A Holy Day of Privilege and Obligation
Opinion
I once read a parish newsletter announcing an upcoming holy day of obligation. The notice itself was unremarkable, but one phrase caught my attention. We were invited to celebrate a holy day "of privilege and obligation".
In Australia, Catholics observe two such holy days in addition to Sundays: the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The phrase stayed with me because holy days make far more sense when we recover them as privileges as well as obligations.
Historically, holy days were really both. In ancient and medieval Europe, the state and Church were intertwined. A holy day that carried the obligation to attend Mass simultaneously granted labourers an exemption (the privilege) from work without losing money. Religious duty was in step with a legally protected right. For today’s Australian Catholics, Christmas remains both a religious duty and a public holiday.
It is easy enough to understand Christmas as a privilege. Many people have the day off from work if not several days. Shops are closed. Friends and family gather to share joy and express love. We decorate our homes, share special meals, and, as Catholics, attend Mass. Christmas shows us how the obligation and privilege go hand in hand. People tend not to resent the Christmas obligation because they instinctively experience it as a gift. Given that the Assumption is not a public holiday in Australia, the challenge is to be more intentional so we can see it the same way.
Christmas was just over half a year ago. Don’t we all feel ready for another privilege in the middle of winter?
If we only think of the obligation as a box to check, we miss the point, which is to live out the liturgy in all areas of our lives. What most of us need, if not a day off, is connection, community, and a sense of belonging.
Worship: This year the Assumption falls on a Saturday. On the one hand, it’s the weekend. On the other, you’re expected to worship two days in a row. This solemnity has a vigil on Friday night, which could fulfil the obligation. Check your local parish. There may be Mass on Friday evening and/or Saturday morning.
Community: At Mass you would be gathering with a community of faith. You could extend that aspect by sharing a meal with family or friends or even inviting others over for a celebration. Maybe a small gift for those closest to you? What about making a donation to a charity that is close to your heart?
Home: There is something ancient and charmingly counter-cultural about celebrating the liturgical year outside of the church as much as inside. We decorate for Christmas. How would it look to decorate for the Assumption? It could be as simple as bringing home some flowers.
Personal Prayer: The obligation is to attend Mass, but you might also consider praying the rosary and meditating upon the Glorious Mysteries, spending an hour or afternoon in spiritual reading, or contemplating the mystery of Mary’s assumption into heaven while looking up at the sky.
Holy days of obligation make most sense when we recover them as privileges.
On some Sundays, gathering for Mass feels like the privilege it is. On other days, despite what we know and believe, it can feel like an obligation. The Mass is constant, but it is often we who are conflicted.
