SPLIT: Why are Holy Days of Obligation necessary?

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bpbasilphx

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BTW, the sound of HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION bothers me. Why are we so afraid to attend Mass every day, let alone Feast days like this? Why do we have to be obligated by Canon Law? Sad.
**I would go every day if I could, but I am dependent on public transportation, on a limited income, and have various health issues, so this is simply not practical for me… and my heart hurts because of it.

I agree. I don’t like the term “Holy Day of Obligation” at all. If one is not convinced of the spiritual significance of the Dormition of the Theotokos, or the Annunciation, or the Ascension, and their liturgical commemorations, will making them HDOs really impress it?

I doubt it.

I go becaue I WANT to go and can get to the Eucharistic Sacrifice.**
 
bpbasilphx said:
BTW, the sound of HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION bothers me. Why are we so afraid to attend Mass every day, let alone Feast days like this? Why do we have to be obligated by Canon Law? Sad.
**I would go every day if I could, but I am dependent on public transportation, on a limited income, and have various health issues, so this is simply not practical for me… and my heart hurts because of it.

I agree. I don’t like the term “Holy Day of Obligation” at all. If one is not convinced of the spiritual significance of the Dormition of the Theotokos, or the Annunciation, or the Ascension, and their liturgical commemorations, will making them HDOs really impress it?

I doubt it.

I go becaue I WANT to go and can get to the Eucharistic Sacrifice.**
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Well, what would you propose to call them? *Double Solemnities *maybe? (Which would then need be defined as “a day on which the faithful are obligated to assist at Mass”) It’s just words.

Or do you think the obligation should be entirely dispensed with, and just call them *days on which the faithful should *want *to assist at Mass *or something.

Is either of those likely to impress upon people the spiritual significance of the Dormition of the Theotokos, or the Annunciation, or the Ascension? Or would you propose something else?

tee
 
Think of it like this: Holy Days are the celebration of significant events in the Church, much like birthdays, weddings, and graduations are celebrations of significant events in the lives of your family members. Most likely, within your family there is an expectation to recognize these events, that are so meaningful to your loved ones, with a party. In the same way, the Church expects us to recognize her meaningful events with a feast – the Mass.

Holy Days are not implying that no one would go,otherwise, but that the Church places special importance on these events and there is an expectation that we should take pains to honor them as well.
 
Our former pastor, who also didn’t like calling them Holy Days of Obligation, changed it to Holy Days of OPPORTUNITY. Guess what? Even fewer people showed up. Before many people didn’t know they had an obligation. Now, it was a personal choice if you wanted to show up. Thankfully, the Pastoral Council put their foot down (several years too late) and told Father he had to call them Holy Days of Obligation again. Still didn’t affect attendance.
 
Well, maybe it’s just the connotation of the word “obligation” that’s not sitting well with you. The word obligation is simply used to denote that it is a day that the faithful are required to attend Mass. I don’t think it implies that the faithful do not want to attend Mass or are afraid to. That’s something you’re assuming. (In fact, I wish I could attend Mass every day but it would be impossible for me.)
 
Actually, if you carefully read the OT, you will note that the origins of the Holy Days of Obligation actually date back to Moses. The Lord dictated, with tne minutest details and specifics the manner and form by which he would be worshipped. He spent signicant amounts of time spelling out all of the details, including certain high holy days that were to be observed by Ancient Israel. These began with the Passover, then the Day of Atonement, the Festival of Weeks, the Festival of Booths, Pentecost and so on and so forth. He went into great detail about how each of these holy days would be celebrated, but, he spent significant amounts of time dictating the formula for Passover and the day of Atonement.

