Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Welcome& Weekly Q&A- Ascension Vigil Edition

Welcome to new follower Lora, who joined us several days ago.
I'm preparing to record a Podcast with Catholic Vitamins around noon today, and will spend this morning going over the proposed discussion questions that host Deacon Tom Fox has sent me. It's a chance to reach more Catholics with the good news of the Liturgy of the Hours, so say a prayer for me that whatever I say will make the Hours sound intriguing and attractive to whomever eventually listens to the podcast. (not sure when the podcast will actually be available. I'll let you know when I find out.)  Pray specifically that I don't talk too fast, that being my greatest flaw as a speaker!
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Don't forget to use Evening Prayer I of the feast of the Ascension tonight. Unless, of course, your diocese commemorates this feast on Sunday. Lots of people--myself among them--like the holydays to be celebrated on the traditional day rather than on he nearest Sunday, but I also understand the reasoning for the transfers to Sundays. More light was shed on this concept of the church's authority to switch up our observance times when my son, who will soon go to a new Navy assignment in Bahrain, told me that in many Muslim-ruled nations, the mass of every Sunday is celebrated on Friday.   This is when Catholics in those countries are able to fulfill their "Sunday" obligation. Friday, the day of sabbath for Muslims, is the only day of the week when most workplaces are closed. Few Catholics in these countries would be able to attend Sunday mass because they would be working. I'm not sure why the Saturday night vigil option is not an adequate solution, but there must be good reasons for the switch to Friday.

Anyway, if the Church can allow  Sunday's liturgy on a Friday, year round, I guess switching Ascension Thursday to Sunday, as is done in many diocese here, is not big deal.

Now off to my podcast prep. Submit your questions or comments below!