Sunday / Holy Day "Obligation"

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tee_eff_em

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From time to time some people express a dislike for the term *Obligation *as in *Holy Day of Obligation *or Sunday Obligation. Some will even express We should not go to Mass only because we are obligated – We should want to be there.

Does this word bother you? While I do not disagree with the sentiment that we *should want *to attend Mass, is there some other word you would propose to express our …um… obligation to assist at Mass on appointed days?

Or do you think the obligation should be disposed of altogether?

Or something else?

tee
 
FTR: I have no problem with the use of the word obligation. I just want to understand other people’s feelings.

tee
 
Doesn’t bother me. There are lots of things that are an obligation, that we enjoy doing and so it’s not an issue. Mass is the same way for me. Silly example-- you are obligated to eat a certain number of calories every day or you’ll faint from hunger after awhile. Does anyone complain about being “obligated” to eat? 😃

Yes, we should *want *to be at Mass, but nevertheless, the Church has a rule that also says we must be in Mass or risk ‘fainting’ from lack of God.
 
The word “obligation” helps me remember, when I have turned off my alarm and am floundering in bed, tempted by the Evil One to sleep another hour, that I need to get up and go because it pleases God that I attend Mass.

It also helps that I have increasing duties in the choir. Many times I am chosen to cantor the psalm or the gospel acclamation, and if I don’t show, where will that leave my fellow musicians, or the assembly, expecting that I fulfill my obligation to the ministry?

I find it much harder to drag myself to church when I am not involved in ministry. While I am always happy afterwards that I went, oftentimes I cannot shave, or board the bus, until I remind myself of my “obligation.” My sense of “wanting to, because I love it” is very dim in the early mornings.
 
I can’t really say as I do not have a problem with the word “obligation.” I think our current culture has an underappreciation of the concept of obligations. I suppose it has to do with not wanting to be told what to do.
 
Tee_,

I’m not sure there would be any other word that could be used. It seems to perfectly express our duty to render adoration to God. The canon law “obligation” (or the precept) seems to me to codify our natural law obligation. I don’t think that natural law obligation can be spoken of in any other terms than an obligation. In fact, I think the natural law obligation is for public and communal worship.

VC
 
Do the people who snark at the Catholic understanding of an obligation to attend Sunday/Holy Day Mass think that nobody has any obligation to God whatsoever? That’s what I’m wondering. Reminds me of the people who scream for ‘rights’ but don’t want to have any responsibilities.

Are we, in fact, ‘obligated’ to ‘do’ anything for God?

Or are we, by Christ’s salvific suffering, death and resurrection, given a "Get into Heaven Free’ card?

How do we reconcile the teachings of Jesus in Matthew (sheep and goats, and one enters heaven NOT simply by saying Lord Lord but because of the DEEDS one has done FOR the Lord) with the idea some seem to have that we need to do nothing but what we ‘choose’ for God?

Of course, while the earlier Protestants would not necessarily have used a “Catholic” terminology, they certainly took the responsibility of attending services seriously–so seriously that Puritans would expel people from their towns and cities if they did NOT attend on Sunday. . . and for some rather, um, long services at that.

So. . .what happened? Why did all Christians–not ‘just’ Catholics and Orthodox–originally understand their responsibilities and obligations to God --but today some (not all) think that God loves them so gosh-danged much that no matter what they do, He’s so thrilled that they might think of Him once in 70 years that He’s going to bring them to heaven even if they’ve lived a totally godless, miserable existence here on earth. . .

Because for that ‘one’ time they weren’t ‘obliged’ to follow some dang rule but did it **all by their wonderful marvelous free-choosing and totally independent little old selves? Well, whoop-de-dingle do. **

What fries me is that these people ‘assume’ that because we know our obligations and responsibilities that we are somehow inferior’ in our being obedient than some ‘free spirit’ in just winging things. Balderdash! Joyful obedience is just as ‘worthy’ as somebody deciding, “oh gee, I’ll give God a passing thought today even though it’s only a TUESDAY.”
 
I am carrying this over from another thread - somewhat off the topic of the OP -
"*But we do have to attend Mass. It’s not a matter of ‘choice.’ "

This was my response to the above post:
“It’s always a matter of choice. Is your church as full every Sunday as it is on Easter or Christmas Eve? Though attending Mass is required, we should primarily be there because we want to be. The word ‘obligation’ covers the ‘have to’ without taking into consideration the ‘want to’. Going to Mass is a privilege, a grace, a blessing that every Catholic is expected to participate in every weekend. Every weekend, every one of us makes the choice to go or not, even though it is an ‘obligation’. It seems there should be more to fulfilling Sunday ‘obligation’ than simply holding down part of the pew only because you have to. God knows where the heart truly is. So, while it is an obligation, it is so much more than that! Can’t we find a word that encompasses both desire and obligation?” *

Same individual responded, “Obligation describes it.”

