A general discussion of Holy Days of Obligation.
This Thursday is Ascension Thursday. It is another Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics. In case you've forgotten, a Holy Day of Obligation is a day that we must attend church. Will you go?
I remember when I was young Holy Days seemed like such a big deal. What do you mean we have to go to church in the middle of the week? Are they crazy? Don't they know what an inconvenience it is to me, in all my teenage and preteen angst? How dare they?
I always used to try to come up with excuses why I couldn't go. These excuses ranged from "I'm sick," to "I have way too much homework." Of course my parents never bought it. I HAD to go. I remember looking around and thinking none of my other Catholic friends seemed to be there. Why didn't their parents make them go? They must have cool parents. Not like mine, they're zealots.
Flash forward to grown up land. I have to admit a lot of these Holy Days of Obligation seem to sneak up on me despite my having a Catholic calendar in not one but two places in my house. When the priest makes his announcements at the end of Sunday Mass about the various Mass times for the Holy Day, I've invariably made an appointment outside of my work schedule for that day. But now, instead of thinking what an inconvenience the Mass will be, I think of how great it will be that the Church will be full.
It's another time I can go and worship. What's best about it is it is mandatory. Daily Mass is great but I have to admit I don't practice daily Mass. But I'm happy the Church compels me to go to Holy Days. It's another reminder that I should be worshipping God throughout my week and not just at Sunday Mass.
