26 December 2024, Austin, Texas, Steven Zimmerman – Have you ever heard of “Days of Obligation” within the Roman Catholic Church? I was surprised to find that many of the people I spoke to on the street had no idea what I was asking about.
“Days of Obligation? What is that?” asked Brian Rogers of Marble Falls, Texas.
“I’m Southern Baptist,” says Sariah McGreggor of Houston, Texas. “Aren’t those days when Catholics are supposed to give food or money or something like that?”
“I am Russian Orthodox,” says Bill Thompson of Austin, Texas. “We don’t use the term, as the Catholic Church does.”
Holy Days of Obligation are religious feast days in the Roman Catholic Church when Catholics must attend Mass and refrain from unnecessary work. These days are considered the most important days of the year and are principal liturgical events that honor the mysteries of Jesus Christ, Mary, and the Saints.
While the concept of “days of obligation” isn’t strictly used in the Orthodox Church in the same way as in Catholicism, the major feast days on the Orthodox liturgical calendar are considered highly important as they provide dedicated moments to deeply engage with key events in Jesus’ life and the lives of important saints. These feasts serve as a crucial way for Orthodox Christians to deepen their faith through focused prayer and celebration.
The first set of Holy Days of Obligation, listed 45 days, not counting Sundays, was created in 1234 and can be found in the Decretals of Gregory IX. Today’s list was established in 1917 by Canon 1247 of the Code of Canon Law, which can be found today in Canon 1246.
But why Days of Obligation?
The Catholic Church established Days of Obligation to designate specific days throughout the year as particularly important for Catholics to attend Mass. These days served as a way to regularly commemorate and remember key moments in the life of Jesus Christ, the life of Mary, and certain Saints. Days of Obligation encouraged a more profound reflection and commitment to the faith that went beyond Sundays.
Days of Obligation are a celebration of the central tenets of the faith throughout the year.
When I asked passers-by if they knew about Days of Obligation, many told me that, once I explained it to them, such days were not biblical and went against both God and Christian tradition.
The idea of setting aside days for worship has biblical origins. Sunday, our day of worship, is a prime example. Two key passages from the Bible:
Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV):
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
And Acts 20:7 (NIV):
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
It is biblical to have specific and special days for worship.
Days of Obligation are not simply another day to hear Mass or attend Church but days to reflect upon specific events.
An example would be 1 January, the first Day of Obligation in the year: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
The readings on the Solemnity of Mary focus on Mary and our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Gospel reading for that day is from Luke 2:16-21:
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
The readings for that day can be found below:
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God | USCCB
Daily Bible Readings, Podcast Audio and Videos and Prayers brought to you by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Another reason for Days of Obligation, and I must also mention that each Sunday is a Day of Obligation, is for the community. We are called to come together as a community and celebrate and reflect upon points of our faith.
When we are alone, it can be hard to maintain a strong, resilient faith. When we come together, we join with others who share our faith and are committed to growing in that faith. Together, we are stronger than when we are alone.
I know a Pastor, Rev. Dr. Karl Heimer, within the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, who once said, “Worship is coming together, joining in one voice to praise God, and growing in our faith. It is a time for us to give of our time, as a form of tithing, back to God.”
What Dr. Heimer said is true. When we attend Mass on Sunday, a Day of Obligation, or throughout the week, we are giving of our time and of ourselves to God. It is a time for us to gather as a community, to praise God, and to learn of and recall the miracles in our lives. It is also a time for us to draw upon the strength of the Holy Spirit and for our brothers and sisters to grow in faith.
This coming year, why not resolve to attend Mass on Sunday and the Days of Obligation?
Days of Obligation within the Roman Catholic Church:
- 1 January: Solemnity of Mary
- 29 May: Ascension of Jesus — Celebrated on the sixth Thursday after Easter Sunday*
- 15 August: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- 1 November*: Solemnity of All Saints
- 8 December: Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- 25 December: Christmas
Major Feast Days within the Orthodox Church:
- Easter: The most important feast day in the Orthodox Church, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter dates vary each year based on the lunar and solar calendars.
- Circumcision of Our Lord: Celebrated on 1 January.
- Nativity Fast: Begins in January.
- Zacchaeus Sunday: Celebrated on 2 February.
- Hypapante: Celebrated on 2 February, marking the meeting of Christ with Simeon.
- Palm Sunday: Celebrated on 13 April.
- Ascension: Celebrated on 29 May.
- Pentecost: Celebrated on 8 June.
- Transfiguration: Celebrated on 19 August.
- Nativity of the Theotokos: Celebrated on 8 September.
- Elevation of the Cross: Celebrated on 14 September.
- Entrance of the Theotokos: Celebrated on 21 November.
- Nativity of Christ: Celebrated on 25 December.
The Orthodox Church’s ecclesiastical year is divided into movable and fixed holy days. The date of Easter determines the movable holy days.
