Questions about 'Sunday obligation' from the outside

[midori]

In other cultures, you had a priestly class. Common people wouldn’t participate in the daily sacrifices or the temple activities. If they had a problem, they might come by for a special prayer, or they might participate in religious festivities, but they were usually extremely limited in how far they could penetrate into the sacred grounds.

Even amongst the Israelites, they were supposed to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, but only one of the Tribes was called upon to serve in a liturgical kind of way.

We, on the other hand, as Catholics, participate in the priesthood of Christ and partake in his sacrifice. So the community of believers is, by its nature, priestly. At the same time, you have the ministerial/hierarchical priesthood, which is the Ordained priesthood— but there’s still the common priesthood of believers. So that’s why it’s important to come together in community, each in our own way, according to our state in life.

So we’re not merely the audience, but we’re active participants, even though our participation differs greatly from that of the ordained priest.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

In all honesty, I find the term “Sunday obligation” to be a bit demeaning, as though we are all spiritual guttersnipes who wouldn’t bother with going to Mass unless the Church bound us canonically under pain of mortal sin. Nevertheless, the fact remains, we must go to Mass on Sunday (unless reasonably excused) both to fulfill the divine mandate and to comply with canon law.

The Council of Elvira (300) decreed: “If anyone in the city neglects to come to church for three Sundays, let him be excommunicated for a short time so that he may be corrected” (xxi).

I could actually get behind something like this. If I’m not mistaken, this is still the practice of the Orthodox Church.

 

[Kitsa]

What was the reason for enacting it? Is it effective in increasing church attendance?

As someone else said, yes, there probably is an increase based on the fact that it’s an obligation, but I don’t think that the increase in attendance is the direct purpose for the rule having been made in the first place, but rather an effect of it - an intended effect, but nonetheless only an effect.

The difference seems to lie in whether you see the Sunday obligation as something instituted by the Catholic Church or by God Himself. The Catholic Church sees Sunday worship as an obligation dating back to Biblical times (“Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day” in the 10 commandments). The Church does have the authority to define what exactly that requirement is and what specific day it falls on, but the existence of the requirement comes from a higher source.

From others’ posts, it does sound like there was a point at which the Church formalized the requirement (likely because there had been misunderstandings surrounding it - this is often how Church teachings get officially defined: they’re generally understood for a long time, but then someone starts arguing against them and an official clarification is made), but I don’t think there was ever a point at which the Church said, “Darn, people aren’t coming enough… maybe if we make them come, they will.” As you pointed out, many Catholics still don’t come regularly - and I think, as others have already pointed out, that that’s due mainly to their lack of recognition of what the obligation really means, leading to a feeling that it really is “just another rule” that the Church made up.

 

[midori]

The history of Sunday as history manadatory. Seems to be with. Empire constine in about 325ad.
Where he declared Sunday as the day of worship and the jewish Saturday void. and all the jewish Holy days no longer necessary. And a law against it.

Mmm, I don’t think so.
Remember that all of the earliest followers of Christ were Jews who recognized that their Messiah had come.
But during the early years, as pagans also became followers of Christ, the question became-- Do converts need to first become Jews before they can become Christian?
You can see this in Acts of the Apostles, where there was the question about whether Christians, whether of Jewish or pagan origin, had to observe the cultural aspects of Judaism, such as dietary restrictions and circumcision. It was a big topic. And ultimately, it was determined that Christianity wasn’t the same as Judaism, but was rather its fulfillment, and the Old Covenant had been replaced by the New. The moral stuff stays; the cultural stuff not so much.
The Jews recognized Saturday as their Sabbath because that was the day God rested. The Christians, on the other hand, recognized Sunday as their Sabbath because it was the day of the Resurrection.
So the two days are both official Sabbaths, but Constantine merely chose one of them as the official Roman Empire day of rest, rather than “declaring the Jewish Saturday void and all the Jewish Holy Days no longer necessary,” since he had only secular authority.
But it’s not like Constantine is changing anything internally with the Christians (or the Jews). It’s obvious from Acts that the early Christians already recognized Sunday as their Sabbath-- for example, in Acts–

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

and in 1 Corinthians–

Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.

And it’s good to keep in mind what was said in Romans—

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

If this rule was designed to increase attendance i think it has been a failure – as I steadily see dwindling numbers in the pews. God bless our elderly Catholic Christians, because w/o them, the RCC in the USA might actually fold.

It amazes me to see this as Christians used to be fed to lions and had to practice their faith underground. Now we have Churches on every corner and nobody really seems interested in going. Do we really love God or are we keeping our lives for ourselves as Jesus warned against? I’d ask the same about protestant Christianity as their numbers are dropping as well.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I would note that just because numbers are dwindling where you are doesn’t mean they are dwindling everywhere.

Last Sunday and the Sunday before I was at standing-room-only Sunday Masses and stood through both of them.

