The Assumption: Our Upcoming Holy Day

Dear Parishioners,

With the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary coming up on August 15^th, I thought that this article might be helpful.  

A question is frequently asked: “Why do we have to attend Mass some years on a particular holy day, and on other years there is no obligation to attend Mass?”

Holy Days of Obligation often generate confusion and need clarification. In the universal Catholic Church, there are ten of these days. However, each individual country is allowed—through its conference of bishops (the U.S.C.C.B. in America)—to decide which days are to be observed and how they are to be observed.

 Catholic Canon (Church) Law actually states the following:

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.

Can. 1247 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.

The US conference of bishops chose to move the observation of some of these Holy Days to Sunday (such as Corpus Christi, and the Epiphany). For those living in the Diocese of Camden and all of New Jersey, five holy days are retained on their actual calendar dates:

• January 1—The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• August 15—The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• November 1—All Saints Day
• December 8—The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• December 25—Christmas

What is perhaps one of the most confusing aspects for almost everyone is the question: Why are we obliged to attend Mass some years and not others? Basically, when the Holy Days fall on a Saturday or a Monday—being so close to Sunday—the bishops of the USA removed the obligation to attend Mass on those days. This is true except for the Immaculate Conception (the Patroness of the USA) and Christmas. We observe these days no matter when they occur.

Now that you are thoroughly confused, I want to make a few important points for you to consider. First, since the universal Catholic Church has considered these days holy, then they deserve our attention, consideration and observance no matter when they occur (or whether we are required to attend Mass). Second, I hate to see people become so legalistic that we are constantly looking to observe the absolute, bare minimum that we could possibly do for God. We should develop an attitude of generosity toward God and not an attitude resembling something like a minimum daily requirement. What if God had that type of attitude toward us? Finally, these holy days should be a reminder for us to try to bring the sacred into our daily routine.

There are so many things that can distract us from God in the world today. Recalling and observing these sacred days and the events that they represent are a good way for us to Christianize our lives, family and world. I hope to see you in Church at Mass on these days because you truly want to be there, not because you sometimes are obliged to do so.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor