SPLIT: Why are Holy Days of Obligation necessary?

[Mrs_Sally]

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.

Thank you. That is what I was referring to. Sometimes we read posts too fast and are too quick to show how knowledgable we are.

 

[PJM]

=bpbasilphx-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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In reply to the OOPQ

We should began this discussion with this understanding in mind:

***Mark 2: " 27 And he [Jesus] said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath;” ***

God does not benefit from our giving Him Glory, Praise and Honor. This is in part because they are in justice, DUE to him. It is we who benefit, we who reap the rewards of grace.

"***Holyday’s are times of opportunity for much needed additional grace. They are also necessary as reminders that at some point, “the End Time” of our life on earth will happen, and the person or event we commerate have correctly fulfilled their mission on earth, and have attained Heaven, which too is our lives goal.

The Church sees these commorative day’s as necessary and prudent reminders of just why we were Created, and what our role in our personal salvation is. She [The Church] thus attempts to fulfill Her Mission which is the salvation of souls.

Mt. 16:19 and 18:18 clearly give Her this mandate and the authority to carry it out. ***

Because it is we, me and you who decide upon heaven or hell, we should eagerly and with humility, seek and take advantage of these opportunities.

The Catechesism 2042 The first precept (“You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor”) requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts honoring the Mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the first place, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered, and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days. "

So holyday’s are a mandate, not an option. They benefit us, not God. In relation to ETERNITY, it is but a brief moment with God. Take adavantage of it

Love and prayers,

 

[Leslie_Polley]

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

So you are saying that what Pope Pius the 12th said are just words…Its in the Catholic Bible. I was always taught that if the Pope said it that was it…now you say they are just words…I to used to go to church everyday, because I wanted to also. The days of Obligations just gave us a little perk…an indulgence of some kind. This is what I mean tho…I was taught if the Pope said it, it was SO, now you say they are just words…That is one reason I left the church…What are not JUst words…?

 

[Leslie_Polley]

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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**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.**

The words HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION may bother you but that is what Pope Pius the 12th called them in 1950

 

[tee_eff_em]

So you are saying that what Pope Pius the 12th said are just words…Its in the Catholic Bible. I was always taught that if the Pope said it that was it…now you say they are just words…I to used to go to church everyday, because I wanted to also. The days of Obligations just gave us a little perk…an indulgence of some kind. This is what I mean tho…I was taught if the Pope said it, it was SO, now you say they are just words…That is one reason I left the church…What are not JUst words…?

What I meant is: Some(?) people express a dislike for the term *Holy Day of Obligation *(though I am not sure they have expressed well *why *they dislike it?). I say: I suppose it could be *called *something else, but that *something else *would either (i) still be defined as obliging the faithful to assist at Mass, or (ii) remove said obligation from the faithful (which I am not sure is a prudent thing – I’m just saying :twocents: ), or (iii) I have misunderstood the dislikers, and they would propose something else I have not guessed.

You will have to be more specific about Pope Pius XII’s words – His corpus is too voluminous for me to guess which you mean and under what circumstance they were said. Also: I am not aware of any indulgence routinely accorded the faithful on Holy Days of Obligation, but: I do not claim to know everything.

tee

 

[EasterJoy]

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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**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.**

It is very nice when we go because we want to, but not everybody can. Everybody needs to know, then, the days on which they are not only wanted, but needed.

There is nothing wrong with letting the faithful know when the assembly needs them to be there, as opposed to the days when their presence is desirable but optional.

There is no reason that obligation ought to make a good thing into a repugnant thing, or that we should regard all duties as being onerous. The contrary is true, if you think about it.

 

[EasterJoy]

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.

It is a lot like that. When we are children, sometimes our parents have to force us to write thank you notes, show up (in decent clothes and on good behavior) for family events, be at school every day and on time, do our chores, and so on. When we grow up, we realize we would not want to go without doing these things. We do not want to be the kind of co-worker that cannot be depended on, the kind of friend who does not show appreciation, the kind of family member that detracts from days that are remembered for a lifetime. These habits are so fundamental to a happy and productive life! They are not always what we feel like doing at the moment, but they are deeply desirable in the big pictures of our lives. They are taught to us as obligations because their value exists apart from our passing desires and fickle ability to recognize what is valuable. When we grow up, we are grateful to our parents for having taught us to do them without fail.

The obligations of God are the sorts of things that do because these things reflect who we are and why we were made. Sundays and Holy Days are a vital part of participating as part of the family of God. These are the days that keep us nourished and connected to each other. We need them. We ought to be grateful that the Church teaches us about these dutes, for they are the things we ought to know to do without fail.