Thoughts? Does ‘obligation’, in your opinion, encompass an attitude of desire?
 
tee_eff_em said:
From time to time some people express a dislike for the term *Obligation *as in Holy Day of Obligation or Sunday Obligation. Some will even express We should not go to Mass only because we are obligated – We should want to be there.

Does this word bother you? While I do not disagree with the sentiment that we should want to attend Mass, is there some other word you would propose to express our …um… obligation to assist at Mass on appointed days?

Or do you think the obligation should be disposed of altogether?

Or something else?

tee
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Can’t say that the use of the word Obligation really bothers me either.
Guess I always thought the word Obligation used in conjunction with Holy Day meant that we were obliged by a Moral Discipline given by the Church and first and foremost by God’s Commandment
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor, and do all your work;
but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God;
in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son,
or your daughter, your manservant,
or your maidservant or your cattle,
or the sojourner who is within your gates;
for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
and rested the seventh day;
therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it
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I can certainly understand your viewpoint in saying that we should want to go to Mass instead of feeling obligated to go to Mass.

I remember many years ago listening to a priest give a homily to a group of children receiving their first Holy Communion. He said to them; how did you get lead to come to Mass this morning? Before any of the children could interject the priest said that many of you will no doubt say that it was your parents who drove you here by car. The priest went on to say; What if I told you that it was through God’s grace that got you and your parents to attend Mass this morning. Was the priest right?

Would it be accurate to say that we Catholics are morally compelled by God’s grace to go the Mass every Sunday.
 
Well, attendance at Mass *in general *would have be an *obligation *because the Eucharist is a covenant meal. And covenants have obligations attached to them. So to me the question is not so much as to whether we have an obligation to attend Mass as it is a question as to how frequently we should be obligated to attend Mass.

But since the Mass is built around a covenant, there are also benefits that come from meeting one’s “obligation”, so much so that it’s hard to imagine that we wouldn’t want to go to Mass. In fact a covenantal obligation is actually a relationship. We hopefully want to do what we ought to for those with whom we are in a relationship.

In an ideal world we would always want to do things that are good for us: eat good food, get enough sleep, make friends, marry, bear children, enjoy music, etc. And in fact we usually do find such things to be pleasing. We usually find pleasure in caring for those in need too. However we don’t live in an ideal world so we don’t always do what we ought, even when it harms us or others in the process.

So the Church, in her wisdom, says our obligation to attend Mass should be met every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation because there all kinds of historical and biblical precedents which suggest that is what God wants and what we need.
 
I also don’t see what the big fuss is over the word “obligation.” If I were to tell people at work that I can’t attend some work function because I have a family obligation that day, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t rather be in the wedding or at child’s birthday party that is my “obligation” because decency would require me to be there whether I liked it or not. I suppose some people think it implies the pretense that “sorry, I’d love to be at our all-day management retreat, but you know, family obligations…”. To me, though, saying that something is an “obligation” only means that it rightly has precedence over other demands in my life. If I were to say I had a “family opportunity” that day…well, it would just be silly.

Maybe it is telling that some people think that being obliged to do something necessarily takes the joy out of it. Considering how much of what we do is also an obligation, that is a sad outlook on life.
 
tee_eff_em said:
From time to time some people express a dislike for the term *Obligation *as in Holy Day of Obligation or Sunday Obligation. Some will even express We should not go to Mass only because we are obligated – We should want to be there.

Does this word bother you? While I do not disagree with the sentiment that we should want to attend Mass, is there some other word you would propose to express our …um… obligation to assist at Mass on appointed days?

Or do you think the obligation should be disposed of altogether?

Or something else?

tee
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I think people should learn to separate their feelings, their subjective emotions, from their duties as baptized Catholics.
 
puzzleannie said:
I think people should learn to separate their feelings, their subjective emotions, from their duties as baptized Catholics.
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It’s not even that. It is this sentiment that what we are required to do automatically gains an onerous nature. We don’t have to be at the parents’ house on a normal Sunday, when the family orders take out from whereever, but unless we have a good reason to be elsewhere, we’re obliged to be there on Christmas when everybody is bringing their absolute pull-out-the-stops best. The second, because it is an obligation, is all of a sudden a burden? Some people think that way. I don’t get that sentiment.
 
I’m not sure if I can say what I want without offending anyone, but, I’ll give it a shot!! Until becoming Catholic 3 years ago, I went to Protestant services every Sunday. (We didn’t have services ‘of convenience’ on Saturdays.) In college, I sang at an ecumenical service on campus, then went into town to the Lutheran Church so I could receive communion. My family, and all those who faithfully attended every Sunday, went because it was a privilege, as well as a responsibility, to be in the Lord’s House on the Lord’s Day. If we had a wedding or funeral Saturday afternoon, it didn’t even cross our minds to wonder if it fulfilled an ‘obligation’. We still went to church the next Sunday morning. We went on Ash Wednesday because it was the first day of the Lenten season, and on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday because of what Jesus did for us.

