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| Photo compliments of Andrew Cheal Photography |
If you read Catholic blogs you can predict seeing certain types of posts or certain comments at certain times of the year. On or about holy days of obligation you can expect to see posts about the poor mass attendance and about how some people (not the blogger of course) don't have their priorities straight. God should come first is the comment. That is also the comment you get from many parish employees when people complain about lengthy or inconveniently timed sacramental preparation courses, religious education classes or just about anything else. If you let sports, work or homework get in the way of ______, you aren't putting God first.
I'll be the first to admit I think most holy days of obligation are more of an obligation to me than anything. I don't feel more holy, I don't feel celebratory, I just feel obligated but being the law-abiding Catholic that I am, I do go to mass (and wonder why the priest doesn't get this over with).
Does putting God first mean putting religious ed and such programs first all the time? That becomes a real question when dealing with high school confirmation classes. What if they are the night before the big test? What if homework is heavy that night? What about football practice, play practice or music lessons? Are we saying "no" to God when we say "no" to these programs? Yes, if religious ed is a priority and it is on Monday night, you don't schedule music lessons or dance class on Monday--that's easy. But what about play practice? Generally speaking, play practice is every night (or at least very frequently) for a relatively short period of time. Missing one practice is no big deal, unless it is the dress rehearsal. What if that's on Monday?
I guess what I'm trying to say is that yes, I know there are people who have their priorities out of whack; who will always put everything (including sleep and the NFL) above church attendance or religious ed, but there are also plenty of people out there who are trying to balance multiple commitments and before you make snarky remarks about those who don't make it to your pet program, realize that God is a lot bigger than your program.
Well said, RAnn. We as Catholics need to be very careful about judging others. Only God knows our hearts and can be the one to judge if He is being put first or not.
ReplyDeleteHoly days of obligation are interruptions of the routine, which can be a very good thing. Sure, they celebrate something we know well, but I find that it is always a good opportunity to glean some new insight. It is similar to praying the Rosary, it is not as if the mysteries are anything new to us but meditating on them refreshes them in our mind and gives new perspective. Holy Mother Church knows what she is doing!
ReplyDeleteI don't think putting God first means always choosing a church activity over everything else. In a big parish there is always so much happening that you might never leave otherwise. Last Saturday I skipped the CCD catechist kick-off program for example. It is helpful to many, but this is my 4th year straight and it is unlikely to be of much help to me. On the other hand, getting to my CCD classes is a high priority.
Holy days of obligation are not in that same optional category, of course. I know that many folks treat them (and Sunday Mass) as if they are. That denies the authority of the Church who is inseparable from Christ. Blowing these off are mortal sins (absent special circumstances), bound on earth and in heaven. I just don't get people taking it lightly.
I don't suggest giving Holy Days the same priority level we give religious ed or the church spaghetti supper; however, the Church is not obligated to make certain days Holy Days and I do think most of them have outlived their usefulness. If celebrating the Assumption is important, move the celebration to Sunday when folks are more likely to be in church, rather than in the middle of the week, where many don't go, and more than a few others just want it over with.
DeleteI respectfully disagree. I think more than ever we need this interruption and reminder about these important days, especially given that our society already tells us we should only live our faith on Sundays for an hour.
DeleteN that being said, we also need much greater catechesis. Our parish is good about having multiple Masses to accommodate schedules for Holy Days, but I do know that isn't always possible.
DeleteAs for the other things you mention, RAnn, it does seem there could be some flexibility for play practice and such things. My children are younger than yours, so I've not had to encounter that yet.
Daily mass attendees don't consider Holy Days any sort of interruption. 'cept there's more people. So long as there's Christmas, All Saints, New Years obligation, what's a few more?
DeleteI always liked George Harrison's song, "See Yourself." It's hard to. My mother's mission seemed to be acting as a mirror for others - I find myself slipping into that same role.
"If only they could see themselves ..."
Bravo!!
ReplyDeleteThe older I get the more God Comes First. It's a process.
ReplyDeleteIt's frustrating to many of us who have been involved in ministry when people don't show up for the holy days, but Colleen's right, we have to be careful about judging. I'm constantly telling my kids "YOU TAKE CARE OF ***YOU***!" and I think that's a lesson we adults need as well. The splinter in our neighbor's eye, the plank in our own, and all that.
ReplyDeleteOh, look. When bloggers allow me to post as name/URL, the comment actually goes through. What do you know.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Christian. Maybe the obligation feeling might be because we are just too over committed to various other things going on in our lives. We can take on only so much in our routines. But I have to say also that parishes could help by offering the Masses at times that take into account people's workday schedules. One of the best pastors I ever had offered a 6:30 am Mass, a noon Mass, and a 7:00 Mass on every holy day of obligation. All were reasonably well attended.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of crazy schedules out there and it really is tough to balance it all. My mom's an RE coordinator and she has a horrible time with scheduling sometimes because of tournaments or various other things. I don't know all the answers, but I absolutely agree that the finger pointing needs to stop because it gets us no where.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is hard to schedule anything, and that at some point it does come down to priorities. You can't call religious ed a priority when you schedule something that could be any night for the same night as religious ed. On the other hand, I'll admit to wondering why more of that stuff isn't scheduled on Sunday morning when the family is already at church rather than in the middle of the week.
DeleteThe good pastor I mentioned above had all RE on Sunday mornings. It made sense and probably accounted for the good attendance.
ReplyDeleteI respect and admire your sense of duty because few people, Catholic or not, really have it these days. I am going to write a post on the subject because you inspired me with this post.