Monday, July 13, 2020 –
Rolling along with some more random questions around Holy Days. I think that today will be mostly about the “what ifs.”
Who observes the most Holy Days? Also, who observes the least Holy Days?
Whoever goes to Church the most observes the most, and whoever shirks their responsibility needs to go to Confession! (Snort…see what I did there?). Okay, real answer: many Dioceses still celebrate the full panel of Holy Days. There are also a number that sadly only celebrate two (usually Christmas + one other). Truth is that there is a wide array of who celebrates what, and this can make it confusing and difficult when lay people travel to a destination that has a different number than their own diocese. Definitely make sure you know what your Bishop’s Conference has said.
What happens if I am kidnapped and dropped into the middle of Antarctica thousands of miles from civilization?
Umm…okay. Well, the Lord does not hold you to impossible standards. But if you are looking for a more legit answer, look to Canon 1248 §2 (emphasis added).
“If participation in the eucharistic celebration becomes impossible because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause, it is strongly recommended that the faithful take part in a liturgy of the word if such a liturgy is celebrated in a parish church or other sacred place according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop or that they devote themselves to prayer for a suitable time alone, as a family, or, as the occasion permits, in groups of families.”
You being kidnapped and dumped in a remote location away from any possibility of Mass (assuming a Priest was not kidnapped with you) definitely qualifies as an “absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause.” So, devote some time to prayer and hope your rescue comes soon.
If a Priest was dropped into the middle of nowhere with you, then it **might** get a little more complicated (see next question), but remember that the Lord does not hold you to impossible standards…especially in totally made-up, ridiculous situations.
What happens if I am in another country that celebrates a Holy Day I am not used to or vice-a-versa (in a country that does NOT celebrate a Holy Day I am used to)?
My personal piece of advice is when in doubt, go with God. Or, in this case, when in doubt, go to Mass.
This one is a bit technical. Like, Canon Law technical. If you are looking for a basic run down, go HERE.
I will add one thing to Father Z’s wonderful explanation: if you are traveling to another diocese or country or planets in order to skip over Holy Days, you’re doing it wrong. #SorryNotSorry
What happens if I regularly attend Latin Mass? Do they have different Holy Days?
Canon Law is universal, regardless of the Missal your Church uses (1962 or current), which means that days are the days regardless of the calendar you use. That probably still sounds confusing. Well, Father Z also answered this one in the post linked above (and HERE again):
“By the way, if a parish is celebrating the Ascension on Thursday using the 1962 Missale Romanum, even in a place where the lawful authority has transferred the Feast, those parishioners have no obligation whatsoever to attend a Tridentine Mass on Thursday, nor do they have an obligation to attend a Novus Ordo Mass on Sunday, even though it means they will miss out on the celebration of the Ascension.”
Hopefully, that is all the questions, at least for now. Next, we will go into brief posts about each of the different Holy Days of Obligation.
Side note: we finished 17 weeks. Good gravy!!
Blood of Christ, giving strength to martyrs, save us!
