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teachingmyown
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 3:48pm | IP Logged
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As I was getting the children ready for Mass, my mother called and told me to check my parish bulletin because apparently our diocese is not celebrating the Ascension today. Instead, it will be celebrated on Sunday.
This really gets to me. It seems that more often than not in recent years, Holy Days are moved to the closest Sunday. The last thing our Church needs is to water down the Liturgical year and lessen the already small obligation of Catholics.
The part that really gets me is that there is NO Mass this evening. So, we can't even go and celebrate it if we wish. My dh went this morning and couldn't figure out why the wrong readings were done.
Is this common is other diocese? Interestingly, I checked out the parish in State College, PA where we may be moving, and they are celebrating the Ascension today. So much for living in one of the most conservative diocese in the country.  It may be time to cross that off of our list of reasons not to move.
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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Lisbet
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 4:03pm | IP Logged
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It's the way it is done in our diocese, but our parish has an indult TLM, the only one in the diocese.
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
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Marybeth
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 4:19pm | IP Logged
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Yes,we are celebrating it here on Sunday also. We usually take our cue from the Chicago Archdiocease for these types of decisions.
Very sad. I think we should be celebrating today and frankly I forgot until this morning...great Catholic homeschooling Mom that I am. 
Mb
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Maria B.
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 4:24pm | IP Logged
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I agree Molly ... so disappointed in Arlington Diocese today.
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Maria in VA
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Celeste
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 4:25pm | IP Logged
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It irritates me, too. We should be adding holydays, not subtracting! And "40 days after Easter" wasn't an arbitrary designation on Jesus' part, either. Think of all the 40s in the Bible: years wandering in the desert, days and nights of the flood, days of Jesus fasting, etc. etc. With the Ascension "the forties are over," as Bishop Sheen said; the fifties, the time of Jubilee, begin. But I digress, as usual.
Too often we've missed the feast completely--traveling on Thursday in one diocese that celebrates it on Sunday, getting home on Sunday to a diocese that celebrates it on Thursday. 
Celeste
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JennGM
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 4:33pm | IP Logged
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Celeste wrote:
It irritates me, too. We should be adding holydays, not subtracting! And "40 days after Easter" wasn't an arbitrary designation on Jesus' part, either. Think of all the 40s in the Bible: years wandering in the desert, days and nights of the flood, days of Jesus fasting, etc. etc. With the Ascension "the forties are over," as Bishop Sheen said; the fifties, the time of Jubilee, begin. But I digress, as usual.
Too often we've missed the feast completely--traveling on Thursday in one diocese that celebrates it on Sunday, getting home on Sunday to a diocese that celebrates it on Thursday.
Celeste |
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Hmmm, we must be related.  I feel the same way. We've done that traveling I think two years in a row and missed the feast day! It was annoying.
Here's my other complaint about it. We lose the Very First Novena. That was the beauty of the Thursday to Pentecost Sunday -- our first nine day novena. Now we don't even have this!
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 4:35pm | IP Logged
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I noticed in the Magnificat this morning that there are actually very few dioceses that celebrate the Ascension on Ascension Thursday: "the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and the State of Nebraska."
You would think that the other parts of the country should offer Ascension masses as an option, wouldn't you?
Peace,
Nancy
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Betsy
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+JMj+
My DH likes to comment that now days all Holy Days are moved if there is a Sunday in the week.  It's very sad.
Betsy
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Helen
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I know it is sad to lose traditions that we are accustomed to. But another way of looking at moving the feast day to a Sunday is to think of the Church as our Holy Mother.
How many very faithful Catholics have missed this day? It is an easy day to forget to go to Mass.
The Church, in her wisdom, sees the entirety of her flock and has decided to not add an additional burden to those already weak in faith.
St. Paul tells us to bear patiently with those of weak faith.
An act of adoration/worship has much more merit if not "forced." An act of obedience to the Church is an act full of great love and merit - even if it doesn't feel like great love and merit.
Many years ago, I heard that the Roman diocese (as in Eternal City!) celebrates Ascension Thursday on Sunday.
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Ave Maria!
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chicken lady
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Thank you Helen for the postive twist! I had never thought of like that before.
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mariB
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Helen,
Thank you for helping us in our faith!
Our church celebrates Ascension Thursday but very few were there. We only have about 120 people in our parish. I love the view that the Holy Church is our Mother helping us to NOT stumble in our faith.
The Lord in his wisdom knew that we needed to go to mass today as today was a very rough day indeed. I kept saying,"Lord, thank you for your Ascension and for the Holy Eucharist to give us strength."
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kingvozzo
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 6:07pm | IP Logged
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hylabrook1 wrote:
I noticed in the Magnificat this morning that there are actually very few dioceses that celebrate the Ascension on Ascension Thursday: "the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and the State of Nebraska."
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Wish I had seen this earlier today! Thank goodness for Molly's question, or I would have missed Mass today. We were out of our diocese on Sunday, so missed the announcement in our home parish. I saw Molly's post at 4:50, called my parish, and rushed out the door for Mass at 5:30. 4Real-ers save the day again!
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Nina Murphy
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 7:01pm | IP Logged
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I'm not sure about here in Sacramento. I assume so. We are celebrating it today at our parish--but it is FSSP, and the Missal is and readings are different (with permission of the Bishop).
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~~Nina
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and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Carole N.
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 7:16pm | IP Logged
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Ours is moved to Sunday as well. I believe that when we first moved here 10 years ago, we celebrated on Ascension Thursday. But no longer. There was only one mass today in the morning. It is so sad to me that as my family grows stronger in our faith, I find that our parish celebrates the Liturgical Year less and less. 
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 Carole ... in Wales
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Maryan
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It's been a couple years now in Virginia and it still bothers me (in fact I blogged about it this morning just to vent!) But I know what Helen is saying is true... but it is hard to explain to children...
For example, even when they lift the "obligation" from a Holy Day... the readings are still for that feast day and it's still a solemnity.
But... in this case the whole feast is moved to Sunday, so even if you go to Mass for Ascension Thursday, the readings are just for the 6th Thursday of Easter. And to illustrate the novena, as JennGM pointed out, is more difficult. We still explained it, went to Mass, started our novena, even had a treat for dinner...
I certainly am glad the Church views this as a very important feast day, but unlike Corpus Christi (which I believe is also moved to Sunday)... this feast does seem very tied to a particular date...
But Helen, I do understand those reasons...
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Erica Sanchez
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Moved to Sunday here on the West Coast as well, for what seems like many years now.
I do understand the move to Sunday with regards to attendance, but so many people make it to Mass on Ash Wednesday which is not even a Holy Day. It still feels like a loss to me.
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
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MaryM
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 9:36pm | IP Logged
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We will celebrate the Ascension liturgy on Sunday - but today this is what we did here.
Ascension hill climb and picnic
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Michaela
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As always, Mary 
We don't have anything like Ascension Hill.
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Jen L.
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| Posted: May 17 2007 at 11:39pm | IP Logged
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Well I was too sick (just a bad cold) to try this today, but I was going to go to the nearby Byzantine church today -- they have Ascension THURSDAY and it is a valid Mass!
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momwise
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| Posted: May 18 2007 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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This is just sooooo irritating  Why the bishops spend one more year on this nonsense is beyond me.
The author ofHappy Ascension Day! is upset too!
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Ascension Thursday
