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Views from the Choir Loft

Nobody Can Answer My Question?

Jeff Ostrowski · June 16, 2013

N ADDITION TO ALL Sundays of the year, the following are Holy Days of Obligation in the United States of America:

January 1 • Mary, Mother of God
August 15 • The Assumption
November 1 • All Saints Day
December 8 • Immaculate Conception
December 25 • Christmas
Ascension Thursday;
*

So, we have a total of six (6) Holy Days of Obligation in the United States, right? Not so fast, buddy. Ascension Thursday is moved to a Sunday in some USA Dioceses. (Which, incidentally, is bizarre, but that’s another story.)

OK, so we have five (5) Holy Days of Obligation in the United States, right? Nope. That’s still not correct, because starting in 1992:

Whenever 1 January (Mary, Mother of God), 15 August (Assumption), or 1 November (All Saints) falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

SO, HERE IS MY QUESTION, WHICH NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT:

HE UNITED STATES Conference of Catholic Bishops has “abrogated” the “precept to attend Mass” if some Holy Days fall on a Monday or Saturday because they believe it’s “too difficult” for Catholics to attend Mass twice in a row. But why didn’t the bishops abrogate the obligation to abstain from work? Think about it: A father stays home from work on Monday, since he knows Catholics are forbidden to work on Holy Days. Yet, he doesn’t have to attend Mass? That’s bizarre! Why didn’t the bishops abrogate the injunction to abstain from work? This should have been done before getting rid of the “precept to attend Mass.” After all, which is harder? Staying home from work, or going to Mass? Obviously, staying home from work is harder than going to Church for 45 minutes. The bishops’ policy makes no sense.

I’ve never heard anyone else asking this very important question. Why doesn’t anyone care about this? And, more importantly, what’s the correct answer?

BY THE WAY, moving “Ascension Thursday” to a Sunday is truly bizarre. I realize that other feasts have been moved to a Sunday (Epiphany and Corpus Christi come to mind). And I realize that moving feasts to a Sunday was done even before the Second Vatican Council (sort of). If you don’t believe me, Google “external solemnity” + “Sacred Heart” + “Corpus Christi.” The problem is, Ascension Thursday’s date is Biblical. Moving it to a Sunday makes no sense.

P.S. I hope I don’t sound too negative. Some folks spend way too much time criticizing the famous “Monday-Saturday” thing. These folks fail to realize that nothing prevents anyone from attending Mass every single day! Sometimes, the very people complaining about the “Monday-Saturday” thing take advantage of this freedom, and skip Mass on the Holy Day!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Jeff Ostrowski

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

Can You Spare 33 Seconds?

Here’s an audio excerpt (33 seconds) of a setting for Kyrie VIII which was recorded live last Sunday at our parish in Los Angeles. The setting (“Missa de Angelis”) is by composer Richard Rice, and you can download the free PDF if you click here and scroll to the bottom. I think Richard’s composition is marvelous. I missed a few notes on the organ, but I’ll get them right next time.

—Jeff Ostrowski
5 April 2021 • When Girls Sing

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

—Jeff Ostrowski
29 March 2021 • FEEDBACK

“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

The “jolly good guy” kind of pastor can be an irritant. […] Ministers of the Gospel are not used car salesmen whose heartiness is a mile wide and an inch deep. A bemused layman told me that a bishop joked with him, but turned away like a startled deer when asked an important question…

— Fr. George Rutler (7 August 2017)

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