Missing Ash Wednesday

[Montie_Claunch]

Ash Wensday I had forgotten to go to mass. When I remeber it at first I was only mildly annoyed for forgetting. Then it stuck me, Is Ash Wensday a Holy Day of Obligation and I just really messed up. Does anyone know and could tell me if I need to take this to confession? Thanks and God bless.

 

[puzzleannie]

no it is not a holy day of obligation no sin no foul
if you genuinely forgot to fast and abstain, choose another day for those disciplines.

 

[teachccd]

Ash Wensday I had forgotten to go to mass. When I remeber it at first I was only mildly annoyed for forgetting. Then it stuck me, Is Ash Wensday a Holy Day of Obligation and I just really messed up. Does anyone know and could tell me if I need to take this to confession? Thanks and God bless.

Nope. Your good. It’s funny how we had to close a street for those receiving ashes but we never have to do that for Mass. Makes me wonder sometimes…

 

[Holland]

Nope. Your good. It’s funny how we had to close a street for those receiving ashes but we never have to do that for Mass. Makes me wonder sometimes…

No kidding! I was out of town on Ash Wednesday but managed to go to Mass and get my ashes. It was one of 5 masses said that day and this was in a small town. Where all these people came from was a mystery to me but it was good.

 

[otjm]

Even if it was a Holy Day of obligation, you would not have to go to confession, as you only have to confess sins. Failing to do a required act (go to Mass) because you forgot what day it was, or you forgot that it was an obligatory day is not a sin.

A sin requires serious matter (Ash Wednesday isn’t), knowledge that it is a serious matter (you can’t have that about Ash Wednesday), and intent. Forgetting is not intent. You would have to intend to not go, which is not what happened.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

A&P Catholics [Ashes and Palms] come whenever there is something being given away for free.

 

[tee_eff_em]

I thought that Ash Wednesday is a holy day of obligation.

???

No, it is not. cf recent thread: [thread=136603]Ash Wednesday[/thread]

(But: You are by no means alone in holding this mistaken belief)

tee

 

[tee_eff_em]

I stand corrected! Thank you.

How are holy days of obligation decided?

By the Holy See and the Episcopal Conferences universally, and by the Ordinary for individual occasions.

Can. 1244 §1 Only the supreme ecclesiastical authority can establish, transfer or suppress holydays or days of penance which are applicable to the universal Church, without prejudice to the provisions of Can. 1246 §2.
§2 Diocesan Bishops can proclaim special holydays or days of penance for their own dioceses or territories, but only for individual occasions.
…
Can. 1246 §1 The Lord’s Day, on which the paschal mystery is celebrated, is by apostolic tradition to be observed in the universal Church as the primary holyday of obligation. In the same way the following holydays are to be observed: the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, the feast of Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, the feast of St Joseph, the feast of the Apostles SS Peter and Paul, and the feast of All Saints.
§2 However, the Episcopal Conference may, with the prior approval of the Apostolic See, suppress certain holydays of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

tee