I was surprised to find out recently that Ash Wednesday was not a holy day especially since it is a very well attended Mass. Why is Ash Wednesday not a holy day? How does the Church decide which days are holy days?
Thanks!
Michelle
Dear Michelle,
Actually, Ash Wednesday is a holy day. However, it is not a holy day of obligation. You are not the only one who thinks of Ash Wednesday as a holy day of obligation. It is a very common mistake. Some holy days of obligation make sense on their own and really need no explanation such as Sundays, Christmas and Easter. other holy days of obligation may not seem quite as obvious but do highlight very important aspects of our faith and the economy of salvation and so the Church obliges us to attend Mass these days to give these events just respect and to remind ourselves of their importance in the life of faith. These would be such feasts as the Ascension of the Lord, New Years (the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God), August 15th (the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and December 8th (the Immaculate Conception of the BVM). There are other events which are important and so are celebrated on the liturgical calendar but the Church does not oblige us to attend, though it is a very worthy to do so. Ash Wednesday is just such a day as is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord which we just celebrated on February 2nd and the feasts of various saints.
Fr. Pisut
