Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church. What this means is you are “required” as part of being Catholic to go to Church every Sunday and “keep it Holy” by dedicating the day to the Lord.
Here in the US, because many people started taking jobs that required them to work Sundays, there was created a Saturday Vigil Mass, initially for those that worked the next day, to allow them to meet their Sunday obligation of going to Church. Over time, more and more people started going to the Saturday Vigil Mass “to free up their Sunday mornings for “fun things””. In general I am OK with the Vigil Mass, but it was (and still technically still is) intended for those that had to work on Sunday (don’t get me started on that, or the rant soap box will get REALLY worn out).
Over the last few years, it appears all of the Sunday Masses are having deteriorating attendance, which is not good. If you are Catholic, be Catholic and meet your obligations, it is for your own good and the good of your Soul!
There use to be 10 (and more even earlier in the history of the Church) “High Holy Days of Obligation” throughout the year. These would fall on the same numerical day of the year, such as “St Joseph’s Day” on March 9th, what ever day of the week that date would fall on, requiring you to go to Church on that day and attend Mass. In the Old days, many people were allowed to take that day, or part of the day, off to attend Mass.
Here in the States we have reduced that number to 8 days, and 7 of those we “move” to a the closest Sunday after that date, leaving only Christmas on it’s set date. All because too many people complained about “having to be at Church during the week”. (At least that is what if feels like and looks like to me!) Now, in partial defense of the Faithful, the local work forces do not allow their employees take the time to meet their spiritual needs anymore, or cause many problems if they do get asked to let their religious oriented people go to Mass and come back to work.
All that said, people are not even going to a “Sunday” Mass as they should be.. Especially on the “moved” Obligation days! So what good was it moving them to a Sunday? We should put them back on their set days, and EVERYONE in the Catholic Church should be going to Mass on those days, Sundays, AND WHEN they can, daily!
That is every day but Saturday morning. Most Catholic Churches in the US have stopped having Saturday morning Masses. Not sure why?? And no one I talk to knows why?? Historically if you go to Mass 7 days a week, you are listening to about 96% of the Bible and getting it explained to you over a three year period. But without the Saturday Mass you are missing 104 readings (52 Gospels and 52 First Readings from the Old and New Testament) and having them explained to you in “today’s terms”. Is this really acceptable to the Church?
Please bring back ALL the Days of Obligation ON THEIR TRUE DAYS, and Saturday Masses!
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