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MarieC
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 11:01am | IP Logged
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OK...I feel really dumb asking this, BUT....it's for one of the children, so...here goes....
I know that as a solemnity one is permitted to eat meat on St. Joseph's Day, which always falls during Lent and (here's the part that concerns my child...)is my daughter's birthday.
This is good news to my daughter since she dreads having to eat fish. However, what about other Lenten sacrifices (eating goodies...birthday cake!) and the whole celebration aspect?
In the past we've celebrated on Sunday...is that necessary?
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Marie
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chicken lady
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 11:08am | IP Logged
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You are permitted to celebrate!
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mary theresa
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 11:58am | IP Logged
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Of course, celebrate! Solemnities are not for sacrifices but for rejoicing! I always heard that you should not fast or do bodily mortifications on Sundays or Solemnities.
So nice for your daughter that her birthday is on a solemnity! My daughter will have to wait till the weekend for her cake, cuz her day is on the 22nd. But she's only 1 this year, so she won't know the difference. 
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Mary Theresa
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JennGM
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 12:11pm | IP Logged
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Marie,
You are only obligated not abstain from meat on Fridays and Ash Wednesday in Lent.
Now, is your daughter's birthday on the actual feast of St. Joseph? That's tremendous--what a great birthday!! St. Joseph and the Annunciation are solemnities that usually fall in Lent, the highest feasts of the church. There are only 14 solemnities during the Liturgical Year. They are treated like Sundays, no work, feasting, no abstinence. (As an aside Holydays of Obligation are always solemnities, so those are also treated as Sundays...but not all solemnities are holydays of obligation.)
So big feasting for the Solemnity is always in order. If St. Joseph's Day (or any solemnity) falls on Friday, the abstinence rule is lifted.
But we mention in other threads that for a personal celebration, like a birthday, feasting is in order, at least for that person. My birthday always falls in Lent, so I've thought about this quite a bit. I lift my Lenten penances for the day for myself personally. I usually make my celebrations with others on another day that people can share in my joy without feeling like they are breaking their Lenten resolutions. However, you would still be obligated to abstain from meat or fast if your birthday falls on one of those days (unless it's the aforementioned solemnity).
To muddy the waters even more...there are some days that abstinence can be lifted, depending on the local bishop of the diocese. The example I have in mind is St. Patrick's Day in previous years. In the USA, St. Patrick is only an optional memorial (although elsewhere it is a solemnity).
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Celeste
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 12:29pm | IP Logged
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Right, in Boston you can eat meat on Friday on St. Patrick's Day because he's the patron of the archdiocese.
Last year our bishop (I'm not in Boston anymore--but not Kansas either) gave a dispensation from the abstinence from meat on St. Patrick's Day, even though we haven't a significant Irish population here.
I'm so glad you brought up the personal celebration, Jenn. We don't have kids with birthdays in Lent, but I think if ever we do, we're celebrating just as much as we do for the others.
Did you ever have "Church resentment" because of your birthday being in Lent?
Celeste
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chicken lady
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 3:00pm | IP Logged
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My b-day was in Lent this year, I'm OK with it, mainly because it is the Feast of the Chair of Peter! How great is that!!!
As for our dear St Pat being only a memorial....now there is a "resentment"!  
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momwats8
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 3:24pm | IP Logged
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My ds - almost 12 - has his birthday on the Annunciation. he loves it because we do not do school on solemnities, feast days, and the like. So not only do we celebrate even though it is in Lent he gets to have school off too 
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Mary- Wife to Mike and Mother to Austin(92), Mikey(95), R.J.(97), Benedict(98), Kolbe(00), Ignatius(02), Christian(03), Margaret(05),&4 angels in heaven
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MarieC
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 3:40pm | IP Logged
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Thanks all...especially Jenn...so much for all this information and support!
Up until this year we'd celebrated her birthday--guests, cake and gifts) on a Sunday before or after the big day (it is on March 19  !) and just let her choose the dinner menu on the actual day. This year, however, our extended family is celebrating birthdays in chunks....we celebrated this birthday girl, another daughter's birthday, my mom's and my niece's (also my goddaughter....who is born on the Feast of the Annunciation!) all together back in Feb. Now that the extended family celebrations were taken care of we're left with doing cake, gifts, etc. on their actual birthday and I wasn't sure how much celebrating to do in Lent.
You've all cleared up my questions beautifully...thanks so much!!
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Marie
mom to 6
dds-98, 00, 02 and 09 & dss-03 and 06
Out in the Orchard
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: A ? about St. Joseph Day & solemnities