The daily Mass at the local Newman Center has moved to a bigger worship space because all last year the attendance was mostly overflowing the chapel, and they added a Friday Mass which they didn’t have before.

There are likely to be individual parishes where a lot of the Catholics have moved out of the area leaving only old people still there and that’s where you frequently see lower attendance.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

This is about attendance, not belonging to a church.
Plenty of people, Catholics and non-Catholics, “belong to a church” for decades but only attend once or twice a year.
It’s also been that way for many decades, it’s not a new thing.

 

[Wannano]

If this rule was designed to increase attendance i think it has been a failure – as I steadily see dwindling numbers in the pews. God bless our elderly Catholic Christians, because w/o them, the RCC in the USA might actually fold.

It amazes me to see this as Christians used to be fed to lions and had to practice their faith underground. Now we have Churches on every corner and nobody really seems interested in going. Do we really love God or are we keeping our lives for ourselves as Jesus warned against? I’d ask the same about protestant Christianity as their numbers are dropping as well.

Really good questions. Questions we have to each individually ask of ourselves even if our particular church building is full every service.

I have wondered from time to time how different those underground secret services would have been compared to modern practice.

 

[1ke]

In previous decades they used to put a chapel for Mass right in the airport so even if you were flying on Sunday you had a Mass right there. Sadly they don’t do that anymore.

Actually, they do.

I flew to DC last Sunday through Charlotte and they announced mass in the chapel over the intercom. I didn’t have a sufficient layover to attend, and I went on Saturday anyway, but they did have a traveller’s mass.

I also know the airports I travel in most frequently definitely have mass. DFW airport has a 10 am Sunday mass. In Chicago O’Hare they have daily mass at 11:30 and lots of Sunday: 6:30, 9:00, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.; Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

 

[SetInMotion]

The history of Sunday as history manadatory. Seems to be with. Empire constine in about 325ad.
Where he declared Sunday as the day of worship and the jewish Saturday void. and all the jewish Holy days no longer necessary. And a law against it.
It was taking the Sabbath day 4th out of the 10 commandants. And replacing with the sun worship. Day. To. the satisfaction of the pagan belief.

Interesting that the SDA kind da teach it is a sin to replace a command of God. With a man’s commandment.

It wasn’t Constantine. It was Sylvester:

Latin:

“… Similiter et feriae a fando dicuntur, ob quam causam Silvester papa primus apud Romanos constituit ut dierum nomina quae antea secundum nomina deorum suorum vocabant, id est, Solis, Lunae, Martis, Mercurii, Veneris, Saturni, feria deinceps vocarent, id est, prima feria, secunda feria, tertia feria, quarta feria, quinta feria, sexta feria, quia in principio Genesis scriptum est quod Deus per singulos dies dixerit : prima, Fiat Lux; secunda, Fiat firmamentum; tertia, Producat terra herbam virentem, similiter, etc. Sabbatum autem antiquo legis vocabulo vocare praecepit, et primam feriam diem Dominicam, eo quod Dominus in illa resurrexit. Statuit autem idem papa ut otium sabbati magis in diem Dominicam transferretur, ut ea die a terrenis operibus ad laudandum Deum vacaremus, justa illud quod scriptum est : Vacate et videte, quoniam ego sum Deus (Psal. XLV) . …” - Beati Rabani Mauri, Fuldensis Abbatis et Moguntini Archiepiscopi, de Clericorum Institutione, ad Heistulphum Archiepiscopum; Libri Tres. (Anno 819.) Ad Fratres Fuldenses Epigramma Ejusdem; Liber Secundus, Caput XLVI. Column 361 (Left; PDF page 35) - http://www.documentacatholicaomnia....eistulphum_Archiepiscopum_Libri_Tres,_MLT.pdf

Translated English:

"… Pope Sylvester first among the Romans ordered that the names of the days [of the week], which they previously called after the name of their gods, that is, [the day] of the Sun, [the day] of the Moon, [the day] of Mars, [the day] of Mercury, [the day] of Jupiter, [the day] of Venus, [the day] of Saturn, they should call feriae thereafter, that is the first feria, the second feria, the third feria, the fourth feria, the fifth feria, the sixth feria, because that in the beginning of Genesis it is written that God said concerning each day: on the first, “Let there be light:; on the second, “Let there be a firmament”; on the third, “Let the earth bring forth verdure”; etc. But he [Sylvester] ordered [them] to call the Sabbath by the ancient term of the law, [to call] the first feria the [false] “Lord’s day,” because on it the Lord rose [from the dead], Moreover, the same pope decreed that the rest of the Sabbath should be transferred rather to the [false] Lord’s day [Sunday], in order that on that day we should rest from worldly works for the praise of God .7 …” - http://biblelight.net/sylvester-I.htm

 

[HomeschoolDad]

