There were a goodly number of people at Mass this morning, about average for a Sunday Mass. But it was the only Mass for the Solemnity of Mary today, and on a normal Sunday there are six Masses on the day itself, plus three vigils. Yesterday, there was one vigil.
So where was everybody on this "holy day of obligation," or as we used to spit it out "holy d'obligation" when all Catholics gotta go to Mass?
Not at the cathedral. It had five Masses for Sunday but only two for the Solemnity.
New Year's Day was not always the Solemnity of Mary. In my youth, it was the feast of the Circumcision. It was years before I found out what that was all about. I never had the feeling the celebrant spent the week eagerly preparing his sermon on the bris.
There also were efforts to make Jan. 1 the start of an octave for Christian unity or a day of prayer for world peace. I lived in one diocese that was big on unity, but in none that ever did much for peace.
In 1969, Jan. 1 was officially designated the Solemnity of Mary, apparently because, well, it was New Year's Day and the Church has to do something about it. Or, just possibly, because the people who decide these things decided they can never do enough for Mary. Before '69 the Solemnity was observed without obligation at various times in various places in dioceses around the world.
It isn't as if the failure to feel obliged by the Jan. 1 d'obligation shows disregard for Mary. As I noted earlier, Our Lady of Guadalupe is becoming as big as Christmas even in parts of these United States, where the Immaculate Conception is a d'obligation only four days earlier. People are not boycotting Mary. But enthusiasm is scant in the pews for her Solemnity three weeks after those two.
My feeling is that the Church really doesn't have to do something about New Year's Day. And the pastors who dutifully note in the small print of the Bulletin that it's a holy day of obligation don't plan in expectation that something is going to happen, not even the obligation.
As is the custom in NYC all holidays, religious and otherwise, have alternate-side-of-the-street parking suspended. In our environs, cars can stay where they are parked and not double park from 9:30 and 11:00 to let the street cleaner raise dust, etc.
ReplyDeleteSo today, New Year's Day and the Solemnity of Mary are observed by the cars staying put. Sidewalk traffic suggests that their drivers have also stayed put.
Our priest gave a pretty good homily on the feast last night. He said the reason for it is actually to underline the divinity of Christ in both his human and divine natures. He said even some Christians fall into the error of thinking that Jesus is two "persons", the Second Person of the Trinity who is God, and Jesus the man, who is the Son of God, but not God. But when God assumed a human nature and was born of Mary, this human nature was God. As was the divine nature. So Mary is the mother of God, since Jesus is God, all the way. It made sense, the way he said it. Probably not the way I said it.
ReplyDeleteBut I agree with you about the "day of obligation" thing, since people apparently don't accept that it is. But I think going to Mass on the first day (or the first eve) of the year is a good thing, because we can, and to ask blessings on the New Year. Lord knows we need them.
Still feast of the circumcision in the Anglican communion. It's in unbolded type in my prayer book calendar, next to the bolded Octave of Christmas.
ReplyDeleteEpiscopal priests would frequently refer to the circumcision to remind us that Jesus was born to an observant Jewish family.
Ditto February 2, which is the Feast of the Presentation and Purification of the BVM.
New Year's Day services are always pretty laconic and sparsely attended, people talking about how they spent too much, ate too much, traveled too much, had too many people in their house, and that we have three more months of winter staring us in the face.
We try to observe Advent, but it always feels like we're trying to keep Christmas at bay.
Listening to Gov. Gretchen get sworn in here in Michigan. The plane flyover didn't come in on cue. Not an auspicious beginning. Her speech isn't helping: "Michigan is more than just a place, it's a way of life. We love our four seasons and our strong traditions." God, if she mentions the Tunnel of Trees, I will run screaming into the road.
When I was a kid I remember it being the feast of the Circumcision. Thought at the time it was a weird thing to celebrate, since the baby certainly wasn't celebrating.
DeleteTunnel of Trees, never heard of that, sounds interesting. I like trees.
http://www.upnorthmichigan.com/Drives/tunnelTrees.htm
DeleteAlways a nice drive to Cross Village for Polish food at Legs Inn.
I wish your new governor luck. Sounds like the Rs pulled some dirty tricks in the lame duck period. I hope it gets challenged in court.
DeleteWe actually get more people today than we do for All Saints or the other Marian obligatory days. Of course, we get more for Thanksgiving than for any of those churchy days. People don't give a RIP anymore about church-imposed obligations but they mark holidays by going to church. In other words they showed up today not because of Mary but because it happens to be New Year's Day. The church should just dispense with the obligation.
ReplyDeleteSorry "rip" was supposed to be lower case in my prior comment. My smart phone is too smart.
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