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LITURGY: Liturgy Planning Committee
Last revised:
November 2, 2007 9:49 AM
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"As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare
So may we with holy joy
Pure and free from sins alloy
All our costliest treasures bring
Christ to Thee our heavenly King"
~excerpt from As with Gladness Men of Old
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On This Page:
Liturgy Planning Committee | Seasons
of the Liturgical Year | Holy Days of Obligation
Liturgy Planning Committee
The function of the Liturgy Planning Committee is to reflect upon and
break open the Scripture readings in order to draw out themes or areas
of focus for liturgy, rites and the community. The community comes together
seasonally to prayerfully reflect on the readings and make suggestions
to a sub-committee for implementation. Contact Judy Petrunak through
the Parish Office at (586) 268-2244.
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Seasons of the Liturgical
Year
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The seasons of the liturgical year begin with Advent,
a time of preparation for the Christmas season. more...
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The Christmas season celebrates the birth of Jesus
(on December 25) and continues until the Baptism of Our
Lord. more...
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This is followed by the first of two periods of Ordinary
Time, which continues until Ash Wednesday.
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Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season
of Lent, a time of penitence leading to the Paschal
Triduum after the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. more...
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The Triduum is the three days before Easter.
more...
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Easter Sunday marks the start of the Easter
season, which continues as a time of celebration until Pentecost
Sunday. more...
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Pentecost Sunday marks the start of the second period
of Ordinary Time, which continues until the Advent season
begins again. This is Confirmation time see
more...
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Holy Days of Obligation
Merry Christmas! Yes, for us this remains an
appropriate greeting as we continue to celebrate the Incarnation.
Since I wished everyone a “Happy New Year” when the New
Year really began (Advent), I’ll refrain from being redundant.
Monday, January first, is a holy day.Usually it is also a day of
obligation, however, this year the obligation to participate in
Mass is abrogated (removed). I know this puzzles some parishioners.
I hear people ask, “How can it be a holy day one year but not
another?”
The first point to clarify is that these days are ALWAYS holy days.
That does not change. What we are really talking about is the obligation
to participate in Mass. The directive is simple. When a holyday
of obligation falls on a Monday or a Saturday the obligation is
lifted. The two exceptions to this policy are Christmas and the
Immaculate Conception of Mary.
The “Monday and Saturday” policy was instituted by our
bishops. It was not to take away from the holy days but was a tacit
acknowledgment of the shortage of priests. It was also recognition
for liturgical ministers (musicians, ushers, sacristans, etc.) and
the challenge that back to back feasts can pose to them. So that
holy days did not become a burden but remained a joy for us to celebrate,
the “Monday and Saturday exemption” was adopted. If you
can remember “Monday and Saturday” it is fairly easy to
know when you are obligated to be at Mass for a holy day and when
you are not.
The custom of keeping holy days came from the people of God. There
was a heartfelt need to celebrate certain events in the life of
Christ and favorite saints. On certain days people came to church
in great numbers to keep these feasts. Of course, which days and
saints were so honored differed from one part of the world to another.
During the Middle Ages it appears that all of the apostles were
so honored.
Today the Church recognizes ten holy days of
obligation (Code of Canon Law, 1246). “Sunday is the day on
which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic
tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation
in the universal Church. The second part of canon 1246 gives Bishops
Conferences the authority, with approval of the Holy See, to abolish
certain holy days or transfer them to Sunday. That is why in the
United States we do not observe the holy days of St. Joseph (March
19) or Saints Peter and Paul (June 29) as days of obligation. The
Epiphany, Ascension and Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ are transferred
to Sundays.
Fr. Randy Phillips
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The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
On December 8, The Immaculate Conception, is a Holy Day
of Obligation. There is often confusion surrounding the
Immaculate of Conception. By the name of the feast day,
one would think we would celebrate the day Jesus was conceived.
However, it is the day that the Blessed Mother Mary was
conceived.
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The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our
Lord Jesus Christ
Christmas is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. This holiday
is celebrated on December 25.
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The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
The Solemnity of Mary is the feast day on which Catholics
celebrate the Mother of God, our Lady's greatest title.
Catholics celebrate this solemnity on January 1. Because
today is a Holy Day of Obligation, Catholics must attend
Mass.
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The solemnity of the Epiphany
The Epiphany was understood as the manifestation of Jesus
to the nations (represented by the Magi.) The date was also
associated with Jesus’ baptism, thus January 6th became
the second day of the year that the early Church celebrated
baptisms.
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The Ascension
The Ascension of the Lord is a Holy Day of Obligation. Catholics
celebrate the time when Jesus Christ ascends into Heaven.
The Solemnity of the Ascension is celebrated either on the
Thursday after the Sixth Sunday of Easter or the following
Sunday.
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Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Also known as Corpus Christi, this holy day is celebrated
on the Second Sunday after Pentecost or Thursday after Trinity
Sunday. The Solemnity of Corpus Christi commemorates the
institution of the Holy Eucharist
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Solemnity of the Assumption
In the Roman Catholicism religion, August 15 is the Holy
Day of Obligation known as the Feast of the Assumption.
The Blessed Mary assumes her place in Heaven with Jesus
Christ.
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Solemnity of All Saints
November 1st is THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS AND A HOLY DAY
OF OBLIGATION. (A day of obligation means Catholics are
obligated to participate in the Mass.) On November 2nd we
remember our beloved dead as we keep the feast of All Souls.
All Souls Day is a popular day to visit the cemeteries where
our loved ones are interred. When that is not possible we
might honor them by lighting a candle, placing a photo in
a prominent place, or simply sharing memories with family
or friends. Perhaps one of the most elaborate celebrations
of All Saints and All Souls comes from Mexico. The celebration
of “the Day of the Dead” predates Christianity.
As with customs surrounding the winter solstice (Christmas)
and the vernal equinox (Easter) the Church incorporated
some of these customs into popular piety. In many Hispanic
homes an altar will be created. On the altar will be photos
of the dead, a crucifix, or statue of Mary, candles, incense
and
flowers, traditionally marigolds. Throughout Mexico there
are candlelight processions to the cemetery on All Hallows’
Eve and some families even spend the night praying the rosary,
decorating graves and/or enjoying fireworks. While there
are many ways to keep these days, remembering those who
have gone before us marked with the sign of faith is meant
to be a respite from the daily grind. The Solemnity of All
Saints and the Feast of All Souls is a time of acknowledging
our unity with those who have died.
Through ritual, story, song and symbol we express our faith
that death does not break the bonds between us and those
we
love. This is a time of building family unity by sharing
the stories of the ancestors. These stories, in turn, sustain
us as we continue our earthly pilgrimage. ~ Fr. Randy Phillips,
2007
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