"… Pope Sylvester first among the Romans ordered that the names of the days [of the week], which they previously called after the name of their gods, that is, [the day] of the Sun, [the day] of the Moon, [the day] of Mars, [the day] of Mercury, [the day] of Jupiter, [the day] of Venus, [the day] of Saturn, they should call feriae thereafter, that is the first feria, the second feria, the third feria, the fourth feria, the fifth feria, the sixth feria, because that in the beginning of Genesis it is written that God said concerning each day: on the first, “Let there be light:; on the second, “Let there be a firmament”; on the third, “Let the earth bring forth verdure”; etc. But he [Sylvester] ordered [them] to call the Sabbath by the ancient term of the law, [to call] the first feria the [false] “Lord’s day,” because on it the Lord rose [from the dead], Moreover, the same pope decreed that the rest of the Sabbath should be transferred rather to the [false] Lord’s day [Sunday], in order that on that day we should rest from worldly works for the praise of God .7 …” - http://biblelight.net/sylvester-I.htm

For what it’s worth, on European calendars, Monday is the first day of the week, and Sunday is the seventh. Makes for some interesting mental gymnastics when you’re attempting to use a European website to make hotel reservations or buy train tickets.

 

[SetInMotion]

For what it’s worth, on European calendars, Monday is the first day of the week, and Sunday is the seventh.

Not worth very much since neither I, which follows scripture, wherein the sixth day, the 7th day and the first day are clearly delineated as being the day Jesus was crucified and died (6th), the day Jesus was in the tomb (7th) and the day of his resurrection (1st), nor Catholicism which sees the first day of the week as the day of the resurrection and not the seventh.

What secular ‘calendars’ do is not relevant.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The one that I frequented the most was closed about 10 years ago. There is now an “interfaith prayer space” in that airport someplace else, which I get the impression is primarily used by Muslims needing to pray. I don’t believe it has Mass, but in any event I have no interest in checking it out.

I’m glad to hear there are still airport Masses in some places.

 

[Tommy999]

As the OP, I want to emphasize this thread is about Catholics and their ‘day of obligation’ requirement along with the details surrounding it, such as the history of the obligation and how Catholics feel about it and approach it, such as when traveling. I also asked if other faith traditions (Christian or otherwise) have such an obligation or not and how their faith traditions address missing a worship service. Most people have responded accordingly and I appreciate it. It was not intended to be a springboard for debating which day is the proper Sabbath day. If anyone would like to discuss or debate that topic, feel free to start a separate thread, but please don’t co-opt this thread for that purpose.

 

[Athanasiy]

In the country and city where I live, dedicated Christians (Orthodox and Evangelicals) often have large families, and when I see very young children with parents who are not lazy to come regularly on Sunday services in the morning, I feel very ashamed of the missed services.

 

[Minks]

For time reference, I was reared in the 40s and 50s, and entered college in the 50s. My father and his people were 100% Catholic for as far back as they could trace their heritage. They attended Mass seven days a week, if at all possible. My great-grandfather bought his property and built his house a block and a half from the Catholic Church so that they could walk, and wouldn’t need a horse and carriage. They made certain that they attended Mass when visiting out of town.

My mother and her people were Methodist, and never missed going to their Sunday services except on the rare occasion that farming needs intervened because of weather conditions or animals giving birth. They also attended a Methodist Church when out of town.

At the age of seven, my immediate family moved to the farm. Every Saturday we went to the county seat where our Church was located for Confession, and on Sundays, Holy Days of obligation, our birthdays, and the days devoted to our Confirmation Saints, for Mass.

As in both parents’ families, we always sought our own Mass accommodation when traveling. It was as important as finding food or a gas station. We were quite shocked when we learned by the grapevine, and a few years after the fact, that my Presbyterian husband’s family had been affronted that we hadn’t found a Sunday service for them when they came over 700 miles for our wedding. We’d always found a list of Catholic Masses in the Yellow Pages and it had never occurred to us that they wouldn’t do likewise.

As for feeling obligated, the only time that became a consideration was if the milking had taken longer than anticipated and we were late to Mass. In my dad’s youth, being late for the Gospel meant staying for another Mass, so if we were late for the Gospel, we drove for about an hour and a half to the nearest large city with a noon Mass. That happened maybe six times a year. Yes, Dad’s family knew that the Big Three were Offertory, Consecration, and Communion; “Before the Gospel” was a family criteria.

As far as feeling obligated, that wasn’t on our radar. Mass attendance was time with Jesus and an opportunity to receive Holy Communion, unless we forgot and swallowed water when we brushed our teeth. God gave us so much: everything we had, including each other, so going to Mass was not an imposition . . . Nor was it an obligation.

 

[Angannas]

On the other hand, particularly in some denominations which have some form of congregational governance where there is an important distinction between members and non-members in terms of responsibility in the life of the congregation, there are many people who attend Church regularly for years who have never been ‘Church members’