I find most disappointing the recent decision to transfer the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady to Sunday this year, due to its occurrence on the preceding Saturday.
The culture of days of obligation is increasingly diluted. A couple of years ago, a similar decision was taken in England, in terms whereof all Holy Days pertaining to Our Lord which were of obligation in England, other than Christmas, namely Epiphany, Ascension and Corpus Christi, would be transferred to the nearest Sunday. The remaining days, again other than Christmas, namely Ss Peter and Paul, the Assumption and All Saints, would be transferred if they fell on a Monday or Saturday. Heaven forbid that people should be required to attend Mass two days in a row!
In many parts of the world, this trend has been followed, for which the argument often used is that it will ensure greater numbers present at the liturgical observance of these feasts.
While this argument has merit, in my opinion transferring the feast cuts us off from our heritage as Catholics, is a form of “dumbing down” of our religion, and actually downgrades the feast. It no longer seems important enough to observe by taking the trouble to attend Mass on a day most Catholics would not otherwise have attended.
The Assumption is our patronal feast as a nation. One would have thought that this (not to mention the honour of Our Lady) would have persuaded our bishops to retain the feast on its proper day, even if on a Saturday. Let’s hope Christmas never suffers a similar fate!
Nicholas Mitchell, Port Elizabeth
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