St. Joseph Husband of Mary

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theBelgianDuke

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Legitimate question here.

So, apparently today is the solemnity of St. Joseph the Husband of Mary.

Last I checked, solemnities (like Sundays) are mini-Easters in the Church.

Mini-Easters imply no penance, according to Canon Law.

No penance implies that one can indulge in a little mid-Lenten treat of what one gave up.

Am I wrong? 😉
 
Lent is personal anyway, no one is obliged to follow through with what they’ve given up.
 
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(First paragraph deleted because it was wrong. See twf’s post below for correct info.)

It’s my understanding that we are not supposed to fast on Sundays, and when I have done a voluntary fast or voluntary “giving up” something I will often relax the rules on a Sunday or a holiday that falls within Lent, again as long as it is not on a mandated fast or abstinence day.
 
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No, you’re thinking of memorials and feasts… such as that of St Patrick. Such would require a dispensation. In the case of a solemnity, the highest level of feast, canon law itself dispenses any required penance. St Joseph is so important in the life of the Church, that we honour him with a solemnity. On years when his feast falls on a Lenten Friday you are absolutely not required to abstain no matter what diocese or country you happen to be in.
The other equivalent example that also often falls during Lent is the Annunciation… also a solemnity.

Liturgically speaking, the feast of St Joseph is essentially a Sunday… and a joyful Sunday at that. The Gloria is sung today and that is true even if today happened to be a Lenten Friday.

St Joseph, pray for us.
 
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My bad, you are right. I was indeed confusing the solemnity with a memorial. Thanks for the correction.

The only thing I’d add is that St. Patrick’s Day is, I believe, a solemnity in Ireland and Australia, while in USA it is just an optional memorial.
 
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guanophore said:
have heard it said that a “feast trumps a fast”
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Last year, for Eastern Catholics, Goof Friday landed on the Feast of Annunciation (In the west, Annunciation moves, but not in the East).

Annunciation is an older observance, and trumped Good Friday rules.

By Good Friday, our Holy Table (altar) has two layers of vestment, black over white (although a Melkite priest told me this weekend that they use darker colors but not black, and was surprised that any church still used black). The black is removed during the vespers and Divine Liturgy on saturday (so it is already white sunday morning).

Last year, we began services on Good Friday with the Marian blue over the black over the white, and changed to black.

There are special rules for modification of the services when this happens.

So my parish printed booklets for it.

And kept them.

It won’t happen again until 2157, but . . .

hawk

p.s. During Bright Week (the week after Easter), not only is fasting not required/indicated, it is actually prohibited in the East!
 
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It’s your penance. If you decide to take the day off, that’s ok.
 
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