Comments on: A Feast that is Missing in Action?

By: Henry

Henry — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:49:51 +0000

One also has the option of attending an Eastern Catholic Liturgy. The day after Christmas is devoted to the Mother of God. The Circumcision is on January 1. Epiphany (Theophany) is on January 6. All are considered Holy Days with Theophany being a day of obligation.

By: Ken

Ken — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:45:28 +0000

There seems to be some confusion on the Feast of the Circumcision. Although John XXIII renamed it the Octave Day of Christmas, he changed nothing in the Mass of 1 January. So, yes, Monsignor, the oldest propers in the traditional Latin Mass that day (the collect and postcommunion) reference Mary, Mother of God. BUT, the Gospel (which defines the day, no?) is Luke 2:21 (yes, a mercifully short post New Year’s Eve Gospel!) on the cicumcision.

Therefore, the solution to all of these problems is to only offer and hear the traditional Latin Mass, following the calendar of 1962 with no exceptions. (In fact, there were three traditional Latin Circumcision Masses in the Archdiocese of Washington on Friday, and at least five in the Diocese of Arlington.)

I’ve done this for over 15 years and my spiritual — and physical — health is better off as a result.

By: jan

jan — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:41:05 +0000

Cynthia – I think when subjects like this come up, men tend to think of Lorena Bobbitt, so I’m not real surprised your husband didn’t react much.

Someone else here did though – he knows who he is.

By: Cynthia BC

Cynthia BC — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:47:30 +0000

I waited until dinner to bring up the topic of the Missing Feast (I thought distracting my husband while he was using a table saw to be NOT a good idea). *sigh* I didn’t get nearly the reaction for which I’d hoped. I thought at the very least our 8yo daughter would want an explanation of “circumcision” but she was too focused on the meatballs.

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

Msgr. Charles Pope — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:05:28 +0000

All right now, you ladies stop wounding (oops!) us men with your humor where we are most vulnerable!

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

Msgr. Charles Pope — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:03:41 +0000

Yes, thank you for your observations which are all well said.

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

Msgr. Charles Pope — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:02:33 +0000

Also, connect the dots between Old and New is essential and, as you point out something we must learn to do better.

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

Msgr. Charles Pope — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:01:19 +0000

Fair enough though we only hear of Simeon and Anna in the Ordinary Form on one of the three years So I guess we’d want to tweek the Lectionary too!

As for having two calendars, it is a bugaboo to some extent. I suppose your solution is one but also one that would be resisted by many precisely because it IS 1962. In a way we actually have dozens of calendars in operation in the Roman Rite due to the many variations observed by Reliogious Orders and also local custom. Right now options and variations in the Roman Rite seem to be proliferating. On the one hand I like diversity, on the other I have concerns of balkanization. Not sure where to draw the line and unify things a bit.

By: jan

jan — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:52:08 +0000

Bravo, Cynthia! I did resist the urge – actually, I was too cowardly to joke about it so I’m glad you did.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:17:13 +0000

I don’t know exactly how long the Octave feasts have been where they are, but as an Anglo-Catholic preparing to join the Roman Church I can say a couple of things. First, the feasts of S. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, S. John the Evangelist, and Holy Innocents have fallen on their current dates since at least 1662.
Secondly, I will miss the feast of the Circumcision of Christ when I finish “conversion”. Aside from all the reasons that have been mentioned by you Father and Bender, we need to understand circumcision to understand why we baptize babies. Furthermore, this feast day helps illumine why children are named at Baptism. But most importantly it is a reminder to all of us of what salvation ultimately cost Christ. The Circumcision while necessary wasn’t sufficient for the salvation of the world. The shedding of blood had to be coupled with the death of a willing and qualified victim. I think this feast day is an excellent opportunity to reflect on Circumcision as a pre-cursor of what was to come, but also to remember that the most precious Blood of Christ became effective only after his death and subsquent resurrection. (See: Hebrews 9:15-17)