligation if on Sunday, etc.)
I mean, I
agree with you - as did Dr. Peters in his first blog post - that it’s ideal if one does assist at a Mass
of the solemnity being celebrated. But what’s ideal and what fulfills an obligation that binds under pain of grave sin are two different matters, right?
After all, I’m technically not violating any precepts of the Church if I go a year in mortal sin, and only then - in time for my “Easter duty” - choose to go to Confession. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been
lax; of course I have, if I do that! Lax
and as foolish as a human being can possibly be…
… but I haven’t technically violated a canonically binding precept, and isn’t
that the question here? Not what is
ideal but what the law
requires?
If so, I for one - as mostly an observer in this debate - am convinced by Dr. Peters, Vico, et al. Their conclusion
doesn’t mean a Catholic who goes to one Saturday evening Mass for the IC obligation, and one Sunday morning Mass, has worshiped with the mind of the Church or in union with his local church. It just means that he
isn’t guilty of the mortal sin of violating the letter of the law of a precept of the Church.
Framed that way, Dr. Peter’s answer seems pretty clear, doesn’t it?
I can absolutely sympathize with people who, through no fault of their own, cannot attend Mass tonight or tomorrow during the day. I get that people have jobs. in some sectors, especially retail, this is the busiest time of the year. But, the whole tone of this thread just strikes me as minimalist. People just seem to be looking to do the least in order to meet their “obligation.”
Take heart. I think most of the people in this thread are just being nerdy and academic in their interest. I think most of us
want to go to Mass for the Immaculate Conception as well as for Sunday.
I, for one, intend to go Saturday morning and Sunday morning, even though I
could, if I wanted to, sleep in tomorrow and do Saturday night and Sunday morning. I’m not doing that, though, because of my own volition I
want to celebrate our Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Conception and am looking forward to doing so with much enthusiasm and delight.
I guess more than anything, I want to challenge those who are reading this thread to get past the mentality that participation at Mass is nothing more than an obligation to be met. It’s much more than that…it is entering into the living prayer of the Church’s liturgy.
A good reminder for all of us indeed. Thank you.
Well, for my part, I have a spouse who NEVER does Obligation Days, so I was kinda hoping that the Vigil Mass would count for both. I am happy to go twice in one day, or one Mass on each day, but if I don’t go to the Vigil Mass, he won’t go at all. I’m not really trying to get out of the obligation but I can see why it would look that way.
Ah, I’m sorry. For the record, I didn’t think it looked like you were trying to get out of the obligation. As I said above, I truly believe that most of this thread’s participants are interested in this question on a theoretical level. From what I can see, we all want to celebrate the Immaculate Conception and are looking forward to doing so, including you.