The Church, as the New Israel, takes a page from this. All of our holy days are reckoned from Easter. Perhaps if we were to re-read the Epiphany Proclamation, it might help puts things into better perspective:
Dear brothers and sisters, the glory of the Lord has shone upon us, and shall ever be manifest among us, until the day of His return.
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Through the rhythms of times and seasons let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation.
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Let us recall the year’s culmination, the Easter Triduum of the Lord: His Last Supper, His Crucifixion and Death, His Burial, and His Rising, celebrated between the evening of the 9th of April and the evening of the 12th of April.
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Each Easter—as on each Sunday—the Holy Church makes present the great and saving deed by which Christ has forever conquered sin and death. From Easter are reckoned all the days we keep holy.
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Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, will occur on the 25th of February.
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The Ascension of the Lord will be commemorated on the 24th of May.
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Pentecost, the joyful conclusion of the season of Easter, will be celebrated on the 31st of May.
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And this year the First Sunday of Advent will be on the 29th of November.
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Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims the Passover of Christ in the feasts of the holy Mother of God, in the feasts of the Apostles and Saints, and in the commemoration of the faithful departed.
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The dates here are a little off because they are from this year. But, the concept is still the same. I hope this helps.
 
benedictgal said:
You might want to re-read the line from the Epiphany Proclamation:
From Easter are reckoned all the days we keep holy
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I understand that it *says *that.

But the *fact remains that the following days are fixed in the calendar, and not (ordinarily) reckoned with respect to Easter:
  • Immaculate Conception, 8-Dec
  • The Nativity of the Lord, 25-Dec
  • Mary, Mother of God, 1-Jan
  • Epiphany, 6-Jan
  • St Joseph, Husband of Mary, 19-Mar*
  • SS Peter and Paul, 29-Jun
  • Assumption, 15-Aug
  • All Saints, 1-Nov
(* St Joseph, Husband of Mary *may *be translated by coincidence with a Sunday of Lent or the Triduum, and so indirectly by Easter, but *ordinarily *it is not)

Ascension and Corpus Christi are the only two Holy Days *ordinarily *reckoned with respect to Easter, no?

tee
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tee_eff_em said:
I understand that it says that.

But the *fact remains that the following days are fixed in the calendar, and not (ordinarily) reckoned with respect to Easter:
  • Immaculate Conception, 8-Dec
  • The Nativity of the Lord, 25-Dec
  • Mary, Mother of God, 1-Jan
  • Epiphany, 6-Jan
  • St Joseph, Husband of Mary, 19-Mar*
  • SS Peter and Paul, 29-Jun
  • Assumption, 15-Aug
  • All Saints, 1-Nov
(* St Joseph, Husband of Mary *may *be translated by coincidence with a Sunday of Lent or the Triduum, and so indirectly by Easter, but *ordinarily *it is not)

Ascension and Corpus Christi are the only two Holy Days *ordinarily *reckoned with respect to Easter, no?

tee
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Actually, because Easter is the highpoint of the liturgical year, it is the most important day in all of the Church. The paschal period is also from where the Eucharist is derived. Thus, even Christmas would not have a full meaning were it not for the Paschal celebration. Everything flows from Easter.
 
I believe there’s some confusion with regard to the sense in which the proclamation means “reckoned” and what we are understanding it to mean.

Historically speaking, when the Proclamation of the Date of Easter was used to announce the date of Easter it may have been literally true that the dates of certain holy days were determined in relation to Easter. Of course, now that those dates are all predetermined in our set liturgical calendar, they aren’t. Yet in the sense that “the pilgrim Church proclaims the Passover of Christ in the feasts…” the word “reckoned” retains some applicable meaning.
 
Please stay on topic, everyone. Take side discussion to new or existing threads. Thank you all.
 
bpbasilphx said:
BTW, the sound of HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION bothers me. Why are we so afraid to attend Mass every day, let alone Feast days like this? Why do we have to be obligated by Canon Law? Sad.
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Everywhere that I have lived or visited in this country (13 different states, with many more dioceses), I have found that the average pastor will hold a daily Mass at a time that is impractical to attend for most working Americans. Most of us work during the day, Monday through Friday, and cannot attend a morning Mass if we are either at work, or we are on the way to work, or school for some people. Still, some people have to work on weekends, but this is not so much of a problem, as the average Church has 5 - 7 Masses for people to adjust their schedules to fulfill their obligations. These additional days of obligations have additional Mass times where people are free to attend around their other daily duties.

I’m with you on attendance, but I doubt we’ll see any improvement as long as virtually all priests hold their daily Mass in the morning, when most people are committed elsewhere beyond their control. When I was young, there was one parish in town that held their daily Mass in the early evening, and they had a small, but steady flow of people.

