Catholic Lite?

Lite foods may be fine for dieters, but does lite spiritual food really nourish the soul? Today being All Saints Day, my husband and I went to the early low Mass at the Linden Chapel. Yesterday I asked someone what time they were going to Mass on the "Holy Day of Obligation." She reminded me that it isn't a holy day because the feast fell on a Saturday and when they fall on Saturdays or Mondays the obligation is lifted.

Right! I forgot. Dumb me!

We live in the age of Catholic lite. So much has changed. The fasting rules were just about nullified years ago. When I was young there were no Saturday vigil Masses and the fast was nothing but water after midnight in order to receive Communion. Now you can eat and drink almost up to the beginning of Mass if the priest gives long sermons. The Friday abstinence in the U.S. got tossed (except for Lent) in 1966 shortly after the end of Vatican II. The bishops "urge" Catholics to practice another penance if they skip abstinence, but how many do? How many even know that penance is necessary for salvation? Sacrifice? Isn't the Mass a banquet, a meal with friends? 

There are only a handful of holy days of obligation in the liturgical calendar:

• January 1st – Solemnity of the Mary, the Holy Mother of God 

• Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord - 40 days after Easter 

• August 15th  – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

• November 1st – Solemnity of All Saints 

• December 8th – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

• December 25th – Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

What's the reality under Catholic lite practice? Ascension Thursday is now permanently moved to Sunday in many dioceses so now Sunday is Thursday. The connection to our ancestors who celebrated the Ascension on Thursday, the traditional day the Lord ascended into heaven 40 days after Easter, is lost. But what a relief for Catholic who may find an extra Mass burdensome, not to mention Father. The same is true for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in some dioceses. Fifty-eight obligatory Masses a year out of 365 days is just too much. Can we make Sunday Mass optional?

The situation is confusing. There is no universal norm these days. It depends on the diocese. And doesn't that encourage the weak to shrug about the Mass obligation in general. Hey, if the Holy Days of Obligation are not obligatory and more, why should Sunday Mass be? Just skip Mass and play golf or head to the beach or just sleep in!

 Much in the Church is confusing these days. Just think about it. You can miss a holy day altogether if you're traveling in one diocese on the traditional feast day and they celebrate on a Sunday and return to your own diocese that keeps the traditional day. That actually happened to us a few years ago. Too bad. Suck it up, buttercup.

So far no bishops have moved Christmas or the Solemnity of Mary to the nearest Sunday, but who knows? Maybe they're on the chopping block for later. After all, the kiddies want to get up and dig into their stockings and see what's under the Christmas tree. And who wants to get up for Mass on New Years Day after partying into the wee hours on New Year's eve.

With Advent on the horizon, I think of all the people who skip the purple season altogether. How many these days make Advent a time of preparation for the birthday of the Lord by practicing penance, a requirement for salvation? For most people aren't the weeks before Christmas rather a blur of shopping, Christmas parties, and celebrations? Ride around your town and see how many trees are on the curb the day after Christmas. Time to decorate for Valentine's Day. 

One of our Advent and Lent traditions is making pretzels, little praying arms.

It grieves my heart to think how much has been lost. So many traditions dropped down the memory hole. The Benedictus prayer book often has a section discussing the traditions from the past. I love it when they include the memories of Maria von Trapp. You don't see much of that in the Sound of Music, but her writing is full of the treasures of the feast days and family traditions to celebrate them.

Of course no Catholic is prohibited from doing more than Church lite requires. But what a help it was when we had the added push to do it. Human nature is weak and fickle. Parents know rules help their children grow in virtue by giving them guidance and good habits. God is a loving Father. He loves us much more than our parents do. His rules are for our benefit, not to spoil our fun.

My husband and I visited a cemetery today and prayed for the dead. I hope we are detached enough from sin to gain the plenary indulgence to free one of our loved ones from Purgatory. Lord, help us to do that every day in this month of all saints and all souls. I always put the choice of the soul in the Blessed Mother's hands since we have consecrated ourselves to her. I hope my parents are long in heaven and I pray for my four siblings who have passed on to our true home. May they quickly join the blessed in heaven if they aren't there yet.

Let's not waste this time of blessing and mercy for our departed loved ones. They will reciprocate by praying for us after we die. 

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.