Objective:
To help the middle school youth understand the Church’s teachings regarding the Holy Days of Obligation and our need to participate in those holy days as we strive for sanctity and piety.
Overview:
On December 13, 1991 the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of American made the following general decree concerning holy days of obligation for Latin rite Catholics:
In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:
1. January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
2. Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the Solemnity of the Ascension
3. August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
4. November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints
5. December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
6. December 25, the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Church law directs Catholics to their obligation to worship God on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation by attending Mass. This follows from the fact that in the Mass it is Christ Himself who worships the Father, joining our worship to His. In no other way is it possible to adequately give thanks to God for the blessings of creation, redemption and our sanctification than by uniting our offerings to that of Jesus Christ Himself. Following the example of the Old Covenant, the Church does this weekly on the day of the Lord’s Resurrection.