Studying and school-work on Good Friday?

[Colorad007]

I’m a law student and I generally abstain from all schoolwork on Sunday and any Holy Day. Is the same kind of observance proper for the Easter Triduum, especially Good Friday and Holy Saturday? Neither are Holy Days of obligation, so I don’t know what is best. I know that they are both highly penitential, and I intend on, of course, fasting, attending Mass/Communion, doing plenty of prayer, abstaining from most “fun” things that might make up my day, etc., but I also have a tremendous amount of schoolwork to do and, of course, get virtually zero “enjoyment” out of it all.

Any thoughts?

 

[1ke]

My thoughts: don’t be scrupulous.

 

[LilyM]

I’m a law student and I generally abstain from all schoolwork on Sunday and any Holy Day. Is the same kind of observance proper for the Easter Triduum, especially Good Friday and Holy Saturday? Neither are Holy Days of obligation, so I don’t know what is best. I know that they are both highly penitential, and I intend on, of course, fasting, attending Mass/Communion, doing plenty of prayer, abstaining from most “fun” things that might make up my day, etc., but I also have a tremendous amount of schoolwork to do and, of course, get virtually zero “enjoyment” out of it all.

Any thoughts?

Study does not comprise the sort of servile work that is to be avoided on Sundays and Holy Days, being neither paid nor manual labour. Besides which, as a lawyer myself, I know how precious every extra minute spent studying can be for a law student.

Besides which, Good Friday is not even a Holy Day of Obligation. You are permitted to work just as you would on any weekday and not obliged to attend liturgy or sacrifice anything out of the ordinary beyond the required fast and abstinence.

Having said all this, if you can make up the time on other days, I am all in favour of not studying on Good Friday.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

Listen to the prior respondents. They know of what they tell you. Please do not use the Easter tritium as an excuse not to study and then feel sanctified about it.
That type of arrogence in itself is a sin! So, pay attention to your studies as usual. It will pay big dividends, bot spiritual as well as temporal in the long run.

 

[21faces]

Does it really matter? What were some of Jesus’ thoughts re: the particulars of what constituted forbidden actions (“work”) on holy days?

 

[Veronica97]

Well, look at it this way. On Sundays and Holy Days we should abstain from unnecessary work. But the key there is “unnecessary”. Some people are required to work on Sundays, such as doctors and nurses or people who must plow the roads after a big snowstorm. Likewise, a wife and mother must cook for her family, and if she suddenly realizes everyone is out of socks, she’d better do a load of laundry. If you have a big test on Monday but you didn’t have time to study on Saturday b/c you had to babysit your younger siblings so your mother could take your grandmother to the hospital, then I’d say you’d better study on Sunday or you may fail your test and fail your class! As for Good Friday, I kind of feel like it’s a day, not necessarily of rest, but of penance. We’re already fasting, so I think it’s good to do other things along that same vein. For instance, it wouldn’t be a good day to go to the movies or have a party or go shopping. Ordinary work and study would be appropriate in my opinion. After all, there is nothing pleasurable about studying or doing school work! And of course it should be a day in which you observe the Lord’s passion in some way–through church services or prayer or scripture reading.