I love going to Mass! It’s not about the obligation. It’s not about the priest. It’s not about the music. It’s about Christ in scripture and the Eucharist. And Daily Mass is a real privilege. I agree that we should go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days. I am not disputing the teaching of the Church. It just seems that calling Mass attendance an ‘obligation’ does not encourage attendance, or churches would be as full every Sunday as they are on Easter and Christmas Eve. Judging from the statistics in our bulletin, the % of Catholics attending Mass on Sundays is certainly not higher than the % of Protestants who attended regularly in the church I grew up in because of their ‘obligation’. Is it poor rhetoric, or poor catechesis?
 
EasterJoy said:
It’s not even that. It is this sentiment that what we are required to do automatically gains an onerous nature. We don’t have to be at the parents’ house on a normal Sunday, when the family orders take out from whereever, but unless we have a good reason to be elsewhere, we’re obliged to be there on Christmas when everybody is bringing their absolute pull-out-the-stops best. The second, because it is an obligation, is all of a sudden a burden? Some people think that way. I don’t get that sentiment.
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I hear you, it is the same thing with “requirements” for sacramental preparation. These things, parent-sponsor classes, retreats, service projects and so forth are gifts from the diocese and parish to the candidates and their families, priceless opportunities for immersion in scripture and the richness of the Church’s teachings, quality time together for parents and candidates, sharing with sponsors, community building, spiritual growth and encounters with Christ in those served, but because “hafta” is hung like a scarlet letter on each one, they are seen as burdens and rules rather than what they are.
 
EasterJoy said:
It’s not even that. It is this sentiment that what we are required to do automatically gains an onerous nature. We don’t have to be at the parents’ house on a normal Sunday, when the family orders take out from whereever, but unless we have a good reason to be elsewhere, we’re obliged to be there on Christmas when everybody is bringing their absolute pull-out-the-stops best. The second, because it is an obligation, is all of a sudden a burden? Some people think that way. I don’t get that sentiment.
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I think it’s all part of the greater human condition. We all want freedom and self determination. But we also crave security and order. Those concepts tend to be inversely proportional to each other. We associate obligations with security and order. But they don’t make us feel very free or “in control of our destiny”.

In fact, obligations can be an annoying reminder that we are not truly up to the task of self determination.
 
It is part of my voluntarily chosen identity to be there on the appointed days for a Catholic. I chose to be Catholic. If I were to stop going, then I’d be deviating from what I have chosen to be, and in some way UN-choosing it. I appreciate having some things delineated to help me continue to be a Catholic in a concrete way. Most of the things are not so delineated, like charity. That is much more all-encompassing and it is also hard to pin down. It, too, is not optional, but it is less concrete to tell if you are/are not doing it.
 
I had some difficulty in explaining the concept of “Holy Day of obligation” to an atheist friend (I was an atheist also in a previous life). He asked “what if you have other things you want to do on the weekend?” I had a tough time explaining (well, he had a tough time understanding) that Christ is the center of my life and Mass the center of my day.

This is the difference between having yourself, or other creatures, or material things as your God, and having God as your God.

Being Catholic is a choice we make of our own free will, and part of the package is assisting at Mass on Holy Days of obligation! I feel lucky and blessed to be able to obligate myself to the Church and Christ in this small way. So, no, I don’t have a problem with the word “obligation.”
 
I suppose “duty” is another word that would work, but perhaps it still carries the connotation of something which we would rather not do.

I have a few thoughts about this. One is that I am not sure that it is really reasonable to think that we will always be happy to attend, that we should all “want” what we are supposed to do. Certainly at am emotional level, there are going to be times we do not want to fulfill our obligations to God. It might happen one day that I am in a position to become a martyr - even be obligated to. Well, maybe I should feel happy if that should happen, but I do not think it would be surprising if I did not feel emotionally distraught over it, and perhaps even intellectually distraught and physically distraught.

And really, is this a bad thing? There can be much spiritual growth in periods where we do not feel much like attending to God’s work, but do so anyway because we recognize our obligation.

However, I also think that we need to recognize, and tell others, the joy and privileged it is to be fulfilling God’s directives, so when speaking in that context, perhaps we would not choose to use the term obligation.
 
puzzleannie said:
I hear you, it is the same thing with “requirements” for sacramental preparation. These things, parent-sponsor classes, retreats, service projects and so forth are gifts from the diocese and parish to the candidates and their families, priceless opportunities for immersion in scripture and the richness of the Church’s teachings, quality time together for parents and candidates, sharing with sponsors, community building, spiritual growth and encounters with Christ in those served, but because “hafta” is hung like a scarlet letter on each one, they are seen as burdens and rules rather than what they are.
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Just like that, yes!
 
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