I despise when we have the obligation to attend Mass removed when the Holy Day falls on a Saturday or Monday like Monday's Solemnity of the Assumption. How many priests made no evening option for Mass on Monday for this wonderful feast that has had such a long time high attendance merely because the "obligation" to attend was removed? How many said to their congregations on Sunday, you don't have to come it's not obligatory? I want to scream to heaven for justice!
I made no such announcement on Sunday. All I said and what I wrote in the bulletin was that we are celebrating the wonderful Holy Day of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, body and soul, into heaven. We'll have Masses at 8:00 10:00 (school mass) and 7:00 PM. That's all I said.
All three Mass were full and the 7:00 PM being the fullest.
Why not just encourage people to come to Mass on major Solemnities even if there isn't an obligation to attend by having an extra Mass or two. The Annunciation comes to mind and all the other solemnities during the year?
5 comments:
Ah come on, Father. Stop picking on our Protestant bishops conference.
I am also annoyed by that, especially parishes that just do their normal morning Masses. We added our usual holy day schedule and announced the times, without mentioning anything about obligation. Attendance was normal for a weekday Holy Day. I think we wasted a great opportunity with the new missal to correct these calendar issues (the sat/mon thing, epiphany back to jan 6, octave of pentecost, some syncing of OF/EF, etc)
Many pastors indeed announced to their parish that the Bishops removed the Obligation for Holy Days that fall on Saturday or Monday, and consequently they weren't offering any additional Masses beside the usual morning Daily Mass.
Perhaps they didn't want to create extra work for themselves?
Perhaps they were grateful for a little reprieve and, after all, the Obligation will return next year, so why not take it off this year as the Bishops say they can?
Perhaps they were weary of laity resentment and didn't want to rock the boat?
Perhaps they figured it wouldn't be well attended, so why bother for only a few?
Perhaps they thought that's what they're 'supposed' to do?
Regardless of their reasons or rationale, they sadly missed an opportunity to foster a love for Our Lady and to catechize.
...sigh...
~SqueekerLamb
My daughters in particular love any Mass that is oriented towards Our Blessed Mother. They love the focus on Mary in the prayers, really love the Marian hymns, and even comment how they love your white vestments withe Marian blue trim work. I think the Marian feasts in particular are important for our girls to see and participate in.
No Mass - our priest's day off, so no Mass...........
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