Why are Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday not Holy Days of Obligation?

[TK421]

I just was wondering how these days which are really so important in the Faith aren’t days which the faithful are meant to attend mass? Ironically I feel like I see more people at these masses than on some prescribed Holy Days. Just was curious as to why this is?

Because they haven’t been declared Holy Days of Obligation.

 

[Vico]

Not to argue but to further discuss: The days God commanded in the Torah are not the ones we keep and in the New Testament Paul tells us not to be concerned with them.

Colossians 2:16-17
So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

But the laws followed by Catholics are divine law and Church law. We do not live by ourselves but in a community, the Church of Christ. What one Christian does effects the others and when we sin we must make reparations. Catechism 1444 “In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church.”

It is proper to follow Church law because it is tradition which follows from the Apostles and that the Church has to power to bind and loose sins. “Sacrosanctum Concilium” from Vatican II, 106 states that “apostolic tradition of the Church is, from the very day of the resurrection of Christ, to celebrate the Pasch every eight days, on the day which is called the day of the Lord”. Sunday early in Christian time, came to be understood, in a mystical way among Christians as the “Eighth Day.”

Catechism 2181
The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

St. Paul’s first Epistle to the Corinthians, from the year 57, refers “to the first day of the week” (16, 1-2) as the most appropriate for the collection for the poorer communities. Later in the Acts of the Apostles, the celebration of the eucharist in Troas: “on the first day of the week” (20, 7-8).

We understand that the celebration is in the evening or the night of the day before, a custom observed in the Church until the last century and has been restored since the Council. During the first half of the first century, the celebration of the Eucharist on the first day of the week was a common establishment among Christian communities in Greece, Galatia, Bithynia, and therefore in Palestine and Syria.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

Yes, the Church certainly has this authority. But the rationale?

“The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.”

So Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian Practice. That in itself, is motivation for anyone to make it a weekly practice. But if twf is correct, most Christians are spiritual children and immature and must be threatened with “grave sin”. But it seems to me that there is little merit in fulfilling an obligation out of threat and guilt, especially eternal damnation. It fosters minimalism. If there are things we have to do then there are also things we don’t have to do and some will do the least necessary missing the entire point.

So back to the thread title, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday are not obligations even though they are among the most significant celebrations of the liturgical year.

 

[Phemie]

“…a little nudging”. Like pain of eternal Hell. That’s a pretty big nudge.

One would think the Church would then be consistent country to country with dispensation for priest shortages. Is that the situation in Canada?

Here is the relevant law on Holy Days of Obligation

Can. 1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.
§2. With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

As you can see, Rome allows each conference of bishops to deal with this for its flock. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops asked for permission to transfer Epiphany, the Ascension, and Body and Blood of Christ to Sundays and suppress the rest except for Christmas and Mary, Mother of God. Permission was granted but I’ve never heard that it was due to a shortage of priests.

 

[Vico]

Yes, the Church certainly has this authority. But the rationale?

“The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.”

So Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian Practice. That in itself, is motivation for anyone to make it a weekly practice. But if twf is correct, most Christians are spiritual children and immature and must be threatened with “grave sin”. But it seems to me that there is little merit in fulfilling an obligation out of threat and guilt, especially eternal damnation. It fosters minimalism. If there are things we have to do then there are also things we don’t have to do and some will do the least necessary missing the entire point.

So back to the thread title, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday are not obligations even though they are among the most significant celebrations of the liturgical year.

“Ash Wednesday and the weekdays of Holy Week, from Monday up to and including Thursday, take precedence over all other celebrations.” and “Celebrations, according to the importance assigned to them, are hence distinguished one from another and termed: Solemnity, Feast, Memorial.”-- Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar

The focus of the entire Lenten season and Holy Week is the Joyful Resurrection on Easter Sunday. All of the days mentioned, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday, are weekday preparation for this, and are not solemnities. All those days are traditional Lenten or Easter fast days.

 

[PJM]

I just was wondering how these days which are really so important in the Faith aren’t days which the faithful are meant to attend mass? Ironically I feel like I see more people at these masses than on some prescribed Holy Days. Just was curious as to why this is?

Because they deal with Church PRACTICES, and many none practicing folks think they bring them spiritual LUCK…

A foolish notion IF they are NOT in the sate of Grace.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Ash Wednesday is a pretty popular church day here, being start of Lent. We are obligated to fast or penance. And have extra Masses in the Cathedral, and Masses at the rural churches. Even then, there will be people who are unable to attend due to commitments.

Good Friday is the only day where most commerce is shut down. With an abysmal public transport system for work days, holiday timetables mean transport is pretty scarce. If there were Mass obligatory.

Today is Shrove Tuesday. This is Pancake day in Commonwealth countries. Most Schools get bused in for Mass , or Mass in their Chapels, and then pancakes.
We have pancake races and cookups in the streets. Pretty fun day.

 

[gracepoole]

I didn’t realize they weren’t Holy Days of Obligation.

Mexico has four holy days of obligation:

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
The Body and Blood of Christ
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Christmas

(And of course every Sunday )

 

[Vico]

Mexico has four holy days of obligation:

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
The Body and Blood of Christ
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Christmas

(And of course every Sunday )

The Body and Blood of Christ is 60 days after Easter?

 

[gracepoole]

The Body and Blood of Christ is 60 days after Easter?

Yes

 

[Vico]

Yes

We have these five (Byzantine Catholic):

• The Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
• The Theophany of our Lord
• The Ascension of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
• The Holy Apostles Ss. Peter and Paul
• The Dormition of the Mother of God

 

[gracepoole]

We have these five (Byzantine Catholic):

• The Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
• The Theophany of our Lord
• The Ascension of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
• The Holy Apostles Ss. Peter and Paul
• The Dormition of the Mother of God

Most interesting! And these don’t change by country? When is the Theophany celebrated?

 

[Vico]

Most interesting! And these don’t change by country? When is the Theophany celebrated?

The US is using the Gregorian Calendar, but I think in the Ukraine the Julian Calendar is used. Some use a mix of the two, Gregorian fixed feasts and Julian for the Paschal calendar.

Dec 25, The Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
Jan 6, The Theophany of our Lord
+50 days after Pascha, The Ascension of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
Jun 29, The Holy Apostles Ss. Peter and Paul
Aug 15, The Dormition of the Mother of God

And M/W throughout the six weeks of Lent (the Great Fast) and M/T/W in Holy Week, are the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, and also Clean Monday and Fifth Thursday. Wednesdays and Fridays both are fast/abstinence days. The are not obligatory, but many celebrate it.

 

[Kielbasi]

We have these five (Byzantine Catholic):

• The Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
• The Theophany of our Lord
• The Ascension of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
• The Holy Apostles Ss. Peter and Paul
• The Dormition of the Mother of God

Did it used to be more than that?

Industrial history in these parts says that the Greek Catholic minors at the Darr Mine in Van Meter, PA were saved from the mine disaster there back in 1907- because they were all absent from work as they were observing the holy day of obligation for St. Nicholas.

 

[Vico]

Did it used to be more than that?

Industrial history in these parts says that the Greek Catholic minors at the Darr Mine in Van Meter, PA were saved from the mine disaster there back in 1907- because they were all absent from work as they were observing the holy day of obligation for St. Nicholas.

In the previous post I said Ascension was Pascha + 50 days, but that is Pentecost. Ascension is Pascha + 40 days (on Thursday).

There are many more, because there are 12 Great Feasts, but not obligatory. The Ukrainian Catholic Church observes more of them.

Byzantine Catholic Great Feasts

Fixed

Sep-8 THE NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS +
Sep-14 THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS +
Oct-1 THE PROTECTION OF THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY
Nov-21 THE ENTRANCE OF THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY INTO THE TEMPLE +
Dec-25 THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST * +
Jan-1 THE CIRCUMCISON OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
Jan-6 THE THEOPHANY OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST * +
Feb-2 THE MEETING OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST WITH SIMEON AND ANNA +
Mar-25 THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY +
Jun-24 THE NATIVITY OF THE HOLY PROPHET, FORERUNNER, AND BAPTIST JOHN
Jun-29 THE HOLY PRE_EMINENT APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL *
Aug-6 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST +
Aug-15 THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY * +
Aug-29 THE COMMEMORATION OF THE BEHEADING OF THE HOLY PROPHET, FORERUNNER, AND BAPTIST JOHN

Variable Great Feasts (of the 12 Great Feasts):
The Sunday before Pascha (Easter)-- the Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) * +
Forty Days after Pascha (Easter) – the Ascension of Christ (Thursday) * +
Fifty Days after Pascha (Easter) – Pentecost Sunday * +

• Mandatory

• Great Feast of the 12 Great Feasts of Christ and Theotokos (9 are fixed dates, only 6 are mandatory, with up to 4 mandatory on non-Sunday)

 

[ThundersnowIV]

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday do carry an obligation…just not the obligation to assist at Holy Mass (and of course such is impossible on Good Friday as there is no Mass celebrated on that day). We are obliged to fast / abstain.

There is no obligation to participate in the Mass on Ash Wednesday. I will be going to the noon distribution of ashes. If Mass were a requirement…there would not be just a ash distribution service.

 

[jimkhong]

Technically Holy Thursday. Good Friday, together with the Easter Vigil, are a single liturgy. And of course there is no Mass on Good Friday. There is only a single Holy Thursday / Good Friday service, typically held at night; there is no opportunity for multiple services as is typical with Holy Days. I assume that the human factors and family care obligations in the evening are a consideration. These weren’t obligatory even back in the '50’s.

To add the excellent point, Ash Wednesday was initially not a mass