Obligation abrogated and day of rest?

[Serafino]

Hello all.

In the United States, since today is a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass today (The Solemnity of the Assumption) has been abrogated.

I know you are not supposed to do work on Sundays and other holy days, but if the obligation to attend Mass is abrogated, as it is today in the US, do we still have to abstain from doing work? (i.e. If I wanted to work on a project for school today when I have more time this week to finish it would it go against the thing about ‘abstaining from work on Sundays and other holy days’?)

Thanks.

 

[Catholic1954]

You do not have to abstain from any work today, this is just another Monday. It would be nice if you could make it to Mass anyway, but there is no obligation for that this year.

 

[AveMaria12]

You mean Americans aren’t supposed to work on days of obligation? I’m just curious because I’m Canadian and I’ve always did school work on solemnities.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

You mean Americans aren’t supposed to work on days of obligation? I’m just curious because I’m Canadian and I’ve always did school work on solemnities.

Well, I’m American, and never, not once, not ever, have I ever heard it preached or taught that the “day of rest” provisions applied to Holy Days of Obligation, which normally occur during the regular work week, Christmas and New Years being exceptions of course.

 

[EasterJoy]

What an excellent question.

My grandfather used to shut down his business on Holy Days; this would have been up through the 1970s. They were treated just like a Sunday in our family and by fellow parishioners.

School wasn’t let out, though. School work and other book work was not considered “servile work”; it could be done on a Sunday or a Holy Day. Of course the cows had to be milked and food had to be cooked and dishes done, irrigation lines moved, that sort of thing. No harvesting that could reasonably wait, but the crops that might be lost could be gathered in.