Note to pastors: vary your times within the same area, if you can. It just might work.
 
ahollars said:
Everywhere that I have lived or visited in this country (13 different states, with many more dioceses), I have found that the average pastor will hold a daily Mass at a time that is impractical to attend for most working Americans. Most of us work during the day, Monday through Friday, and cannot attend a morning Mass if we are either at work, or we are on the way to work, or school for some people. Still, some people have to work on weekends, but this is not so much of a problem, as the average Church has 5 - 7 Masses for people to adjust their schedules to fulfill their obligations. These additional days of obligations have additional Mass times where people are free to attend around their other daily duties.

I’m with you on attendance, but I doubt we’ll see any improvement as long as virtually all priests hold their daily Mass in the morning, when most people are committed elsewhere beyond their control. When I was young, there was one parish in town that held their daily Mass in the early evening, and they had a small, but steady flow of people.

Note to pastors: vary your times within the same area, if you can. It just might work.
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I can see your point, but I would also say that we can adjust our schedules also to accomodate Mass times at our local parish or another parish on our route.

We are blessed to be in a parish where our Pastor is extremely generous with the Sacraments. We have 3 daily Masses every week day:
  • very early that many can attend before going to work (and there are usually 50-80 people there)
  • mid-morning that is attended by many moms with young children or homeschoolers, also retirees (usually 30-50)
  • noon that many people come from work to attend during their lunch (usually 80-100)
Also on HDO and Ash Wednesday, there are usually 2 evening Masses scheduled. Sometimes, there is even a ‘vigil’ Mass scheduled the night before.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
I can see your point, but I would also say that we can adjust our schedules also to accomodate Mass times at our local parish or another parish on our route.

We are blessed to be in a parish where our Pastor is extremely generous with the Sacraments. We have 3 daily Masses every week day:
  • very early that many can attend before going to work (and there are usually 50-80 people there)
  • mid-morning that is attended by many moms with young children or homeschoolers, also retirees (usually 30-50)
  • noon that many people come from work to attend during their lunch (usually 80-100)
Also on HDO and Ash Wednesday, there are usually 2 evening Masses scheduled. Sometimes, there is even a ‘vigil’ Mass scheduled the night before.
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There is no such thing as a vigil Mass for Ash Wednesday.
 
I think Mrs Sally was referring to Vigil Mass for HDO. My parish usually has a vigil Mass for these, like Ascension Thursday, All Saints Day, Immaculate Conception & Mary, Mother of God.
 
I am sorry but would some one explain what the" Dormition of the Theotokos" is? I have never heard of this term. Thank you.👍
 
APF said:
I am sorry but would some one explain what the" Dormition of the Theotokos" is? I have never heard of this term. Thank you.👍
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Here you go: orthodoxwiki.org/Dormition

The Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on August 15. This feast, which is also sometimes called the Assumption, commemorates the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ’s mother. It proclaims that Mary has been “assumed” by God into the heavenly kingdom of Christ in the fullness of her spiritual and bodily existence.

and lots more there too.
 
bpbasilphx said:
BTW, the sound of HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION bothers me. Why are we so afraid to attend Mass every day, let alone Feast days like this? Why do we have to be obligated by Canon Law? Sad.
**I would go every day if I could, but I am dependent on public transportation, on a limited income, and have various health issues, so this is simply not practical for me… and my heart hurts because of it.

I agree. I don’t like the term “Holy Day of Obligation” at all. If one is not convinced of the spiritual significance of the Dormition of the Theotokos, or the Annunciation, or the Ascension, and their liturgical commemorations, will making them HDOs really impress it?

I doubt it.

I go becaue I WANT to go and can get to the Eucharistic Sacrifice.**
Click to expand...
It’s a bit like visiting somebody for a special occasion such as birthday or wedding anniversary. These are special occasions in the life of Christ. I like going to them now but didn’t always. As it’s a special occasion they should be joyful but in practice the choir doesn’t sing and there’s no music group so they can be relatively quiet. God appreciates you going.
 
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